Newly Eligible Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Candidates

We are approaching the time where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will be nominating their Class of 2021; normally the nominees are announced in 2020, but they postponed the Nominating Committee meeting due to the pandemic.  The Hall previously announced that the Nominating Committee was hoping to meet in late January to determine nominees.  After that, they plan to announce the nominees in February, and have voting completed and results announced in April.  Typically, there are between 15-18 artists who are nominated any given year. 

In this post, I am going to discuss several artists who are eligible for the Hall for the first time and whether I think they have a shot for this year or not.  Artists are eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if their first release was released at least 25 years prior; in this case, they are considering any artist whose first release was 1995 (25 years before 2020, when the committee was supposed to meet) and earlier.  Typically, there are up to 2 artists in their first year of eligibility that are nominated.  Ultimately, this year I expect Jay-Z and Foo Fighters to be the ones nominated, but there are others who have a case for this year or the future.  I broke the artists into five categories for this year:  most likely, possible, less likely, unlikely, and no chance.  I sorted the artists in the first two categories in order of most likely to get nominated and by alphabetical order in the remaining categories.

Most likely to be nominated (2)

Jay-Z

• For:
• Considered one of the greatest rappers of all time
• Influential as a rapper, songwriter, and lyricist
• 14 #1 albums, 4 #1 singles
• Several iconic albums and songs
• Technically gifted rapper
• Against:
• He is a hip hop artist, so there has been backlash
• While most commercially successful rappers get in, there is still LL Cool J
• Wasn’t always guaranteed to release a critically acclaimed album, unlike many legendary hip hop artists
• Verdict:  He gets in no problem

Foo Fighters

• For:
• One of the biggest rock bands in the world
• Dave Grohl was inducted with Nirvana and has been involved with the Hall
• Influential in post-grunge music
• Tend to be viewed favorably
• Immense commercial success
• Never had a bad album release
• Against:
• Post-grunge artists tend to be polarizing and none have been inducted
• Not typically discussed among all time great artists; often not considered
• Don’t have an album that’s easy to consider a legendary album
• Didn’t break much ground musically
• Verdict:  They get a nomination, but only get inducted if up against weak nominees

Other ones that are possible (4)

Wilco

• For:
• Experimentation has made them compared to Radiohead
• Albums have consistently received critical acclaim (especially Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
• One of the most known and regarded alternative country groups
• They have garnered substantial commercial success
• They have a devoted fanbase who could boost attention
• Against:
• Not as well-known as other bands due to their more indie nature
• Didn’t have much commercial success with singles
• Might be a bit too weird for some voters
• Few alternative and fewer country rock artists get nominated
• Artists that frequently venture into art rock usually take years to get a nod
• Verdict:  They won’t get a nomination this year, but I expect their time will come

The Chemical Brothers

• For:
• One of the groups to bring electronica to the mainstream (along with The Prodigy)
• Much commercial success in the U.K. (6 #1 albums, 2 #1 singles, others top 10)
• Several positively viewed albums (most successful Dig Your Own Hole)
• Several acclaimed singles
• Successful at the Grammys (often doesn’t translate)
• Against:
• Depeche Mode is the only electronic artist ever inducted (took several years)
• Didn’t have as much commercial success in the U.S. (might delay them)
• Don’t have one iconic track
• Only one iconic album
• No artist inducted that sampled as frequently
• Not a household name
• Verdict:  They won’t get a nomination yet; maybe after more electronic artists get in

D’Angelo

• For:
• Everything he has released received critical acclaim (each of his albums are included in Rolling Stone’s Top 500, led by Voodoo at 28)
• One of the most well-known neo soul artists
• Also found commercial success with singles and albums
• Well-regarding songwriter, musician, and producer
• Against:
• He has only released 3 albums since 1995
• Very few R&B/neo soul artists from the 90’s and later have been nominated
• Didn’t release as much music due to becoming uncomfortable with his status as a sex symbol.  Will the Hall interpret that as being uncomfortable with fame?
• Verdict:  He doesn’t get a nomination yet, but the Hall will eventually correct this error

Robyn

• For:
• Has influenced several pop artists that are massive now (including Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Lorde)
• Brought a more artsy/indie style to synthpop that wasn’t as prevalent prior
• Many of her albums were positively reviewed or received critical acclaim
• “Dancing on My Own” is considered one of the best songs of the 2010’s by many; she has many other positively reviewed songs
• Found commercial success in Europe and her home country of Sweden
• Against:
• Didn’t achieve as much commercial success in the U.S. yet
• Will enough people consider her rock?  I do, but there were also voters who opposed the inclusion of artists like Madonna or ABBA
• She has several songs where she is not the primary songwriter.  I’m not sure this will make a difference in her chances
• Electropop and Synthpop are not popular genres in the Hall
• Verdict:  She won’t get in yet, but in the next decade, she will be a big female nominee; the difference is that she will be more deserving than some nominated previously

Less Likely (20)

Air

Note:  their first album came out in 1997, but they released a single in 1995

• For:
• Never released a bad album
• Their debut album, Moon Safari was critically acclaimed and important in downtempo music
• Found worldwide commercial success
• Against:
• None of their albums after their debut had the same influence or acclaim
• They did not find as much success with their singles as other electronic artists
• I don’t believe their later albums had the same impact as their debut
• The only electronic group who has been inducted is Depeche Mode
• Might not be declared eligible (the Hall has been weird about it in the past)
• Verdict:  They won’t get a nomination this year, but it’s possible that they do eventually; we’ll see how electronic fairs in the next 10-15 years

Backstreet Boys

• For:
• One of the best-selling artists of all time
• “I Want It That Way” is still well-regarded
• One of the most iconic boy bands
• Against:
• Never had a number 1 hit single
• Boy bands typically don’t receive nominations
• Their albums weren’t critically acclaimed
• They aren’t held in as high regard as other pop artists
• Verdict:  They won’t get a nomination yet; their path to get in involves The Monkees being inducted first.

Ben Folds Five

• For:
• Most of their releases received positive reviews
• The group has a strong following and many of their minor songs have remained fan favorites at Folds’ solo shows
• Were a bit unique for rock as they had no guitarist but a pianist instead
• “Brick” ended up being a big hit
• Found commercial success from their albums
• Against:
• They ultimately could be considered a one-hit wonder
• Their musical style is often different than the style played on their hit single, which might be a bit too silly or playful for the Hall
• “Brick” is not one of the 5 most performed songs by the group and is not in the 10 most performed songs by Folds, so that might sway the committee away
• They might not be influential enough to warrant serious consideration
• Verdict:  They will not get a nomination this year.  It wouldn’t surprise me if they never receive one either

Boards of Canada

• For:
• Multiple releases of theirs have been incredibly influential in electronic
• Every album they have released has received rave reviews
• They have had commercial success, especially with their most recent album
• There has been a touch of rock influence in some of their work
• Against:
• Rarely perform live and are secluded, so the Hall might not like that as much
• Depeche Mode is the only electronic artist who has been inducted so far
• They don’t play the most commercially friendly style
• Verdict:  They will not get a nomination this year, but they could get one once other artists get a nod

Cat Power

• For:
• Has released multiple albums that received positive reviews and acclaim
• Has varied styles and has been successful in each
• Found some commercial success in a few of her recent albums
• While her early performances were erratic, her later ones have been better
• Against:
• Hasn’t had the commercial success likely needed to get nominated in her first year of eligibility
• Didn’t particularly influence any genre
• She might not be well known enough compared to other eligible acts
• Verdict:  She won’t get a nomination this year; while she’s far from a lock for the future, there are stranger choices that have been inducted (there’s a solid case for her)

Deftones

• For:
• Their experimental nature and ability to expand metal has made them dubbed by some critics as “Radiohead of metal”
• One of the major bands in the prime of alternative metal
• Continued commercial success since the mid-late 90’s
• One of the bigger names in hard rock/metal; they have a strong fanbase
• Most albums are positively reviewed or critically acclaimed
• Ability to mix metal with genres like art rock and dream pop
• Against:
• Their music is probably too weird for some voters
• Few metal bands have been inducted or nominated to this point
• They never had a ton of success with their singles and most of their songs are not as well-remembered
• Difficult to say just how influential they were.  Several artists didn’t try to mimic them, but that might have been due to their odd style
• Verdict:  More metal bands will get inducted eventually, but Deftones will not be one this year.  While it might seem less likely for them, remember that Frank Zappa got in.

DJ Screw

• For:
• Essential in the development of the chopped and screwed technique
• One of the pioneers of the Houston hip hop scene
• Several experimental artists influenced by him
• Against:
• Died young and didn’t have many releases in his lifetime
• Few releases of his received critical acclaim
• No hip hop DJ has been inducted
• Every hip hop artist inducted had more commercial success than him
• Not a major name
• Verdict:  He won’t get in anytime soon; some underground hip hop artists will need to be inducted first

Enrique Iglesias

• For:
• One of the best-selling Latin pop artists
• He is nicknamed by many the “Prince of Latin Pop”
• Found substantial crossover success
• Multiple songs received positive reviews when released
• Against:
• No Latin pop artist has been inducted into the Hall of Fame
• Other artists with commercial success were more influential in the genre
• He isn’t the best-selling Iglesias (that would be his father, Julio)
• He has released several albums that received mixed reviews
• Verdict:  He will not get a nomination this year.  It remains to be seen if he ever will; depends on how Latin pop artists fair

Fennesz

• For:
• Several influential and acclaimed albums, most notably Endless Summer
• Well-regarded among electronic artists
• Well-regarded as a musician and composer
• Against:
• Barely any commercial success
• Only Depeche Mode has been inducted for electronic artists
• Music isn’t radio friendly so fewer people know him outside the genre
• Verdict:  He isn’t well-known enough to receive a nomination anytime soon, but he might if more electronic artists are inducted first

Garbage

• For:
• One of the successful 90’s alternative bands
• Expanded into more genres than many other groups
• A critically acclaimed debut album and many other positively reviewed releases
• They have some songs they’re still known for, including “Stupid Girl” and “I’m Only Happy When It Rains”
• Against:
• Not consistently the most popular in that area or genre
• Not many alternative bands have been inducted yet
• Not as influential as other alternative groups who are eligible
• Verdict:  They won’t get in this year.  I wouldn’t put money on them ever getting in

Gov’t Mule

• For:
• One of the more popular groups in the 90’s revival of southern rock
• One of the more popular and successful bands associated with jam music
• Successful touring and live band
• Most of their releases have received positive reviews
• Against:
• Few southern rock acts have been inducted into the Hall
• The only jam act to be inducted is Grateful Dead (Dave Matthews Band was nominated last year though; some argue The Allman Brother Band is jam also)
• Probably not popular enough outside of the genre
• None of their albums or song are particularly well-known
• Verdict:  They won’t get nominated this year; there’s a slim chance if Matthews, Phish, and Black Crowes are inducted, but it might take another one with crossover success

Incubus

• For:
• Achieved substantial commercial success
• Still receive substantial airplay on alternative and hard rock radio
• Still are commercially successful for albums
• Commercially friendly sound makes them more accessible for the Hall
• Against:
• Several albums were not well-reviewed by critics
• They were not particularly influential in any genre they played
• Not as well known as other artists not nominated in similar genres
• Verdict:  They will not get a nomination unless a future nominating committee likes them

Jewel

• For: 
• Achieved substantial commercial success for many years
• Other folk-rock or folk-pop artists are inducted or were nominated
• She is a good singer and songwriter
• Has several songs that are still well-regarded
• Against:
• Most of her albums were not positively reviewed
• Not particularly influential
• Her most critically acclaimed albums were country albums
• Didn’t have as many successful singles as other pop artists
• Verdict:  Despite the commercial success, she isn’t influential enough and won’t get a nomination for several years (if she gets one)

Jurassic 5

• For:
• Multiple albums they released received positive reviews from critics
• They found some commercial success from their albums
• There are several talented rappers and DJ’s in the group
• They seem to be beloved in hip hop and by their fans
• Against:
• Alternative hip hop has not fared well in nominations
• There are more influential hip hop artists
• They didn’t have as much commercial success as other artists not in
• Verdict:  They don’t get a nomination this year, but check back after The Fugees, Outkast, A Tribe Called Quest, and De La Soul are eventually nominated

Lil’ Kim

• For:
• One of the biggest females in hip hop, called the “Queen of Rap”
• Never released a bad album
• Paved the way and expanded what many female artists could rap about
• Found commercial success in the U.S.
• Against:
• Not as well-regarded as other inducted hip hop artists
• No female hip hop artist has been inducted
• Few releases received overwhelming acclaim
• Not often considered among the all-time great rappers
• Verdict:  She won’t be the first female hip hop artist nominated; check back to see what happens with Missy Elliott in 2 years

Monica

• For:
• One of the best-selling female R&B artists
• One of the most popular late 90’s-early 2000’s R&B singers
• Had 3 #1 singles from one album
• Many songs generally received positive reviews
• Talented singer
• More R&B singers have been inducted recently
• Against:
• Several of her albums received more mixed reviews
• The Hall has been stricter towards 90’s urban R&B artists
• There are more popular artists from the time period who haven’t received a nomination
• It took several years before Whitney Houston or Janet Jackson got in
• Verdict:  She won’t be nominated yet, but future years depends on how 90’s R&B is treated

Rammstein

• For:
• One of the most prominent industrial metal bands
• Most well-known Neue Deutche Härte group
• Acclaimed live act
• Albums and many songs have received critical acclaim
• Commercially successful worldwide
• Against:
• Only one industrial band has been inducted (Nine Inch Nails) and few metal bands have
• Most of their lyrics are in German
• Their live shows are over the top and have garnered some detractors
• While albums have sold well, singles haven’t been as successful in the U.S.
• Verdict:  The Hall will focus on other metal acts before reaching Rammstein

Slash’s Snakepit

• For:
• It’s Slash and the Hall loves inducting artists multiple times
• They had an album that was critically successful
• Their music had a blues rock influence as well, which has been successful
• Against:
• Not much commercial success at all; one minor single and album
• Nobody can name an album or a single by them
• There are probably several people who didn’t know Slash formed this group
• Short-lived, only released 2 albums
• Verdict:  The group doesn’t receive a nomination at any point

Super Furry Animals

• For:
• Several critics have praised the group
• Every album they’ve released has received critical acclaim
• Influential in a variety of genres
• Substantial commercial success in the U.K.
• Against:
• No commercial success in the U.S.
• A bit too eclectic to be inducted yet
• Not well-known outside of indie music
• Verdict:  Their time could and should come, but not this year.

Texas is the Reason

• For:
• Their album Do You Know Who You Are? is considered one of the greatest emo albums of all time
• Influential in blending the post-hardcore and indie sounds in emo
• Against:
• Only released 1 album and it isn’t as well-known outside of emo circles
• No emo or post-hardcore artists have ever been inducted
• The group is not particularly well-known
• Limited commercial success for the group
• Verdict:  They will not be the first post-hardcore group to be nominated

Unlikely (23)

Ayreon

• They are well-regarded in progressive metal, but the only artist arguably in the genre is Rush, who had crossover success that Ayreon never experienced.

Blessid Union of Souls

• They had a good amount of success in singles, but the Christian alternative group didn’t have enough album success or influence to shake the religious stigma off.

The Corrs

• While they had much success in Ireland and some in the U.S. and the rest of Europe, they probably aren’t influential enough to receive serious consideration

The Dandy Warhols

• They had a couple releases that were critically acclaimed and had worldwide success with “Bohemian Like You”, but they had too many releases that were mixed or panned.

Faith Evans

• Despite multiple hit albums and songs, she is likely most known for being the widower of Notorious B.I.G., making her chances slim.

Faithless

• They have had commercial success (more in Europe) and “Insomnia” is well-regarded, but the electronic group likely didn’t influence the subgenres they played enough.

Filter

• Despite generally positive reviews of releases, the industrial group didn’t reach the commercial success or have the legacy needed for a nomination.

Juvenile

• While he had commercial success and 400 Degreez is viewed more positively now, he isn’t held in as high regard as other rappers more likely to get in first.

Kamelot

• They are one of the better power metal bands and had commercial success, but no power metal bands have ever been inducted; they’d start with Iron Maiden instead.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

• An excellent guitarist who also found commercial success, few solo guitarists have been inducted, making the blues guitarist’s odds of a nomination slim.

Lonestar

• They have had a massive resume of hits, but country music doesn’t typically receive nominations; maybe the country pop group will get one eventually for the Country Hall.

Montell Jordan

• Despite several successful singles, Jordan doesn’t have the critical success to get in, nor has 90’s R&B/hip hop soul had any luck.

Natalie Merchant

• Despite finding commercial and critical success in her solo career (especially with the release of Tigerlily), she had more influence in 10,000 Maniacs, who aren’t in.

The Promise Ring

• Despite multiple influential emo albums, they aren’t the most well-known Midwest emo group, weren’t the first, and weren’t the first to combine emo and indie.

Opeth

• Opeth is one of the more successful and influential progressive death metal groups, but they aren’t as big a name as other metal bands who have yet to be inducted.

Raphael Saadiq

• He released multiple albums that were critically acclaimed, but his solo career didn’t have commercial success and he has yet to be inducted with Tony! Toni! Toné!

Robert Miles

• He is crucial in the development of dream trance and had some commercial success, but the late DJ didn’t do enough for a nomination.

Son Volt

• The alternative country group has had success and were influential in the genre, but they’re up against the more well-known offshoot of Uncle Tupelo:  Wilco.

Sparklehorse

• They likely didn’t have enough mainstream attention or influence to get a nomination, despite several critically acclaimed releases.

Spock’s Beard

• The only progressive rock groups to have been inducted so far have also had crossover success; Spock’s Beard has never had that in the U.S.

Sugar Ray

• Despite multiple hits across 3 albums, they are now stuck performing nostalgia tours dedicated to faded 90’s acts.  They didn’t have the popularity or influence for a nod.

Three 6 Mafia

• They had commercial success, but likely weren’t influential enough or garner the critical acclaim to get serious consideration for a nomination.

Thurston Moore

• Moore is an influential musician, but Sonic Youth hasn’t been nominated yet, making his solo induction highly unlikely.

No chance (24)

Amanda Marshall

• While successful in Canada, she’s a one-hit wonder in the U.S. and didn’t have the same influence as others who were inducted.

The Amps

• A combination of lack of sales, mixed reviews, and Kim Deal’s more popular projects (Pixies and The Breeders) not receiving nominations seals their fate.

Boys Life

• While they had some influence in the emo genre, they ultimately are too underground and short-lived to warrant a nomination

Carbon Leaf

• While blending several genres, they didn’t have much of influence nor did they have any commercial status, opting to remain more indie.

Cast

• While a well-regarded Britpop band (Liam Gallagher has spoken fondly of them), the big 4 in the genre (Oasis, Blur, Suede, and Pulp) aren’t in yet, so Cast won’t be.

Cibo Matto

• While their debut album received critical acclaim, they didn’t have the influence, commercial success or critical success in future releases for a nomination.

Cledus T. Judd

• He’s had success for his country parodies, but country music and parody/comedy music has not had success in the Hall.

Country Teasers

• While the art punk band had a couple albums that received positive reviews, they are unknown and didn’t have enough acclaim for consideration.

Damien Jurado

• He had one album that charted in the US and isn’t well-known outside of the indie community, which will make it difficult for him.

The Delgados

• While the indie group had success in Scotland and minor success in the U.K., they probably didn’t have the influence of more well-known indie groups waiting for a nod.

Dog’s Eye View

• They were one of the many one-hit wonders of the 90’s who benefitted from alternative’s prime; in other words, they shouldn’t get in.

Finger Eleven

• They had two big hits in the U.S., but they didn’t receive acclaim for most of their releases or are influential enough for consideration.

The Flower Kings

• While they have recorded a lot of music, they probably aren’t well-known enough to receive any serious consideration.

Friends of Dean Martinez

• While they did something interesting in blending post-rock and Americana, they are largely unknown and not influential enough

Goldfinger

• Despite some successful singles, they have not been and will not be held in the same regard as other melodic punk groups from the same era.

Guster

• They have achieved some commercial success, but not enough to be one of the early alternative bands to be inducted.

Jonny Lang

• Despite some success in the soul genre, most of his success was in gospel/contemporary Christian, two genres that won’t get a Hall of Fame nomination.

Novembers Doom

• While they have had a longer career than many American death-doom bands, metal bands who are largely unknown to the public don’t get inducted.

Soul for Real

• The 90’s R&B group was a two-hit wonder at a time where several R&B and hip hop soul artists were thriving.  In other words, no chance.

Will Haven

• While I love how they were able to combine several metal genres, they did not have enough critical success, commercial success, or influence in their career.

Jars of Clay

• While they had commercial success with their singles, no Christian Alternative artist has been inducted; I think that alone says enough.

Mushroomhead

• While they were able to do a lot more than artists lumped with nu metal, no nu metal artists have been inducted and very few metal artists have been; they aren’t big enough.

Theatre of Tragedy

• They came a bit too late to be a pioneer of gothic metal and never had much commercial success outside Europe.

VNV Nation

• They aren’t incredibly influential and didn’t have much commercial success nationwide later in their career.  There are other synth-pop groups to nominate first.

What do you think about my predictions?  Who are some artists that you hope will be inducted?  Let me know in the comments!