Although they did not receive the same the level of commercial success or critical acclaim as other Country Rock bands, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is one of the longest lasting and pivotal bands of the genre. They came out of the Southern California Folk Rock movement and were part of the group that melded it with Country. The Nashville community seemed to embrace the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band more than other Country Rock bands of their era, yet simultaneously they did not receive the same kind of love from the Rock and Roll community. The latter point will probably be enough to keep them out of the Hall.

Considered by many Americans to be a one hit wonder, the Norwegian band, A-ha were actually anything but. Although their breakthrough song and video, “Take On Me” was the song they are most known for, in Europe they had monumental success. At their best as a Synth Pop act, A-ha forayed into Alt Rock elements and had developed a solid reputation as band worth watching live. A-ha are true International stars, and despite an 80’s bubblegum reputation they may have within American circles, many Europeans do not see them that way.

Before Sam Cooke had his breakout success with his smooth R&B Pop style, there was Jesse Belvin who was easily among the most underappreciated artist of his day. Belvin was nicknamed “Mr. Easy”, which was appropriate for the way he could write and sing seemingly without effort. Belvin’s early career saw him perform under pseudonyms and various companies and finding a concrete collection of his early work proves ominous for even the most diligent music historian. By 1958, Belvin’s star seemed to be on the rise as he finally took control of his style and recordings. His career was cut short at age 26 from a car crash and whether he would have had the career that Sam Cooke eventually had will always be open for debate. The debate here is whether the Hall will look at what he could have been as opposed to what he actually got to do. With no current nominations, the Hall’s opinion seems apparent.

Naturally, the bulk of the bands on this list (or in the actual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) are from the United States. Others on this list were praised for their ability to merge multiple styles. The Blasters were easily in both categories, but the Blasters were focused on blending musical genres that were primarily rooted in America. They called their creation simply “American Music”, which was an eclectic blend of Roots Rock, R&B, Punk and Rockabilly. Although their music was well received, it wasn’t well purchased, and the band that could very well symbolize American music, did not equate into the American wallet. Maybe they weren’t so American after all.