Making a splash with other Funk bands in the late 70’s, Cameo quickly dispelled the belief that they were a flash in the pan like some of the other Funk bands of their era became. Cameo forged onto through the 80’s with multiple hits and too many were the leading Funk based band of the decade. With that subjective title and with just enough hits a surprise induction could occur.

There are those in the Hall for one album, and it can even be debated in selected cases that it is for one song. With that said, can a case be made for the Kingsmen whose lone hit was a song that they didn’t even write? It is very hard to argue that the Kingsmen rendition of Louie Louie could be the most defining Garage song of all time and helped make Rock and Roll unsafe again. If any band could get in for a song they didn’t write, this is it.

We believe that Robin Trower’s best chance for induction may come as a member of Procul Harum, but Trower really came into his own after he left that band and became a solo artist. Robin Trower was then allowed to continue his experiments with the guitar, and it has been said that Trower picked up where Jimi Hendrix left off. Whether or not he live up to that praise is open for debate, but his 70’s work was easily amongst the best of any axe men of the decade.

Though she was dubbed “The High Priestess of Soul”, Nina Simone was not an artist that could be classified to any genre. Capable of delivering music in varying genres, Simone’s true gift was her ability to change emotions with her singing and she could deliver that regardless of what style she sang. Where she may fail to meet the Hall’s requirements is that those styles she mastered were not of the Rock and Roll variety and considering she has never been nominated this may be enough to keep her out.