Eric B. and Rakim. Photo: David Corio/Redferns/Getty Images
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will induct its class of 2024 on Oct. 19. crossing artists like Cher, Mary J. Blige and MC5 off the list of longtime snubs.
Why it matters: The ceremony returns to Cleveland, bringing one of the most hotly contested music industry debates and a local economic impact of $50 million to Northeast Ohio.
How it works: To be eligible, an artist had to release their first official recording at least 25 years prior to induction.
💠My thought bubble: I took into account the Rock Hall's criteria of musical impact, influence, body of work and innovation, among other things, and ranked the 25 most overlooked artists by the Rock & Roll Hall Fame.
1. Joy Division/New Order
Eligible since: 2004
Nominations: 1
The intrigue: Joy Division and New Order are among the most influential acts ever, and the Rock Hall combined them on last year's ballot.
- Joy Division was the poster child for the post-punk sound that influenced Hall of Famers like U2 and The Cure, while New Order — the band that members formed after singer Ian Curtis' death — helped pioneer modern electronic rock.
2. Chic
Eligible since: 2003
Nominations: 11
The intrigue: Chic is the most-nominated act in Rock Hall history but still hasn't been inducted.
- That's despite ruling dance and funk music in the 1970s and becoming one of the most-sampled groups by early hip-hop producers.
3. Sonic Youth
Eligible since: 2008
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: The noise rock pioneer laid the groundwork for countless alternative and indie acts, including PJ Harvey, My Bloody Valentine, Foo Fighters and Pavement.
4. John Coltrane
Eligible since: 1986
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: Despite being a jazz artist, Coltrane's groundbreaking improvisational style influenced several Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, including The Doors, Grateful Dead, Santana and Funkadelic.
5. Iron Maiden
Eligible since: 2005
Nominations: 2
The intrigue: With Black Sabbath, Metallica and Judas Priest all inducted, Iron Maiden would appear next in line after redefining heavy metal with its progressive sound in the 1980s.
6. Mariah Carey
Eligible since: 2016
Nominations: 1
The intrigue: The recent inductions of Whitney Houston and Chaka Khan bode well for Carey, who has scored 19 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, second only to The Beatles.
7. Eric B. & Rakim
Eligible since: 2012
Nominations: 2
The intrigue: The arrival of Eric B. & Rakim shifted hip-hop into a lyrical-driven art form that Hall of Famers like Jay-Z, Eminem and The Notorious B.I.G. would follow.
8. New York Dolls
Eligible since: 1999
Nominations: 3
The intrigue: The Dolls' proto-punk mix of glam and hard rock influenced Hall of Fame inductees like the Ramones, Blondie and Guns N' Roses.
9. The Smiths
Eligible since: 2009
Nominations: 2
The intrigue: The Smiths were responsible for influencing the Second British Invasion in the 1980s, a wave followed by the Stone Roses, Radiohead, Oasis and Blur.
10. Motorhead
Eligible since: 2003
Nominations: 1
The intrigue: Motorhead brought loudness and speed to metal in the 1970s, establishing a formula that would shape the 1980s thrash metal stylings of bands like Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth.
11. Soundgarden
Eligible since: 2012
Nominations: 2
The intrigue: Soundgarden was one of the biggest bands of the grunge movement with frontman Chris Cornell possessing one of the greatest voices in rock music history.
12. Outkast
Eligible since: 2019
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: Outkast pushed Southern hip-hop into the mainstream with a sense of musicality that would make members Andre 3000 and Big Boi 21st-century superstars.
13. Brian Eno
Eligible since: 2000
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: Eno is in the Rock Hall as a member of Roxy Music, but his experimental solo work and production techniques became influential forces on punk, art rock and electronic music.
14. The Replacements
Eligible since: 2007
Nominations: 1
The intrigue: The Replacements, along with R.E.M., helped pioneer alternative rock, influencing Hall of Famers like Nirvana, Green Day and Foo Fighters.
15. Thin Lizzy
Eligible since: 1996
Nominations: 1
The intrigue: Thin Lizzy's twin lead-guitar attack changed the face of hard rock, paving the way for inductees like Judas Priest, Guns N' Roses and Def Leppard.
16. Pixies
Eligible since: 2013
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: Pixies' merger of alternative rock with pop sensibility had a major impact on some of the biggest rock bands of the 1990s, including Nirvana, Radiohead and Weezer.
17. Toots and the Maytals
Eligible since: 1988
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: Perhaps no artist other than Bob Marley was more responsible for spreading the popularity of reggae across the globe.
18. The White Stripes
Eligible since: 2023
Nominations: 1
The intrigue: The White Stripes served as 21st century torchbearers for garage and blues rock while becoming one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the past 25 years.
19. De La Soul
Eligible since: 2014
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: The alternative hip-hop sounds from De La Soul pushed rap to new, creative heights and influenced artists like Outkast and Kanye West.
20. The Smashing Pumpkins
Eligible since: 2016
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: The Billy Corgan-led band achieved huge success in the 1990s, blending elements of grunge, shoegaze and gothic rock for an aesthetic that influenced bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and Blink-182.
21. King Crimson
Eligible since: 1995
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: King Crimson was the most progressive of all progressive rock bands. Its highly experimental sound influenced bands like Tool, Nirvana and The Flaming Lips.
22. Gram Parsons
Eligible since: 1993
Nominations: 3
The intrigue: Parsons was surprisingly not inducted as part of The Byrds in 1991 but deserves recognition for being the pioneer of country rock.
23. Diana Ross
Eligible since: 1996
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: Ross is already in with The Supremes but should be on the list of two-time inductees for a solo career that created a blueprint for the modern R&B and pop diva.
24. Jane's Addiction
Eligible since: 2013
Nominations: 2
The intrigue: Jane's Addiction helped usher in the late 1980s/early 1990s alternative rock boom with a unique sound and style that would influence the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Korn and more.
25. Salt-N-Pepa
Eligible since: 2012
Nominations: 0
The intrigue: Missy Elliott recently became the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted. Now, it's time to honor the most important female hip-hop group of all time.
Go deeper: Predicting the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees
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