Current Rock and Roll Inductees (240)
One of the premiere Art Rock bands of any generation, the skills and impact of the David Byrne led group was without question. Still, it was a bit of a shock that they got in on their first year of eligibility.
One of the most successful groups ever to come out of Motown, the Temptations was the definition of Motown Style. They also had a catalogue that used other elements of Urban sounds and their entire body of work stacks up against anyone lese from Detroit.
Debating the merits of someone who is already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with another group is commonplace here. Debating the merits of someone who eclipsed her former act in terms of success and notoriety though not necessarily musically is a little new for us. We can’t help but feel that Tina Turner falls in to that…
Had this been a list of who should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the ability to amalgamate the combined categories of performing, songwriting and producing it would have to be believed that Todd Rundgren would easily be in the top ten of this list. As it stands, the Hall does not combine those categories and…
A band that embodied Blue Collar America, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers put out solid Rock album after Rock album and spectacular concert after concert. It is this hard work ethos that makes them still a solid attraction today.
This is the man that has the unarguable distinction of having the most distinct singing voice on this list. The raspy alcohol and tobacco soaked voice of Tom Waits blends perfectly with the lyrics about the downtrodden and his ballads have much more somberness because of it. He was certainly different than the other Singer/Songwriters of the 70’s and it wasn’t…
One of the great bands from England (which says a lot), Traffic was a brilliant meld of Blues, Psychedelic, Jazz and Folk. To some this was a band that didn’t deserve such an accolade, but to those who really heard them it was a necessary induction.
It is a sad reality that an early death can make a star into a legend, and in the case of 2pac, he turned into a martyr.Love him or hate him, 2pac would become the face of Gangsta Rap and did so not only as a rapper, but also as a very solid actor. The man born Tupac Shakur, would…
Inducted in their first year of eligibility, U2 remain as superstars who are both relevant and can sell out a stadium. Even on a list as powerful as this one, that is one hell of an accomplishment.
The swaggering West Coast Hard Rock superstars conquered arenas and high school smoker’s pits in the late 70’s and early 80’s. In terms of hits and album sales there are no other Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band that was more successful than Van Halen.
Van Morrison may be considered a Blue Eyed Soul legend, but his range took him from Rock, Jazz and traditional Celtic Folk and he is easily one of the most respected vocalists of his or any generation.
This is the entry that proved that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was serious about inducting based on influence as opposed to commercialism. This WAS the ground zero for Alternative music.
The Ventures were one of the most successful instrumental bands of all time. It took a long time for them for to be inducted to the Hall, but their qualifications are more than solid.
This was actually our hardest one of all to figure out. Where do you rank someone who has sold millions of records, is credited with one of the most beautiful voices ever, yet has limited songwriting credits and has even more limited “Rock” credibility? With that, we present the case of the enigma that is known as Whitney Houston.
A favorite of many; the Who went from the British Invasion, Rock Operas, to selling out multiple arenas in the 70’s. Clearly icons in the Rock world, the Hall of Fame would be vacant without them.
With his rough voice, Wilson Pickett brought a much needed grit to 60’s Soul and with a sound accessible to the Rock set, brought him a wide amount of crossover success. He may not be the Soul man who is considered the greatest, but he may the one who is most widely known.
A powerful Blues based Rock band, the Yardbirds may be best known for launching the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. They did have a string of hits in the mid 60’s that was the beginning of taking guitar rock to new levels with their use of feedback and distortion. Their place in the Hall can not…
The twenty eighth selection returns us back to the never ending Rock and Roll Hall of Fame question of inducting Progressive Rock acts. As a key player in the Progressive Rock movement; Yes was an impressive outfit regardless of which lineup they had.
Surprisingly, it is not uncommon for a musician to have their biggest hit after they passed away. We wonder if the Zombies could identify on some level, as they achieved their biggest success after they disbanded.
With music that was pure Texas, ZZ Top’s blend of Blues, Hard Rock, and unique Tex Mex influences made them stars in the 70’s. The 1983 album, Eliminator brought them international stardom when they altered their sound to crack mainstream radio and MTV; a feat they accomplished without alienating their core audience.