The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has finally announced its 2026 class!
The list of inductees runs the gamut from Phil Collins to Oasis to Luther Vandross.
Here’s the complete list of 2026 Rock Hall inductees:
Performer inductees:
Phil Collins
Billy Idol
Iron Maiden
Joy Division / New Order
Oasis
Sade
Luther Vandross
Wu-Tang Clan
Early Influence inductees:
Celia Cruz
Fela Kuti
Queen Latifah
MC Lyte
Gram Parsons
Ahmet Ertegun Award for Non-Performers inductee:
Ed Sullivan
Musical Excellence inductees:
Linda Creed
Arif Mardin
Jimmy Miller
Rick Rubin
All of the Performer and Early Influence inductees were on our list of the 200 biggest Rock Hall snubs, with the exception of MC Lyte.
Notably, Joy Division / New Order was #1 on our snub list, and they have finally earned induction on their third appearance on the ballot.
Here’s where we had the major inductees on our snub list:
Joy Division / New Order #1; Phil Collins #5; Iron Maiden #11; Luther Vandross #17; Wu-Tang Clan #27; Billy Idol #32; Gram Parsons #38; Queen Latifah #52; Oasis #69; Sade #95; Fela Kuti #104; Celia Cruz #155.
Quick Reaction to the 2026 Rock Hall Class
Six of our eight picks got selected, so the class isn’t too surprising. Perhaps the biggest eye-opener is Sade getting in over Mariah Carey. It’s clear these voters just do not like Mariah. We’ll be diving more into the possible reasons why in upcoming articles.
Lauryn Hill’s omission is noteworthy as well, but she’ll likely get in eventually. I’d like to see her nominated as Lauryn Hill / The Fugees. Both had limited discographies, but as a package, they would be deserving of induction.
Celia Cruz was a great choice to represent Latin music. Since the Rock Hall weirdly chose to nominate Shakira instead of Cruz, Selena, or Gloria Estefan, it’s good that they made up for that error by inducting the accomplished Cuban singer Cruz.
Queen Latifah getting in as Early Influence makes sense. The choice of MC Lyte is a bit more unusual. She may be deserving, but Roxanne Shante was more of a trailblazer and should have gotten in first. Perhaps Lyte’s industry connections — she’s served as the announcer at the Grammy Awards for the past several years — helped her get selected.
Finally, seeing Iron Maiden honored is a big breakthrough for heavy metal music at the Grammys. Voters had limited options for rock music on this ballot, but they still could’ve chosen a more mainstream act like INXS over Maiden. Instead, they made the right call and went for Maiden.
Original Article: 2026 Rock Hall Nominees Announced
The nominee shortlist arrived on the morning of February 25, featuring a few past nominees and some interesting first-timers.
Artists are eligible for the Rock Hall 25 years after the release of their first song, which means that anyone who debuted in 2001 or earlier could appear on the ballot.
These were the acts who appeared on the 2026 ballot.
Phil Collins (First-time nominee): We’ve been calling for Phil Collins to get inducted as a solo artist for years now, after earning the honor with Genesis in 2010. It’s well-known that he has been in ailing health, so the Hall should get him in now. From the drum break in “In the Air Tonight” to his dozens of pop hits, Collins should be a no-brainer inductee.
Oasis (Previously nominated in 2024, 2025): Following their triumphant reunion tour, the brothers Gallagher are strong candidates to finally earn induction after two straight years of not making the cut. It’s cool to imagine Noel and Liam actually showing up and performing.
Mariah Carey (Previously nominated in 2024, 2025): Despite the induction of divas like Whitney and Janet, somehow Mariah Carey and her 19 #1 hits have yet to receive love from Rock Hall voters. Hopefully, this will be the year the Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee gets her rightful place in the Rock Hall.
Billy Idol (Previously nominated in 2025): Some observers were surprised that Billy Idol wasn’t imducted last year, but he’s got another chance this time around. His extensive list of hits and enduring status as a solid live performer make him a good candidate.
Luther Vandross (First-time nominee): R&B crooner Luther Vandross has been overlooked by the Hall for far too long. One could question why Vandross is nominated before Barry White, who came a decade earlier, but Luther is very much deserving of induction.
Iron Maiden (Previously nominated in 2021, 2023): One of the biggest Rock Hall snubs of all-time, Iron Maiden have struggled to earn induction due to the Hall’s reluctance to embrace heavy metal bands. Ozzy Osbourne made it in two years ago, and Judas Priest got inducted in 2022 (through a side category.)
Joy Division / New Order (Previously nominated in 2023, 2025): Our pick for the single biggest Rock Hall snub, Joy Division created their own brooding, danceable rock sound in the late ’70s, and then leaned even more heavily into synth-heavy dance music in the ’80s after becoming New Order.
Lauryn Hill (First-time nominee): After her acclaimed performance at the Grammys, Lauryn Hill is now a Rock Hall contender. She has one of the thinnest discographies in the history of Rock Hall nominees, but she undoubtedly influenced many artists who came later, and she had a number of hits with the Fugees as well.
Pink (First-time nominee): We’ve been much higher on Pink than many other Rock Hall observers. She’s got a ton of hits, she has a rock and roll attitude, even released a couple of rock albums, and she’s an extraordinary live performer. Pink is 100% deserving of Rock Hall induction.
Wu Tang Clan (First-time nominee): Following Outkast’s induction, it’s been a mystery who the next hip-hop inductee will be. The Wu Tang Clan have claimed that spot. They may not have had a ton of big pop hits, but they made critically-acclaimed albums, and several of their members are household names.
INXS (First-time nominee): The grass-roots campaign to get INXS nominated seems to have worked! The band had a ton of memorable ’80s hits and they deserve eventual induction. Since Michael Hutchence is no longer with us, voters may not feel a rush to induct them, and may decide to give their votes to other nominees.
Melissa Etheridge (First-time nominee): The ’90s rock hitmaker behind “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One” has appeared at multiple Rock Hall ceremonies in the past. She’s one of the most deserving overlooked LGBTQ Rock Hall contenders. In terms of influence, she’s the one who inspired Taylor Swift to pick up a guitar!
New Edition (First-time nominee): The ’80s R&B boy band are unexpected nominees, but New Edition had lots of hits and influenced many vocal groups that came later. And they all had big solo careers: Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, and Bell Biv Devoe (Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe.)
Sade (Previously nominated in 2024): In somewhat of a surprise, the “Smooth Operator” group is back on the ballot two years after their first nomination. Do they have enough recognizable hits for Rock Hall voters to embrace them?
Shakira (First-time nominee): Let’s be honest: Nominating Shakira is very strange. Everyone knew the Hall was due to nominate a Latin pop female, but choosing Shakira, a 2000s artist, over pioneering artists like Gloria Estefan and Selena who came before her, just doesn’t make much sense. But Latin music is having a moment, so she has a real chance.
Jeff Buckley (First-time nominee): The subject of a recent documentary, singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley has been gaining momentum as a possible Rock Hall contender. His iconic reworking of “Hallelujah” earned a lot of attention, but he may not have the name recognition to earn enough votes this year.
Black Crowes (Previously nominated in 2025): Bluesy-rock band the Black Crowes are nominated for a second consecutive year. We don’t see this group as being deserving of Rock Hall induction at all, but someone on the nominating committee must be pushing hard for them.
What Happens Next? Our Forecast
The collection of 1200 Hall voters now will have the opportunity to fill out their ballots. Each voter may choose up to 7 nominees for induction.
Around late April, after all ballots have been returned and tabulated, the list of inductees is made public. Who will get inducted?
Who gets inducted? My prediction:
Mariah Carey
Billy Idol
Oasis
Phil Collins
Lauryn Hill
Luther Vandross
Wu Tang Clan
Iron Maiden (via Musical Excellence)
With Luther Vandross, New Edition, Sade, and Lauryn Hill all occupying the R&B lane, it’s possible none of them get in, which would be disappointing. I think Hill is popular enough to get inducted, and Vandross is well-liked even by folks who aren’t big fans of soul music.
Hopefully Mariah finally gets enough votes this time around, but I could see a lot of voters choosing between her and Lauryn Hill, rather than voting for both.
As mainstream rock acts from the ’80s, Billy Idol and INXS will be competing for votes. I see voters choosing Idol, since he was on the ballot last year and showed up to induct Ozzy Osbourne in 2024.
Oasis should get selected after missing out last year. Phil Collins is a likely pick in his first year on the ballot.
As the only rap nominee, Wu Tang Clan have a clear lane, but their lack of mainstream hits could hurt them. I think they’ll sneak in as the final inductee.
I could see INXS, Shakira, Sade, or Etheridge getting selected over Wu Tang.
For Rock Hall voters who only want to select a limited number of female artists (yes, there really are some folks like that), the fact that most of the women nominated are pop or R&B could benefit Etheridge, as voters who prefer rock music might select her over Carey, Shakira, or Hill.
Who would I choose for my own personal ballot? This would be my list:
Mariah Carey
Phil Collins
Iron Maiden
Joy Division / New Order
Pink
Luther Vandross
Wu Tang Clan
Feel free to share your personal ballot in the comments! And remember the fan vote will be ongoing.
Artists Who Should Have Been Nominated
Here’s a shortlist of bands and artists we thought might get nominated, but were left off the ballot instead:
Alicia Keys: Among first-year-eligible acts, Alicia Keys seemed to have the best shot at induction. The R&B-pop star is a 17-time Grammy winner (and two-time Grammy host), and beloved performer for hits like “Fallin’,” “New York State of Mind,” and “If I Ain’t Got You.”
The B-52s: This band has been in the conversation for a while now, and every year, we’re still shocked to see them left off the ballot. When will Fred Schneider and company finally get their recognition?
Bryan Adams: After appearing at the 2025 ceremony to induct both Bad Company and Joe Cocker, Bryan Adams received a lot of buzz. Often, artists who appear at the ceremony get nominated the following year.
Devo: The quirky 80s rock band Devo has been nominated before, but they’re back in the news after earning their first Grammy nomination in 40+ years, and because they were the subject of a recent documentary.
Selena / Gloria Estefan: Latin pop music has been getting so much attention lately, especially after Bad Bunny winning Album of the Year at the 2026 Grammys. The Rock Hall has nominated Latin rock bands like Los Lobos and Mana, but solo women like Selena and Gloria Estefan have long been overlooked.
Styx: It seems like every year, the Hall tries to clear a lane for one mainstream ’70s classic rock band. Two years ago, it was Foreigner. Last year, it was Bad Company. Who will be next? Jethro Tull and Boston could be in the mix, but Styx would have been my choice. They had the most hits out of any of the bands in this lane.
The Strokes: The only other first-year-eligible act that felt like a legit contender to make the ballot was the Strokes, the biggest of the early 2000s NYC garage rock revival bands. They will likely appear on a ballot at some point.
The 2026 induction ceremony takes place in November in Los Angeles.
What do you think about the 2026 induction class?
Last Updated on July 10, 2026
B52’s and Devo are long overdue. Also rooting for Iron Maden, Styx and Sinead O’Conner. How about Sonic Youth?
2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominee Predictions
1. Bryan Adams
2. Eric B. And Rakim
3. Beck
4. Mariah Carey
5. Phil Collins
6. Roberta Flack
7. Connie Francis
8. Iron Maiden
9. Jane’s Addiction
10. Joy Division / New Order
11. Lenny Kravitz
12. Kris Kristofferson
13. New York Dolls
14. Oasis
15. Styx
My short list of those who should be included as nominees:
1. Phil Collins
2. Ben Folds
3. Paul Buckmaster (as Non-Performer)
I think that the 2026 inductees from your predictions would be:
Bryan Adams
The B-52’s
Phil Collins
Billy Idol
Alicia Keys
Lenny Kravitz
Oasis
Styx
As much as I love De La Soul, I just have a really hard time seeing them getting in on their first nomination especially if A Tribe Called Quest took three nominations to get in, so I see De La Soul doing the same.
As much as I love Iron Maiden, I think that they will get the Judas Priest treatment (In other words, I see them getting in via Musical Excellence just like Judas Priest did, rather than as Performers).
What do you think?.
I also see Iron Maiden going in via Musical Excellence, since the ballot vote has never been friendly for metal acts.
Scott @ Total Music Awards,
Who do you see being an 8th Performer inductee besides Bryan Adams, The B-52’s, Phil Collins, De La Soul, Alicia Keys, Oasis and Styx?.
My guess would be just those 7 performers. Iron Maiden would be one of the Musical Excellence/Influence picks, along with a few others chosen from outside the ballot (haven’t given those much thought yet.)
Scott Shetler,
I think that there will be 8 Performer inductees just like two years ago in 2024. As well as it should be. so Who do you think would be that 8th Performer inductee (If 8 Performer inductees this year like for 2024) besides Bryan Adams, The B-52’s, Phil Collins, De La Soul, Alicia Keys, Oasis and Styx?.
Billy Idol probably has the best odds in that case.
Scott @ Total Music Awards,
So you have Bryan Adams, The B-52’s, Phil Collins, De La Soul, Billy Idol, Alicia Keys, Oasis and Styx as your predictions for the 2026 inductees (If 8 Performer inductees this year like for 2024)?.
Yes. I won’t feel too strongly about these predictions until we see the actual nominees though.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
In recent months, there have been previews of songs played from Mariah Carey’s secret grunge album Someone’s Ugly Daughter and most recently Taylor Momsen and the Foo Fighters honoured her by playing two of the album’s songs at the 2026 MusiCares Person Of The Year ceremony. Could these factors help secure her third straight nomination in a row?
For sure, that could help. Especially if she gets nominated – then that sort of thing could help persuade voters who didn’t vote for her previously. Not a lot of artists make it to three ballots in a row, so that’s why I’m not predicting her this year. But it probably depends how close Mariah was to getting inducted last year. If she was close, I could easily see them bringing her back, hoping that the third time will be the charm. If she wasn’t close, or her support dropped from year one to year two, they may need to leave her off the ballot in 2026 and try again next year.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
Chubby Checker surprisingly made the ballot in 2025 and eventually got inducted. Can that help another artist from that era who has long been overdue to get nominated and inducted in Connie Francis who went viral in 2025 with a little known song and passed away as well and some other more legendary artists in recent years who are now no longer around could their names be floating around such as Olivia Newton-John, Helen Reddy, Kris Kristofferson, Roberta Flack and the list grows year by year with the recent passing of members from The Fifth Dimension and Three Dog Night?
All of those artists are possibilities. Roberta Flack would be a logical pick after she passed away in the last year. If there’s a Chubby Checker surprise this year, it could be Connie Francis, or maybe even the Monkees.
Scott @Total Music Awards
The rock hall normally selects a rap artist and a country artist for induction almost every year. Could Queen Latifah and Kenny Rogers or Glen Campbell be the next artists from those genres to get induction? How about the soft rock category candidates like Harry Chapin, Harry Nilsson, Jim Croce and Kenny Loggins who fit into the kind of music that helped Peter Frampton and Joe Cocker get nominated and inducted as well for the last two years?
Will phish win the phan vote again and get rejected again? Are they eligible for the vote again? It’s a joke anyway to win and not to win it is bs just like the hall itself!
How is the Guess Who and 3 Dog Night with all their rock and pop singles, NOT in the Hall of Fame? 3 Dog Night had 21 single hits and the Guess Who had 14!
I think the ballot will be
Returning
Beck
Joy Division/New Order
Sade
Lenny Kravitz
Oasis
New
Alicia Keys
B 52’s
Boston
Coldplay
Phil Collins
Motley Crue
The Monkees
Diana Ross
Smashing Pumpkins
Snoop Dogg
Honorable mentions:Linkin Park,Mariah Carey,Jethro Tull,INXS,De La Soul,Iron Maiden
First, you said “Bands”; it should be “Musicians”.
Second, while I agree with a majority of the selections, some are just ‘too new’. In my humble opinion, this honor should be bestowed upon those musicians who have paid their dues over time. I was under the presumption that there was the criteria of a specific time frame having passed for eligibility .If so, apparently the time frame needs to be readjusted.
And finally, Dan Fogelberg was an extremely talented musician. Yes, he had some airplay of a few songs. But his genius lay in his ability to weave a story, bringing the listener along with him. His songs were not those which repeated the same few lyrics over and over again. Listening to his albums make you feel, make you think, make you imagine. I have always referred to him as a modern day troubador. Deep cuts like Ghosts and In the Passage always make me shiver and reflect on life itself. He was a Master Storyteller, a Troubador, an accomplished player of many instruments as well as a spectacular performer unplugged. Dan Fogelberg’s music is timeless and deserves recognition and the honor of induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Please reconsider. His passing has left the world without the true heart & soul of one of the finest examples of the level of excellence the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame represents. His induction will allow his name to live forever.
And the 2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees Are
The Black Crowes
Jeff Buckley
Mariah Carey
Phil Collins
Melissa Etheridge
Lauryn Hill
Billy Idol
INXS
Iron Maiden
Joy Division / New Order
New Edition
Oasis
Pink
Sade
Shakira
Luther Vandross
Wu-Tang Clan
2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Inductees Predictions
Mariah Carey
Phil Collins
Melissa Etheridge
Lauryn Hill
INXS
Iron Maiden (Musical Excellence)
Joy Division / New Order
Oasis
Luther Vandross
I would be happy with this class!
Scott Shetler,
Who do you see being an 8th Performer inductee this year in addition to Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill, Billy Idol, Oasis, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan (If 8 Performer inductees this year like for 2024)?.
Probably INXS or Sade. But since Sade is competing with a lot of other R&B acts, I would bet on INXS.
Scott Shetler,
So you have Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill, Billy Idol, INXS, Oasis, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan as your predictions for the 2026 inductees (If 8 Performer inductees this year like for 2024)?.
Yes. Although I wouldn’t rule out Shakira or Melissa Etheridge getting picked over Mariah or Wu-Tang.
Scott Shetler,
So you have Sade, Shakira and Melissa Etheridge as potential spoilers to Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill, Billy Idol, INXS, Oasis, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan this year for the Rock Hall?.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
Who would be your predictions for the Musical Excellence, Musical Influences and Non-Performers for the 2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? Musical Excellence and Musical Influences seem to be artists whom the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame puts through who failed in prior years to be inducted via the main performer category and at times artists that skipped the main ballot voting process.
I haven’t thought about this enough yet to have a prediction. I hope they will consider older artists for Musical Influence this year, like Tommy James.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
With Latin artists like Mana and Shakira now being nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2025 and 2026 respectively, who would be the Latin artists to get nominated in the future? Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias, Jon Secada, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Alejandro San, Juanes etc. and who in your opinion do you see being the first Latin artist to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? If Shakira is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame before Gloria Estefan, I would feel bad for Gloria Estefan who was the Latin queen for many years.
Gloria Estefan probably should have been first, but the Hall may feel she is associated more with soft pop / ballads and wouldn’t get enough votes. Shakira may have a better chance of induction. I would like to see Gloria get inducted next, and they should consider Celia Cruz and even Selena for Musical Influence. I don’t know if Selena has broad enough name recognition to get inducted via the ballot, but she deserves to be in. When they go back to rock bands, Los Lobos are an obvious choice, since they have better name recognition than Mana.
Scott @Total Music Awards
There are very few Australian artists who have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame namely AC/DC and The Bee Gees. If INXS gets inducted, hopefully other Australian artists like Andy Gibb, Helen Reddy, Olivia Newton-John, Men At Work, Midnight Oil, Savage Garden, Human Nature, John Farnham, John Paul Young, Rick Price, Keith Urban and Kylie Minogue who famously dated the late Michael Hutchence of INXS between 1989 to 1991 will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in years to come.
Scott Shetler
You think that JD/NO could get Musical Influence instead of Iron Maiden?
Yes, I was somewhat surprised to them back on a ballot already. I thought maybe they would just get put right in as Musical Influence. It could happen this year if they don’t get the votes.
The inductees for the 2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame are
Performer Category
Phil Collins
Billy Idol
Iron Maiden
Joy Division / New Order
Oasis
Sade
Luther Vandross
Wu-Tang Clan
Early Influence Category
Celia Cruz
Fela Kuti
Queen Latifah
MC Lyte
Gram Parsons
Musical Excellence Category
Linda Creed
Arif Mardin
Jimmy Miller
Rick Rubin
Ahmet Ertegun Award
Ed Sullivan
Scott @ Total Music Awards
Third time is not the charm for Mariah Carey once again. Especially since they want to have a show where they showcase Queen Latifah whom I thought in previous years would be inducted under the performer category in the future but I had that funny feeling her time would have come sooner rather than later after Salt-N-Pepa were inducted under a side category in 2025. If the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame committee members decides to nominate Mariah Carey again in 2027, it would become her fourth time joining a few select artists to get nominated four times or more on the ballot like Chic and The J. Geils Band. Or they might leave her off the ballot and put her in via one of the side categories like Early Influence or Musical Excellence instead, what is your opinion?
I imagine they will leave Mariah off the ballot for a year or two and hope that she can get inducted when she’s back on the ballot. Especially since Beyonce is eligible next year – I don’t see how Mariah would stand a chance with both on the ballot. I can’t imagine they would put Mariah in a side category – that would feel like an insult.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
With Fela Kuti and Gram Parsons who were previously on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ballot in the past finally being inducted and with John Sykes who is the president of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame previously stating that the more times an artist appears on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ballot, they would be closer to being inducted so can you foresee any of these names that may be inducted in the next couple of years like Afrika Bambaataa, Bad Brains, Beck, Ben E. King, Chic, Chuck Willis, Conway Twitty, Devo, Eric B. And Rakim, Esther Phillips, INXS, Jane’s Addiction, Jeff Buckley, Joe Tex, John Prine, Johnny Ace, Lauryn Hill, Lenny Kravitz, Los Lobos, Mana, Mariah Carey, Mary Wells, Melissa Etheridge, Motorhead, New Edition, New York Dolls, Phish, Pink, Procul Harum, Rufus, Shakira, Sinead O’Connor, Steppenwolf, Steve Winwood, Sting, The Black Crowes, The Chantels, The Dominoes, The J. Geils Band, The JB’s, The Marvelettes, The Meters, The Replacements, The Sir Douglas Quintet, The Smiths, Thin Lizzy and War?
Scott @ Total Music Awards
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame seems to permit at least one really well known diva from whatever genre into their Hall Of Fame each year. For 2026, it is Queen Latifah who started out as a rapper but throughout the years, she has become an actress and diva in her own right. So, they would not have inducted Mariah Carey, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, Pink and Shakira due to if they were to select them, it would very likely be one diva at a time and especially if the ballot contained artists that have waited far longer than the female artists mentioned above who are on their first time as a nominee such as for instance Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Bonnie Tyler, Connie Francis, Diana Ross, Dinah Shore, Doris Day, Freda Payne, Gloria Estefan, Helen Reddy, Irene Cara, Jennifer Warner, Judy Collins, Judy Garland, Kim Carnes, Lulu, Melissa Manchester, Olivia Newton-John, Patti LaBelle, Peggy Lee, Petula Clark, Roberta Flack, Sheena Easton and many other bands and male artists, then many a times the younger female divas in terms of their longevity in the music industry would not stand a chance when competing with the male artists and bands nominated each year.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
With female artists in the field of R&B, Rap and Traditional Latin such as Celia Cruz, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa, do you foresee the early influence and Musical excellence being the categories that could possibly help induct artists such as Amii Stewart, Anita Baker, Anita Ward, Beverley Knight, Brenda Russell, Des’ree, Diana King, Diana Ross, Eartha Kitt, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Freda Payne, Gabrielle, Irene Cara, Joan Armatrading, Karyn White, Mariah Carey, Meshell Ndegeocello, Millie Jackson, Natalie Cole, Oleta Adams, Patti LaBelle, Regina Belle, Roberta Flack, Stephanie Mills etc. for future Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame classes?
I think the artists on that list likely to earn induction are Carey, Ross, Baker, LaBelle and Flack, and all would probably go through the main ballot (except possibly LaBelle and Flack.)
Scott @ Total Music Awards
With MC Lyte, Queen Latifah and Wu-Tang Clan being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, would Coolio, Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch, MC Hammer, Neneh Cherry, Puff Daddy, Snoop Dogg, TLC and Vanilla Ice be on the horizon for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the future?
Scott @ Total Music Awards
With Luther Vandross finally being inducted many years after he passed away, can you foresee other soulful and R&B male singers like Barry White, Brian McKnight, D’Angelo, James Ingram, Maxwell, Peabo Bryson, Seal and The Tony Rich Project possibly being nominated and potentially inducted in the future? As for soulful and R&B female singers, would Toni Braxton and Vanessa Williams be future Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees and inductees as well?
Scott @ Total Music Awards
Would Donny Hathaway and Johnny Mathis be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the future now that Luther Vandross has been inducted?
Scott @ Total Music Awards
Would it be harder for The Fugees to be inducted anytime soon? Pras Michel has his legal troubles just like R. Kelly and Puff Daddy.
I’m not sure Pras would have much effect on anything, since most people don’t pay much attention to him – they think of the Fugees as Lauryn and Wyclef, primarily. But that said, the Hall seems set on inducting Lauryn as a solo artist instead.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
It is good that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame finally cleared off from their backlog of artists that failed to be inducted on previous ballots Fela Kuti and Gram Parsons. Hopefully, they would search through their archives in 2027 and just clear off the other names of artists dating back to 1986 and induct all of them into the side categories to make way for other long overdue artists who have yet to be nominated and inducted or nominating and inducting all of the artists that haven’t been cleared from the 2022, 2024 and 2025 ballots in the performer category and for the other artists prior to the 2022 ballot, cleared off via the early influence and musical excellence categories to close their books on those ballots.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
Natalie Cole was one of those singers who was phenomenal in the 70s, she also rocked in the 80s with Dangerous and Pink Cadillac and helped revived her father Nat King Cole’s legacy with the Unforgettable duet. Wonder why the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has not let her through the side category. Jazz queens like Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne deserve to be pushed forward into the early influence category along with Peggy Lee, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
I wonder why the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame chose music industry professionals who do not sing to receive the musical excellence award for 2026. I always thought those music industry professionals would fall under the Ahmet Ertegun category like in previous years. If they had followed that tradition, they could have inducted more artists who have not been cleared off their ballots in the years prior to the 2026 ballot or artists that are long overdue for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and have never been nominated at all.
They seem to be stepping up efforts to get more songwriters and producers into the Hall of Fame, which is a noble goal. They inducted 5 early influences this year, so as long as they keep up that pace, they can catch up with the backlog of overlooked artists, while still using musical excellence to recognize songwriters.
Scott @ Total Music Awards
The induction of MC Lyte into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for 2026 was the most mind boggling of all the inductees. I cannot name one signature hit that she has recorded. If only the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame would have inducted MC Hammer who is the more well known rapper with an MC in their name, it would have been a perfect list. The only song that crossed my mind that I have heard being played on the radio when I was younger that featured MC Lyte is a Janet Jackson song called You Want This. If the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame had wanted to induct another female rapper who was not on anybody’s radar, a welcome surprise would have been Foxy Brown or Neneh Cherry or even TLC so that Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes can join the club of great female rappers inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.