Although the early 1990’s were known for bringing Alternative Music and Gangsta Rap to the forefront, it also ushered in the New Country movement which was a massive success in almost any metric you can think of. Its greatest star was Garth Brooks, and he sold out arenas sold millions of albums and reformatted FM Radio stations across the United States. In terms of the Billboard charts, Brooks did not always transfer over, but he had enough poppish elements to make him palatable to many. He may have revolutionized the Country Music genre, but does that make him a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee? It sure won’t for Chris Gaines!

Although they were initially labelled as a Dinosaur Jr. rip off, Buffalo Tom persevered and my the middle of the 90’s, they were considered one of the more respected Alternative acts in the United States. They altered their sound and it seemed like they were on the verge of a major mainstream breakthrough. This didn’t happen, but they did earn a lot of respect in the alt community and had a decent run; though that won’t lead them to Cleveland.

In Canada, it could be argued that the most successful home grown Alternative Rock act would be Our Lady Peace.  They always charted well in Canada and with a melodic structure that echoed Classic Rock and a uniquely voiced lead singer (Raine Maida), it does not take Canadians long to identify an OLP song when it appears on the radio.  This is a resume that will get them in the Canadian Hall, but what of Cleveland?  They have penetrated the U.S. market, and with some recognition south of border they have built up a remote possibility for a future induction.  Just a remote one though.

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.