If I Ran the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ...
It would sure be different ...
Just a couple of days ago, I saw the list of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
And my reaction, as it’s been for the last several years, was “What an impressive list! What talent! So well deserved!”
Anyone who’s known me longer than 10 minutes or who’s read any music article I’ve ever written knows how true that is …
The 2026 inductees are … (please hold your yawns until the end):
Phil Collins
Billy Idol
Iron Maiden
Joy Division/New Order
Oasis
Sade
Luther Vandross
Wu-Tang Clan
I know there are fans of all of these. And, in my ears, the only ones truly puke-worthy are Phil Collins and Iron Maiden. But I don’t actually own any records by any of these — though, true confession, I did have Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell on cassette tape in the early ‘80s.
Just about every year, at least in the past couple of decades, it seems the truly deserving are vastly outnumbered by mediocrities, sell-outs and/or Jann Wenner suck-ups. The last few years alone have seen the inductions of pablum like The Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner and Chubby Checker.
But I am grateful that at least Chubby didn’t get there until 35 years after Hank Ballard was inducted. Hank was the real Twist king!
But enough of my nattering negativity. Instead of just grumbling, I’m going to offer my own slate of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. As per the actual rules of the Hall, all of these released their first record at least 25 years ago — most of them far longer than that.
In alphabetical order:
The Cramps: How can you say you love America, if you don’t love the band that stuffed monster movies, hot rods, kinky sex, UFOs, pro-wrestling and voodoo into a Ronco Mince-O-Matic to create the wildest sounds?
Joey Dee & The Starliters: If Hank Ballard was the King of the Twist, Joey Dee was at least the Archduke:
Don & Dewey. I was a huge fan of The Righteous Brothers in their pre-Phil Spector days, especially their songs like “Justine” and “KoKo Joe.” Both of those songs were recorded first by Don “Sugarcane” Harris and Dewey Terry. (They also wrote “Justine,” though “Koko Joe” was written by Sonny Bono.) Don & Dewey also wrote and recorded “Farmer John,” “I’m Leavin’ it All Up to You” and “Big Boy Pete,” which The Kingsmen later mutated into “The Jolly Green Giant.”
P.J. Harvey: I knew I was going to love her music from the first time I heard this ode to the “quasi-erotic stone carvings of a female figure usually found on Norman or to be more precise Romanesque churches.” Didn’t you?
The Fall: Mark E. Smith.
He.
Was.
NUTTTTSSSSS!!!!!
Husker Du: Why has the Rock Hall ignored this Minneapolis trio? Was it Greg Norton’s mustache?
L7: Even before the riot grrrls, L7 was rioting their asses off.
The Mekons: They started out in 1977 from Leeds, England and they’re still going strong today. They recorded my favorite album of 2025. And the fact that they sincerely don’t give a flying darn about being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame makes me love them even more.
New York Dolls: How could they have ignored The Dolls for all these years? They were even on The Midnight Special!
Barrence Whitfield & The Savages: Barrence and band have more rock ‘n’ roll under their toenails than most the Hall of Fame inductees put together.
Andre Williams: From the days in the 1960s when he was writing songs like “Shake a Tail a Tail Feather” to his comeback years of the 1990s and 2000s, Andre was the foul-mouthed statesman of R&B:
My inductees for other categories:
Early Influences:
Mississippi John Hurt
Louie Prima
Wynonie Harris
Non-Performing:
Wolfman Jack
Dr. Demento
XXXXX
Of course the above artists are far from the only worthy rockers out there who have been around for a quarter century or more. Some of you undoubtedly are grumbling:
“Where’s The Replacements?” “Where’s Swamp Dogg?” “Where’s the B52s?” “Where’s Mudhoney?” “Where’s Sleater-Kinney?” “Where’s Mitch Ryder?” “Where’s Laurie Anderson?” “Where’s Dex Romweber?” “Where’s The Hickoids” “Where’s Jim Kweskin?” “Where’s Janice Martin?” “Where’s Question Mark & The Mysterians” “Where’s Devo?” “Where’s The Fleshtones?” “Where’s Wall of Voodoo?” “Where’s Joe Ely?” “Where’s Reverend Beat-Man?” “Where’s Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs?”
“Where’s Tony Orlando?”
Well, keep your shirt on. As the real Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been telling artists like these for decades and decades, there’s always next year..
Meanwhile, feel free to tell me which bands and singers are Hall-worthy in the comments below. (If you’re not sure whether an artist is already in the Hall, see complete list HERE )
Most important, don’t worry too much about who’s in and who’s snubbed — either in my little world of make-believe or in the real Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Spread some joy and karma by going out and buying some music by your favorites who you think deserve more attention.
He's got an OBE but isn't in the Hall of Fame. I nominate the great Richard Thompson.
Redd Kross, Fountains of Wayne and Gwar.