So much of the music that made it big in the early 80’s seems so dated today. There is a constant wonder about the bands and hits that emerged from that decade that made us wonder just what the hell were we thinking? With the Violent Femmes, it might just be the opposite, as this could be the music that you could pass down generations as it doesn’t seem to have aged at all.

In the entry regarding the Spinners, a mention was made about the lack of Philly Soul groups in the Hall. The Spinners might get in one day representing the genre, but if they don’t it would not be an impossibility to see the Stylistics take that spot instead.

More patterns on this list emerged than when we first envisioned this endeavor. One such trend that we incorrectly foreshadowed was that of the perceived British one hit wonder. The Ska Revival band Madness falls into that category as most Americans remember their crossover hit, Our House, but that song was hardly indicative of the music that Madness produced.

We are going to play the gender card again on this selection. There are musicians who are ranked lower on this list who may have been more successful and played in much bigger venues, but it is our guess that nobody inspired more women to pick up a guitar than Joan Jett.