Known primarily as a band that Kurt Cobain once worshipped, Melvins were a Washington state based band that have been called by some as the true “Godfathers of Grunge”. Their music had a deliberately slow and plodding pace and their Godfather nickname does have some credence as many Grunge acts cited them as an influence. They were far from one dimensional; as they were a very experimental band whose entire catalogue shows depth. Still together, still touring and still recording, the Melvins are seemingly the last of their genre still together. Based on who they have influenced, they may have an outside shot for induction.

Although Eric B. & Rakim were far from the first Rap stars of note, they may have done more to further the genre of Hip Hop than anyone else on the latter half of the 1980’s. With unequalled chemistry, the duo comprised of Eric B.’s solid DJ skills and the leading MC of his time, Rakim. This was the Hip Hop blueprint that others would follow as the combinations of articulate MCs and creative DJs became staples on industry labels for years to come. The next wave of Hip Hop heavyweights largely pointed to Eric B. & Rakim as one of their great influences. Although they did not dominate the charts, this duo has a real shot to be a first ballot entry as the Hall has shown it does appreciate the genre of Rap. 

Drawing from the American Heartland with a healthy mix of Adult Contemporary, Bruce Hornsby and the Range delivered the mid 80’s a dose of piano based Americana that racked up fans and acclaim. Hornsby won the 1987 Best New Artist Grammy and looked to have a career of healthy album sales ahead of him. That didn’t quite happen as Hornsby would utilize his piano skills from other influences like Bluegrass, Folk and Jazz. His talent in his concerts and albums was certainly evident, but he did not necessarily make music that would appeal to the masses. Since Hornsby did have a huge commercial splash, his versatile talent could get him in.