Rock & Roll Hall of Fame update has music fans bracing for what’s next

Voting for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 is now finished. The official list of inductees will probably be revealed around the end of April. Hopefully, the actual inductees will be different from who fans voted for, reflecting a broader view of rock history.

For the second year in a row, online voters have selected an artist who didn’t deserve the top spot. Last year, it was Phish. Fortunately, the official induction committee – made up of musicians, historians, and record industry professionals – decided not to induct Phish, and they were right to do so.

Phish isn’t lacking in musical talent, but they haven’t achieved the widespread artistic or commercial success – either of which would typically qualify an artist – needed for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Fan vote for the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class is disapoointing

The boyband New Edition also topped the fan vote in 2026, and they certainly had some talent – enough to earn a nomination. However, their success was much bigger in the US than in the UK – they had four songs reach the top 10 in the US, but only one in the UK. This kind of disparity doesn’t usually lead to being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Perhaps even more significantly, New Edition wasn’t a rock group. It sometimes feels like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame isn’t always clear about what kind of music it’s celebrating.

Many fans are hoping to see artists like Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, and Oasis inducted in 2026. While Phil Collins is almost guaranteed a spot, the inclusion of the others is less certain. However, excluding Iron Maiden would be a major oversight, as they were both incredibly popular and highly influential.

The fan vote for the 2026 Rock Hall class ended on April 3, the results of which you can see below.

Final results from 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class fan vote:

1. New Edition – 1,022,683
2. Phil Collins – 900,825
3. P!NK – 852,581
4. Shakira – 738,034
5. Luther Vandross – 732,747
6. INXS – 645,021
7. Sade – 622,997
8. Wu-Tang Clan – 610,083
9. Billy Idol – 601,061
10. Mariah Carey – 503,549
11. Lauryn Hill – 472,708
12. Iron Maiden – 395,281
13. Melissa Etheridge – 387,393
14. The Black Crowes – 277,769
15. Oasis – 259,942
16. Joy Division/New Order – 229,862
17. Jeff Buckley – 171,146

Buckley and Joy Division + New Order probably won’t be inducted, although they definitely deserve consideration. As for the rest of the nominees, fans will have to wait and find out if they’ll make the cut.

2026-04-04 19:30

Fan vote for the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class is disapoointing

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