For many, Linda Ronstadt was Rock and Roll’s first female solo superstar. Though many women achieved success on the Rock platform, Ronstadt was a megastar in the 70’s selling out millions of albums and rescuing classic songs from oblivion. Ronstadt was the first female Rock star that could sell out an arena and with a warm voice and a collection of songs with broad Rock and Country appeal she was easily the biggest female Rock star of the 70’s. Her later years saw her embrace other styles (with less commercial appeal) of music but it all went to prove her ability as a singer with unquestioned ability. Inducted in 2014

Each year during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination process only a handful of artists are selected. Because of this, many artists only have to be nominated once or maybe twice before they get inducted. Chuck Willis was nominated five consecutive years from 1986 and 1990 yet never got inducted. Willis has not been nominated since.

You would think that at some point in time the NIHOF committee would get a little tired of discussing British acts that were far more influential and successful in their own country than they did in North America. Maybe after a few years we may tire of this trend, but for now we will continue our list with unarguably the most important Folk Rock band from England, Fairport Convention.

We asked ourselves a lot during this process why did so many Punk bands fizzle out so quickly? Was it truly just better to burn out than fade away? That is a debate for another time (and someone else’s website) but again we find another American Punk Rock group that had more historical significance than mainstream success.