A California Rock Band that seemed to be able to do it all, Spirit was able to blend multiple Rock influences anywhere from Hard Rock, Psychedelic, R&B, Classical and Folk. Often they would veer from influence to influence and this may have been why they had only modest success as many music fans in that era searched for acts that were more specific as opposed to diverse. Spirit was clearly an influence on Led Zeppelin, and if there are members of the Hall committee who believe that Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands ever (and many fans do), it is possible that Spirit could get a peek.

The enigmatic Scott Walker, who achieved his greatest success in England despite being from the American Heartland. After ironically starting out as a British Invasion type artist, Walker evolved into a deep and morose storyteller influenced by American crooners and European chamber music. Normally being an American helps your induction chances, but it likely won’t here.

Already deservedly in the Hall as a member of the Eagles, Don Henley easily had the best solo career among them. Henley only recorded four albums, but they performed very well and spawned some hits as well as critical acclaim. He created some solid Rock tunes, though his overall work may have bordered a little too far on the Adult Contemporary side for some fans. The key here is that the songs that were a hit for Henley then could easily be so now. If any Eagle gets in as a solo, our wager is on Don Henley.

Like many American Underground Alternative acts of the 80’s, the Meat Puppets got a kick at the mainstream after the Grunge explosion. They had a couple of minor hits, but unlike many of their 80’s Underground peers, the Meat Puppets remained together putting out quietly acclaimed albums that were mostly featured on College radio. Their “Cowpunk” style is often duplicated and as much as they were covered by Nirvana, they will likely watch them get in without seeing that accolade for themselves.