The closest thing Alternative Rock ever had to teen prodigies, Australia’s Silverchair took the alt world by storm by their uncanny sonic resemblance to Pearl Jam.  Of course, mimics are rarely respected, and though Silverchair received an early pass due to their youth, they worked hard to develop their own identity.  They may not have remained in the public eye in North America, but they did so in Australia while continuing developing their legacy Down Under.  For them to have a serious run for the Hall, Silverchair will once again have to conquer the American market.

We might have younger readers who may think that Rammstein is the best band to come out of Germany.  Fans of Krautrock and the Scorpions may dispute this (as do we), but it is hard to dispute that Rammstein has been one of the more successful groups to come out of Germany in the past fifteen years.  With an Industrial driven brand of Heavy Metal, Rammstein was able to cross borders and become successful in North America.  This was an impressive feat considering they rarely sang in English.  At some point, a second German group will crack the Hall; could it be Rammstein?

Upon leaving 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant embarked on an even greater solo career.  Merchant’s sweet and sometimes melancholy voice were used on well chosen singles to hook an audience and after that she had had an audience for her poetic feminist songs.  Merchant was able to become a hit maker and concert attraction and though she has been largely inactive in recent years she has the unique abiliy to come back without missing a beat.