The “Hall of Fame Season” has come to an end with the announcement of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class, and it is the largest class in recent memory.

The Cleveland based institution elected Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, George Michael and The Spinners. Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin enter via the Musical Excellence Award. Link Wray and DJ Kool Herc will receive the Musical Influence Award and Don Cornelius will get the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Four of the elected members, Elliott, Nelson, Crow and Michael enter on their first appearance on the ballot. Missy Elliott becomes the first female rapper inducted, and Nelson capped off an incredible week, first by turning 90 and now with this induction, though unlike Elliott, who only became eligible, has been eligible for decades. George Michael won the fan vote, continuing the trend of fan vote winners entering the Hall.

RATM enters on their fourth attempt, and their induction should help other Alternative acts from the 1990s. The Spinners also enter on their fourth try, and have been eligible since 1986. Kate Bush, who has been enjoying a renaissance was also nominated twice before.

Failing to gain entry were A Tribe Called Quest, Cyndi Lauper, New Order/Joy Division, Iron Maiden, White Stripes, Soundgarden and Warren Zevon.

We will begin work on revising our Notinhalloffame Rock List for next year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has put forth one of the most diverse group of nominees for the Class of 2023, and let’s get right into who they have nominated:

A Tribe Called Quest is nominated for the first time, and should the Alternative Hip-Hop group get in, it would open the doors for many of their ilk.

Cyndi Lauper receives her first nomination since being eligible in 2009.  With a barrage of 80s hits, and an activist legacy that plays well to the voter base, this is a great ballot for her, as only Kate Bush falls close to her category.

Iron Maiden collects a second nomination, but the Heavy Metal gods face an uphill climb as the voters have shown that they do not care for their genre.

Joy Division/New Order are in for a combined nomination, which greatly improves the chances for all parties in question.  This is not unprecedented, as the Hall previous nominated and inducted, as the Small Faces and Faces were put forth together.  Neither group has been nominated before, and this first nomination could be their only one as this is a very strong candidate.

Kate Bush earned her fourth nomination, and no artist has enjoyed more of an interest in her music over the past twelve months with her song, “Running Up That Hill” featured on Stranger Things.  Cyndi’s appearance on this ballot, could delay Bush one more time.

George Michael receives his first nomination after being eligible since 2010.  The mastermind behind Wham!, had a monstrous solo career generating five number ones as a solo, and two more as a duet (one with Aretha Franklin and one with Elton John).  This would be a posthumous induction, as Michael passed away on Christmas Day, 2016 from heart disease.

Missy Elliot is nominated in her first year on the ballot, and should she get in, she will be the first female rapper inducted.  Generally, we try not to equate everything to gender, but the above fact makes her a near-lock for induction, but we have had similar thoughts before.

Rage Against the Machine received a fifth nomination, and now fifth in the last six years.  Will RATM get in this year, or does Soundgarden siphon off some of their votes?

Sheryl Crow is also a first-time nominee.  Eligible since 2019, Crow was very successful in the 1990s with many hits, but she may not have the influence factor to get over some of the other artists here.

Soundgarden is now a two-time nominee, the first coming in 2020.  The Seattle group could cancel out RATM, and arguably this is a bad ballot for both.

The Spinners return with another nomination, their fourth overall and first since 2016.  Could the Philly Soul pioneers play spoiler?

Warren Zevon is nominated for the first time after being eligible since 1995, and it a long time coming for the acclaimed Singer/Songwriter.  We have seen before how the voting body reacts to a first-time nominee who has eligible for 20 years, but he is not the only one with that credential here.

The White Stripes are in the same camp as Missy Elliot, as they are nominated on their first year.  This is the type of group that the Hall drools over; successful, influential, a tad eccentric and polotically in tune with their ideals.  

Willie Nelson finally got his first nomination after decades of eligibility, and following Dolly Parton last year, does this not feel like Willie is getting in?

The Class will be announced on a date yet to be determined.

We would like to congratulate the 2023 nominees for making it to this step.

When you follow halls of fame as diligent as we do, it is a festive season when you have the Baseball Hall of Fame and Football Hall of Fame announce their classes a week about.  Throw in the fact that the Rock and Roll Hall is now announcing their Finalists, we have an unprecedented time on our hands.

Due to COVID-19, the nomination process for the Class of 2021 was delayed by several months, but until two days ago there was no set date as to when it we learn who would be on the ballot.

The nominees are:

Carole King:  Ranked #87 on Notinhalloffame.com.  King entered the Rock Hall a long time ago as a songwriter with her partner, Gerry Goffin, but her solo work as a performer is also Hall worthy.  This is the first time she has been nominated since 1989.

Chaka Khan:  Ranked #168 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The Hall wants Chaka Khan in, as they have nominated her in the past as a solo, and later with the group, Rufus.  Again, as a solo, this is her sixth overall nomination.

Devo:  Ranked #80 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Devo returns to the ballot after a year, and their work in Post-Punk/New Wave is among the most influential of its day.

Dionne Warwick:  Ranked #362 on Notinhalloffame.com. Warwick has a trophy case full of Grammys and a laundry list of hits, but with an Adult Contemporary sound, her rock and roll credibility is suspect.  That hasn’t stopped Hall voters before.

Fela Kuti:  Ranked #397 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Every year there is a wild card, and this is year it is Fela Kuti, the most important singer from Africa.  If the Rock Hall voters value world music, he is the best choice they could make.

Foo Fighters:  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Foo Fighters are in their first year of eligibility and it should be no surprise to anyone that they were nominated, nor should anyone be shocked to see them gain immediate entry.  An induction will make Dave Grohl a two-time inductee, having already been enshrined with Nirvana.

The Go-Go’s:  Ranked #111 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The Go-Go’s were he first all-female band to go #1 on Billboard, and this is their first nomination since being eligible in 2006.

Iron Maiden:  Ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is a pleasant surprise as the Heavy Metal gods have never been nominated despite being eligible since the 2004 vote.  Heavy Metal has struggled to find representation in the Rock Hall, and in the past few years, Judas Priest and Motorhead have been on the ballot, but failed to gain entry.  It might be a hard call to see Iron Maiden achieving what the others did not.

Jay-Z:  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Jay-Z is one of the most important, if not THE most important hip-hop artist in the last thirty years.  If you don’t agree with that assessment, you can’t deny that he is among the most successful.  Like Foo Fighters, Jay-Z is on their first year of eligibility and he should get in.

Kate Bush:  Ranked #132 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Bush’s unique singing voice was only matched by her unique material. She was nominated before in 2018.

LL Cool J:  Ranked #100 on Notinhalloffame.com.  LL Cool J is nominated for the fifth time, but he again he is not the biggest named Hip Hop artist on the ballot.  The nomination of Jay-Z hurts LL Cool J more than anyone else, but there is no reason that two Hip Hop stars can’t get inducted in the same year.

Mary J. Blige:  Ranked #252 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Blige earns her first nomination on her third year of eligibility. Her diverse catalogue earns her a spot, but with other more established African-American women on this ballot, this will be a tough one for her to get elected on.

The New York Dolls:  Ranked #89 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The New York Dolls are this year’s proto-punk/punk nominee and the David Johansen led group were nominated once before, back in 2001.

Rage Against the Machine:  Ranked #40 on Notinhalloffame.com.  RATM is on their third ballot, and finding a group that fused rap and hard rock/metal better than them is a daunting task.

Tina Turner:  Ranked #113 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Tina Turner was long ago inducted as one half of Ike & Tina, but Tina’s solo career far eclipsed the duo in popularity.  This is the first time that Tina has been nominated as a solo, and should she get in, she joins Stevie Nicks as female double-inductee.

Todd Rundgren:  Ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Rundgren’s overall body of work as a performer, songwriter and producer puts many Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to shame.  Eligible since 1996, Rundgren had to wait until 2018 for his first nomination, and he was also on the ballot last year.  

We know there will be copious amounts of rage regarding who was not nominated.  There always is.  We do feel that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee did a good job nominating musicians across a musical landscape, and have for the last seven years. 

This ballot also has the greatest number of women in nominating history.

What happens next is up to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters.

Congratulations to all the Finalists, and let the debate again.

We love days like this.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced today with some serious shockers, so let’s get right to it!

The 19 nominees are:

Bon Jovi: Bon Jovi is nominated for the second time and poses a serious threat to advance all the way this yesr. Don’t be surprised if they win the fan vote.

The Cars: This is the third nominee in a row for the group.

Depeche Mode. Nominated for the second year in a row, should they get in they would be the first 80’s alternative band to get inducted.

Dire Straits. This is the first nomination for Dire Straits and they should get a lot of support on the fan vote.

The Eurythmics. Another first time nominee, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart churned out some of the most enduring songs in the 80’s.

The J. Geils Band. This is the fifth nomination for the band and the first following the death of J. Geils.

Judas Priest. This is the first time they have been nominated, and they are the Heavy Metal nominee this year. This bodes well for other forgotten metal acts.

Kate Bush. A nice surprise here, as this first time nominee was very large on the British scene.

Link Wray. The inventor of the power chord receives his second nomination. His first was in 2014.

LL Cool J. LL Cool J is nominated for the fourth time and are the hip hop nominee for this year.

MC5. MC5 secures their third nomination ever, and their second in a row.

The Meters. The fourth nomination for the Meters, who saw their first in 1997.

The Moody Blues. This might generate the biggest sigh of relief from their fanbase. They have been eligible since 1989 and has a significant online presence pushing for this induction.

Nina Simone. Another nice surprise here. This is the first nomination for Nina Simone since being eligible in 1983.

Radiohead: In their first year of eligibility, Radiohead is no surprise showing up as a nominee. There is little reason to think that they won’t get in immediately.

Rage Against the Machine: RATM is a first ballot inductee too, though it might be a little surprising that other first ballot eligible acts, Wu-Tang Clan and Beck were not chosen.

Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. Chaka Khan was nominated as a solo last year and frankly there is a better chance for her nominated with her original group.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Huh? While she was a gospel star in the 30’s and 40’s and influential in the American Rock and Roll canon, this seems like an Early Influence inductee and is very out of place here.

The Zombies. This will be the third crack for the Zombies.

Hmmmmm.

While there will be many happy to see the Moody Blues and Judas Priest finally get a chance there will be (as there always is) upset fans over the fact that their favorite act were not chosen as a nominee. This is certainly a diverse group and frankly we need some time to digest this.

We know all of you have some opinions and we would love to hear it.

Fans of Popular music often try to emulate the singing styles of their favorite performers. Kate Bush had legions of fans, but many of them probably never tried to sing like her. They knew it couldn’t be done.