Rock Hall’s wise 2026 choices don’t really help these deserving artists

Did you know there are websites where music fans try to predict who will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame years—even decades—into the future? It’s not just about guessing next year’s class; people are making predictions for ten, fifteen, or even twenty years from now.

Geese released their first album on a major record label in 2021. If you believe they’ll eventually be considered one of the greats from Cleveland, you could estimate they’d be eligible for recognition around 2046.

I generally don’t make predictions like these, but it’s enjoyable to consider possibilities occasionally. Today, we’ll do that on a small scale by looking at the eight artists recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We’ll explore whether their induction might improve the chances of related artists being inducted in the future.

After a fascinating 2026 class, who’s next in line for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

Let me be clear: trying to predict who gets into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is pretty much impossible. There don’t seem to be any consistent rules, and the voters and what they look for change unexpectedly. What appears to be a pattern one year might just be a temporary shift, and if a certain type of artist is overlooked in one year, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything about future years.

Starting a rock and roll band is a long shot, but sometimes it actually works out. Let’s explore what we can create right now.

As a long-time music fan, it’s become super clear that hip hop isn’t just a phase – it’s a permanent part of the musical landscape. When you look at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it really backs that up. It took a while, but since Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five went in back in 2007, and especially with Biggie’s induction in 2020, we’ve seen a consistent stream of hip hop artists getting recognized every year for the last seven years. It’s awesome to see the genre getting its due!

As a huge music fan, I’ve been really bothered by this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions. It feels really off that six amazing female artists were overlooked, while only one – the incredible Sade – made it in. It’s making me wonder if the Hall is becoming way too focused on male artists, and if that’s why so many talented women are being left out. It just doesn’t sit right with me.

Doubtful.

I’m not interested in those broad trends right now. Today, I’m getting granular. As in …

Phil Collins opens the door for…

Phil Collins had already been inducted for his work with Genesis. While I don’t particularly enjoy his solo music, he was clearly very popular, which explains why he’s now one of around thirty artists with two separate entries in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Fun fact – there’s actually one artist with three entries. Can you guess who it is?)

Most of the artists inducted twice fall into two groups: those recognized for their work with multiple bands, and those, like Phil Collins, who achieved success as solo artists. There’s one musician who could easily follow a similar path to Collins, though he isn’t widely discussed anymore.

Ben E. King first gained recognition as a lead singer for the Drifters in the late 1950s and early 1960s. After a short time with the group, he launched a highly successful solo career, achieving several R&B hits and gaining mainstream popularity.

Sade opens the door for …

The band Sade has released six studio albums, all of which were commercially successful, reaching the top ten charts, and three of those albums actually hit number one in both the US and the UK. Sade Adu is considered a pioneer of neo-soul, and she was instrumental in developing a popular sound that combined jazz, pop, R&B, and soul music.

Someone else who fits this pattern is Beck, and it’s surprising he hasn’t been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet. Similar to Sade, he’s both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, and many artists cite him as an influence. While Kanye West publicly criticized Sade, he did eventually apologize, a situation that didn’t happen with Beck.

Although Sade only hosted Saturday Night Live twice, Beck has been a frequent performer. He memorably appeared in 2006, performing “Clap Hands” with a unique show featuring both marionettes and musicians playing on table settings.

Wu Tang Clan opens the door for …

Hip hop has already become a mainstream force and doesn’t need any more help gaining acceptance. Groups like Wu-Tang Clan seem to be suggesting we focus instead on a shift in how people think about the genre.

Historically, a rap group had to be incredibly popular to be considered for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. While Wu-Tang Clan definitely achieved a lot of success, their induction could signal that the Hall is now looking beyond just sales numbers. For rock artists, the Hall of Fame always valued creativity, innovation, and lasting impact. It seems hip hop may finally be judged by those same standards by 2026.

Although Snoop Dogg is still a likely candidate for induction, I believe Wu-Tang Clan’s inclusion could pave the way for a critically acclaimed group like De La Soul to be inducted in the next few years.

Luther Vandross opens the door for …

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame voters just needed to decide how broadly they defined ‘rock.’ Once they started including genres like hip hop and country, Luther Vandross became an obvious choice. It took longer than many expected—and a popular song by Kendrick Lamar helped—to finally induct the leading soul singer of his generation.

Now that people are starting to enjoy genres similar to rock, it’s a good time to explore John Coltrane. Miles Davis has been popular for two decades, and Coltrane’s jazz had a comparable impact on many rock and roll musicians.

It’s surprising that Coltrane hasn’t been inducted because he’s been overlooked in both categories designed for influential and exceptionally talented musicians – categories that seem to exist for artists who may not have had mainstream commercial success, like a strong ‘rock and roll’ profile, but still deserve recognition.

I’ve often thought it’s interesting he hasn’t been recognized in other award categories – maybe his supporters are waiting for him to be nominated as a performer. However he gets in, it’s important that he’s inducted.

Billy Idol opens the door for …

We’ve taken care of the adjacent honorees. Now onto the rock and rollers.

While it’s nice to see Iggy Pop and the Stooges inducted, I don’t expect it to mean many other punk bands will be recognized anytime soon. Groups like Bad Brains, The Replacements, and Black Flag are consistently overlooked, and haven’t even been nominated.

I’m viewing this artist with a fresh perspective. Like the iconic lead singer of a successful punk band who later went solo, their career path shares similarities with that of Ronnie James Dio, which gives me reason to be optimistic.

We’ll get back to metal bands shortly, but like punk bands, they don’t get enough recognition. Ronnie James Dio was incredibly talented, had a long and successful career, and deserves to be acknowledged. If Ozzy Osbourne is inducted twice, then Ronnie should be inducted at least once.

Iron Maiden opens the door for …

Told you we’d get to metal soon. Listen, I don’t want to belabor this point.

It’s time to finally induct Motörhead into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If you hesitated before because you thought Iron Maiden was more deserving, that argument is no longer valid. Now is the time to recognize Lemmy and his band.

Joy Division/New Order opens the door for …

2026 is shaping up to be a year where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters finally corrected some oversights. The most significant was inducting Joy Division and New Order – a decision I support even though I don’t personally love their music. Their impact and artistic merit, both with and without Ian Curtis, are clear and undeniable.

I don’t really care for The Smiths either, but the situation is similar. Both bands were much more popular in the UK than in the US, and that difference is important. However, The Smiths had a very successful run in the UK – topping the indie charts 14 times – and they also influenced alternative rock in America, which should be enough to get them inducted. Plus, let’s be honest, wouldn’t it be great to see Morrissey and Johnny Marr play together again? (Just kidding – that’s not going to happen, especially not in Cleveland.)

Oasis opens the door for…

I’m really impressed with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters. They put aside past disagreements and finally inducted Iron Maiden and Oasis, which was the right thing to do.

People seem willing to overlook the issues with the Gallagher brothers, so it’s likely they could forgive Ian Anderson too. He hasn’t really done anything wrong – he’s simply noted that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame heavily favors American artists. He’s also stated he wouldn’t accept induction if Jethro Tull were ever chosen, which isn’t well-received by the Hall’s decision-makers.

Despite all the significant artists missing from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – everyone has their own list, like King Crimson, Boston, or even Little Feat for me – the most glaring omission is definitely Jethro Tull.

And here’s a bonus, because the overall theme of 2026 opens the door for …

This year’s lineup featured only two American artists: Vandros and Wu Tang. The rest were British. Is Ian Anderson reconsidering his views on British success? If so, acknowledging achievements within the UK could also benefit Jethro Tull.

They also worked with many other popular bands – Madness, Status Quo, Blur, and countless others. These groups were incredibly successful in the UK, but didn’t achieve the same level of recognition in the United States.

If I had to pick one band that truly embodies that spirit, it would be Thin Lizzy. When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally recognizes more British artists, they absolutely need to include Phil Lynott and the band, with their unforgettable dual guitar sound. That’s what rock and roll is all about.

By the way, the answer to that earlier trivia question is Eric Clapton. He’s a British musician and the only one to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times.

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2026-04-18 14:01