Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Special Category Inductees

Since the first induction class, the Rock Hall has honored inductees outside the main "Performers" category. These inductees are selected by special subcommittees and don't go through a balloting process with the larger Voting Committee.

The Rock Hall's track record inducting women in the special categories is poor, and is highlighted below. The Hall of Fame has a long way to go in this regard to make up for its tilted process.

You can read much more about the history and controversy surrounding the categories here.

 

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Early Influence / Musical Influence

This is the Rock Hall's oldest special category and has been used intermittently since the first induction class of 1986. Originally intended to honor influential artists who predated rock and roll, the category has expanded to include pioneers of significant rock and roll subgenres. As a reflection of that shift, the category was renamed to "Musical Influence" in 2023.

Jimmie Rodgers (1986)
Jimmy Yancey (1986)
Robert Johnson (1986)
Hank Williams (1987)
Louis Jordan (1987)
T-Bone Walker (1987)
Lead Belly (1988)
Les Paul (1988)
Woody Guthrie (1988)
Bessie Smith (1989)
The Ink Spots (1989)
The Soul Stirrers (1989)
Charlie Christian (1990)
Louis Armstrong (1990)
Ma Rainey (1990)
Howlin' Wolf (1991)
Elmore James (1992)
Professor Longhair (1992)
Dinah Washington (1993)
Willie Dixon (1994)
The Orioles (1995)
Pete Seeger (1996)
Bill Monroe (1997)
Mahalia Jackson (1997)
Jelly Roll Morton (1998)
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (1999)
Charles Brown (1999)
Billie Holiday (2000)
Nat "King" Cole (2000)
Wanda Jackson (2009)
Freddie King (2012)
The "5" Royales (2015)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (2018)
Charley Patton (2021)
Gil Scott-Heron (2021)
Kraftwerk (2021)
Elizabeth Cotten (2022)
Harry Belafonte (2022)
DJ Kool Herc (2023)
Link Wray (2023)
Alexis Korner (2024)
Big Mama Thornton (2024)
John Mayall (2024)

Women: 9   |   Men: 60

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Musical Excellence

This category was born from the ashes of the Sideman category and was originally created to honor behind-the-scenes musicians and producers. The category has morphed into a mechanism for the Rock Hall to induct performers who couldn't, or likely wouldn't be able to get inducted through the typical voting process.

Leon Russell (2011)
Cosimo Matassa (2012)
Glyn Johns (2012)
Tom Dowd (2012)
The E Street Band (2014)
Ringo Starr (2015)
Nile Rodgers (2017)
Billy Preston (2021)
LL Cool J (2021)
Randy Rhoads (2021)
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (2022)
Judas Priest (2022)
Al Kooper (2023)
Bernie Taupin (2023)
Chaka Khan (2023)
Dionne Warwick (2024)
Jimmy Buffett (2024)
MC5 (2024)
Norman Whitfield (2024)

Women: 3   |   Men: 36

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Sideman

The Sideman category was in use between 2000-2009 and was officially retired by the Rock Hall in 2011. Despite being inducted as a "Sideman," the Rock Hall now lists these inductees at the museum and their website under the Musical Excellence category.

Earl Palmer (2000)
Hal Blaine (2000)
James Jamerson (2000)
King Curtis (2000)
Scotty Moore (2000)
James Burton (2001)
Johnnie Johnson (2001)
Chet Atkins (2002)
Benny Benjamin (2003)
Floyd Cramer (2003)
Steve Douglas (2003)
Little Walter (2008)
Bill Black (2009)
D.J. Fontana (2009)
Spooner Oldham (2009)

Women: 0   |   Men: 15

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Non-Performer (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

The Non-Performer category was renamed the Ahmet Ertegun Award in 2008, and has been used for "songwriters, producers, disc jockeys, record executives, journalists and other industry professionals."

Alan Freed (1986)
Sam Phillips (1986)
Ahmet Ertegun (1987)
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (1987)
Jerry Wexler (1987)
Leonard Chess (1987)
Berry Gordy, Jr. (1988)
Phil Spector (1989)
Gerry Goffin and Carole King (1990)
Holland, Dozier and Holland (1990)
Dave Bartholomew (1991)
Ralph Bass (1991)
Bill Graham (1992)
Doc Pomus (1992)
Leo Fender (1992)
Dick Clark (1993)
Milt Gabler (1993)
Johnny Otis (1994)
Paul Ackerman (1995)
Tom Donahue (1996)
Syd Nathan (1997)
Allen Toussaint (1998)
George Martin (1999)
Clive Davis (2000)
Chris Blackwell (2001)
Jim Stewart (2002)
Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss (2006)
Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff (2008)
Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (2010)
David Geffen (2010)
Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry (2010)
Jesse Stone (2010)
Mort Shuman (2010)
Otis Blackwell (2010)
Art Rupe (2011)
Jac Holzman (2011)
Don Kirshner (2012)
Lou Adler (2013)
Quincy Jones (2013)
Andrew Loog Oldham (2014)
Brian Epstein (2014)
Bert Berns (2016)
Irving Azoff (2020)
Jon Landau (2020)
Clarence Avant (2021)
Allen Grubman (2022)
Jimmy Iovine (2022)
Sylvia Robinson (2022)
Don Cornelius (2023)
Suzanne de Passe (2024)

Women: 5   |   Men: 53

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Lifetime Achievement

The Rock Hall used to make a distinction between the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Non-Performer award, but they have recently combined the two categories under the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

John Hammond (1986)
Nesuhi Ertegun (1991)
Mo Ostin (2003)
Jann S. Wenner (2004)
Frank Barsalona (2005)
Seymour Stein (2005)

Women: 0   |   Men: 6

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For the complete list of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, including their presenters, click here.

This site is not affiliated with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.