He did not have a lot of success as “Romeo Blue” when he looked back at developing a Retro Funk career, but under his given name of Lenny Kravitz, success was found when he channelled a Classic Blues based Rock sound mixed with a bit of Psychedelic. Retro is a great word to describe Kravitz as everything from his style, his stage presence and of course his music, had a “retro cool” feel. Even though he had a remarkably consistent career, it is that Retro label that could work against him as the Hall may feel that he was not innovative enough and musically looked too much to the past as opposed to the future.

Leading the Punk Revival charge, Green Day has a claim as one of the more influential bands of the 1990’s. This was ironic as they never exactly broke new ground, but their echoes of the music that came fifteen years before, ushered in the Neo Punk movement. While doing this, they remained a relevant band and continued to outsell many of the bands they inspired. They would continue to play with their sound and add more political awareness to their lyrics, which may have aided to keep their shelf life significantly longer than most of the other Punk bands that existed.

Critically, they have are loved or hated, as their legion of fans is contradicted by the previous Punk generation who may feel they are on the poser side of the ledger. Whether that is true or not, they did usher in a revival of Punk and as such this is a strong contender for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.




The Bullet Points:

Eligible Since:
2014

Country of Origin:
U.S.A. (Berkeley, California)

Eligible Since:
2014

Why They Will Get In:
They meet the influence criteria, and they have often been part of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

Why They Won’t Get In:
They aren’t considered influential by everyone, and they do have sizable detractors.

Nominated In:
Never

Essential Albums:
Dookie (1994)
Insomniac (1995)
Nimrod (1997)
American Idiot (2005)

Our Five Favorite Songs as Chosen by Each Member of the NIHOF Committee:
Longview (From Dookie, 1994)
Basket Case (From Dookie, 1994)
American Idiot (From American Idiot, 2004)
Holiday (From American Idiot, 2004)
Jesus of Suburbia (From American Idiot, 2004)

Considered one of the more influential Hip Hop duos of the early 90’s, the East Coast rap pair of Gang Stare perfected the blend of New Jack Swing and Rap. They were masters of creating beats and combing them with socially aware lyrics. Because their skills were so bountiful, they often collaborated with other artists due to their high demand. This rendered their own work to be somewhat limited, but what they did do was brilliant. Their chances for the Hall of Fame though will likely depend on how many of the other influential Hip Hop acts get in before them.

While Alternative music was becoming dark and dirty, The Barenaked Ladies built a career out of catchy songs that were deliberately quirky. In the process, the Canadian band delivered a surprising amount of hits for a band whose lyrics were often nonsensical. As they were radio friendly, they became a favorite of many and crossed age demographics effortlessly. Those who took the band too seriously often dismissed them as eccentric hacks, but this was a talented group who took seemingly unusable lyrics to the top.