Before she became a punch line due to her “Psychic Friends”, Dionne Warwick was known for her distinctive sophisticated singing voice that may have defined what Adult Contemporary music. That may prove to her main obstacle for induction as there is no doubt that she had an impact with her multiple chart hits, she may not have been a huge influence and her “Rock” credibility is limited at best. A shelf full of Grammies may have to do for now.

As one of the great Funk bands of the 70’s, the Ohio Players put their stamp on the R&B charts (and the Pop charts too) with a powerful horn section and a not so subtle sexual imagery. Their brand of Funk translated well into the Disco era and they had a run that was only matched by a handful of other Funk groups. They probably won’t be the next Funk band in, but they may have done enough to be considered for it.

As one of the pioneers of Alternative Metal it was natural to expect that Corrosion Of Conformity was set to break through when the Alternative boom hit in the early 90’s. This didn’t quite happen, though they left behind a series of solid albums that pushed Metal boundaries and thought provoking lyrics. They have the originality for the Hall, but Metal of any variety has not necessarily proven to be the first love for Hall voters.

Of the many Punk bands that emerged from L.A. (or really anywhere for that matter), the Gun Club could have conceivably drew from more outside influences than anyone else. With a serious Blues injection to their music, the Gun Club indirectly helped create a harder Alternative Country market that really hadn’t existed before and a list of successful bands who were influenced by them (R.E.M & the White Stripes to name a couple) is a long one. Having said that, should a Los Angeles based Punk band receive the nod, the Gun Club likely won’t be that band.