35 Performers Who Belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Jethro Tull and Johnny Winter deserve it most, yet have never been nominated. Beyoncé is a lock for next year.

Who Belongs?

Last April, when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (“RRHOF”) revealed its 2026 class of inductees, rock fans of all stripes released a collective sigh over what could have been and what should never be (apologies to Led Zeppelin). The angst was palpable because of the grey areas embedded in the process that asks: 1) What exactly is rock ‘n’ roll? and 2) How do we know when an artist deserves recognition?

The RRHOF’s written criteria provide merely a clue: Artists must have released their first commercial recording 25 years or more prior to the year of induction and “have demonstrated musical excellence, impact, and influence.” Okay, that’s a start.

Music’s Highest Honor?

Celebrating rock ‘n’ roll’s diverse appeal and staying power, the RRHOF has called induction “music’s highest honor,” a genre that can award its top prize to both Dolly Parton and Ma Rainey. But the RRHOF isn’t the only game in town. Its inductees might be similarly honored in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, and many others. Is rock ‘n’ roll a catch-all, a basketful of specific musical genres? That’s a discussion for another day.

Read: How Rock’n’ Roll Began

35 Artists Who Belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Two Injustices

Jethro Tull. We were already impressed by such quality songs as “Serenade to a Cuckoo,” “My Sunday Feeling,” “Bouree,” “Fat Man,” and “To Cry You a Song.” Then came Aqualung, their seminal work and a classic title track, and As Thick as a Brick. It seems the RRHOF has been slow to recognize Progressive Rock acts. Indeed, Genesis (2010), Deep Purple (2016), Yes (2017), and the Moody Blues (2018) all waited years after attaining eligibility. Jethro Tull remains its most glaring omission.

Johnny Winter. How has the RRHOF overlooked Texas blues guitar legend Johnny Winter while his rivals have long since been honored? Here is the roster, along with induction date: Muddy Waters (1987), Duane Allman (1995), John Lee Hooker (1991), Buddy Guy (2005), Albert King (2013), Stevie Ray Vaughn (2015), and Mike Bloomfield (2015). Even fellow Texan Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top made the grade in 2004.

Speaking of Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter produced three albums for him in the 1970s that elevated Waters (and the blues) to mainstream rock audiences. The 1977 album Hard Again won the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album.

10 Previously Honored Artists Who Deserve Solo Recognition

David Byrne
Diana Ross
Don Henley
Iggy Pop
Jeff Lynne
Mark Knopfler
Pete Townshend
Peter Gabriel
Stevie Winwood
Sting

The Rest Who Belong

The B-52s. This post-punk band made rock ‘n’ roll fun, a sub-genre that started with Frank Zappa (1995). “Rock Lobster” is an all-time classic.

Badfinger. The “Second Beatles” endured unspeakable tragedies, but their songbook lives on. If the Dave Clark Five (2008) can get in, so should Badfinger.

Blood, Sweat & Tears. What was originally Al Kooper’s vanity project became a chart-topping behemoth in the late 1960s, joining Creedence Clearwater Revival (1993).

Boston. A peek at Boston’s discography would reveal a decade (1976-86) of four multi-platinum albums, and a pivotal role in the resurgence of classic rock in the 1970s. It’s time for Boston to join fellow hard rockers Aerosmith (2001), Van Halen (2007), Metallica (2009), Foreigner (2024), and Bad Company (2025).

Glen Campbell. Aside from being a successful country-pop crooner, Campbell was a key member of the LA-based Wrecking Crew, the studio mavens who backed scores of elite performers. Wrecking Crew members who have received the RRHOF Award for Musical Excellence include Hal Blaine (2000) and Carole Kaye (2025).

Canned Heat. Their dalliance with blues icon John Lee Hooker (1991) clarified the symbiotic relationship between rock and the blues. Canned Heat band members were rakish personalities who would soon self-destruct. Still, rock ‘n’ roll feels better when we’re reminded to… “boogie.”

Albert Collins. Along with Johnny Winter, Albert Collins is a blues omission that begs for justice. The late “Master of the Telecaster” is firmly in the blues pantheon.

Judy Collins. Sweet Judy Blue Eyes has had a storied singing career spanning 60 years. The tally: 36 studio albums, nine live albums, four holiday albums, and 21 singles.

Jim Croce. Instead of dwelling on what might have been, perhaps we should be grateful for the prolific songbook Croce created before a 1973 plane crash claimed the lives of Croce and musical partner Maury Muehleisen. Songs: “Operator,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Time in a Bottle,” “I Got A Name,” “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song,” and “Working at the Carwash Blues.”

Dick Dale and the Deltones. Dick Dale practically invented the surf guitar. The Ventures got in way back in 2008. Dale was better.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Another Progressive Rock exclusion. It’s time to shout, “Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.”

J. Geils Band. Starting out as a blues band, they evolved their songwriting chops in the 1980s with hit songs such as “Love Stinks,” “Centerfold,” and “Freeze Frame.” Their raw energy and roguish charm made them unique, and set an example for bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers (2012) and Beastie Boys (2012).

The Guess Who. This Canadian band scored eight monster hits (“American Woman,” “Undun,” “These Eyes,” “No Sugar Tonight,” etc.) in just two years starting in 1969. Sorry, Randy Bachman, BTO doesn’t make the cut.

Gordon Lightfoot. Another Canadian act, Lightfoot set the standard for the guitar-strumming singer-songwriter in the 1970s. Gordon Lightfoot should fit in easily with Joni Mitchell (1997), James Taylor (2000), Cat Stevens (2014), and Joan Baez (2017).

Little Feat. Despite not having one hit single (they preferred releasing albums), Lowell George’s Little Feat is the quintessential American band, combining Memphis blues, New Orleans swamp boogie, jazz, and country, stirred into a mighty fine “rad gumbo.” The Doobie Brothers (2020) finally got in, and so should Little Feat.

The Monkees. Talk about impact and influence: Despite learning their instruments on the fly (or so the rumor goes) and appearing weekly on TV, The Monkees left behind a songbook of pop perfection. The question remains: Will the RRHOF ever take them seriously?

The Neville Brothers. Their recording legacy is sparse, but they are New Orleans R&B royalty. They should fit in comfortably with the Staple Singers (1999).

Phish. The Grateful Dead (1994) may be the ultimate jam band, but being number two isn’t all that bad. Phish has a solid recording legacy and a dedicated fanbase who follow them everywhere to this day. Jam bands Widespread Panic, the String Cheese Incident, and moe. aren’t there yet.

John Prine. He’s considered one of the most influential songwriters of the baby boom generation, sprinkling humor and social commentary in his “sweet songs and melancholy ballads.” The Grammy Awards sure loved him, nominating him 13 times and Prine winning five, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. Prine could stand tall beside Tom Waits (2011).

Neil Sedaka. He was a prolific songwriter, credited with over 500 songs for himself and other artists in the 1950s and early 1960s. Songs like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Love Will Keep Us Together,” and “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” made stars out of Connie Francis, Captain & Tennille, and others. All told, Sedaka sold millions of records worldwide in his lifetime.

Ten Years After (Alvin Lee). The band is probably not deserving, but the RRHOF must find a way to honor guitarist Alvin Lee, who killed it at Woodstock with “I’m Going Home,” and who remains “the fastest guitar in the west.” Good luck.

Three Dog Night. From 1969 to the mid-1970s, the band’s songs were everywhere. Notably, their songs were accessible to both AM Top 40 and classic rock radio. Even if you shuddered to another cry of “Jeremiah was a bullfrog…” Three Dog Night and their lush three-part harmonies had the goods.

Barry White. The baritone, silky-voiced White had a singing career similar to Luther Vandross, who is in the class of 2026.

Close, but No Cigar

Here are 32 rock ‘n’ roll acts who, in my humble opinion, broke through, but are not, at this time, RRHOF-worthy: The 5th Dimension, The Association,  the Carpenters, Ry Cooder, John Denver, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Dan Fogelberg, Foghat, Grand Funk Railroad, the Grass Roots, John Hiatt, INXS, Tommy James and the Shondells, King Crimson, Lenny Kravitz, Huey Lewis & the News, Loggins & Messina, Taj Mahal, Marshall Tucker Band, Meat Loaf, the New York Dolls, Harry Nilsson, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Johnny Rivers, Savoy Brown, Boz Scaggs, Styx, Supertramp, Television, the Turtles, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, and War.

Coda

The induction ceremony for the RRHOF’s Class of 2026 will take place on November 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. The taped ceremony will debut in December 2026 on ABC as a prime-time special and on Disney+ as a streaming event.