How I’m Voting on My Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ballot 2025

My yes votes:

Billy Idol

An enthusiastic thumbs up. The look, the sneer, the attitude, the snarling voice, the muscular songs: Billy Idol projected rock in every way. He began as a punk in Generation X, then brought that aggression to a hugely successful solo career in rock, pop, punk-metal and New Wave. He was an MTV fixture and hijacked radio with “Rebel Yell,” “White Wedding,” “Eyes Without a Face” and “To Be a Lover,” keeping the punk spirit alive when few others could. At 69, he’s still going strong, releasing a new album and starting a tour in April. Rock snobs never embraced Idol, however, so his induction is not a sure thing.

Joy Division/New Order

They get my vote. The two bands are linked because Joy Division became New Order in 1980 after singer Ian Curtis killed himself. Though far bigger in the U.K. than the U.S., the bands were enormously influential in all quarters. Their gloom-shaded post-punk, electronica and dance music shaped a variety of bands, from U2 and The Cure to Soundgarden. Long overdue for induction, Joy Division and New Order remain a tough sell, primarily due to a lack of chart sizzle here. 

Cyndi Lauper

Absolutely yes, and it will be stunning and scandalous if she isn’t ushered in after being passed over in 2023. Though known and loved for romps like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “She Bop,” Lauper, 71, runs deeper than her neon coifs and wacky wardrobe suggest. She’s a tectonic singer who’s written gorgeous and serious songs, from “Time After Time” to “Who Let In the Rain.”

Oasis

Yes. And while Oasis was denied entry in 2024, the British band is a safe bet this year, especially since an upcoming global stadium tour and possible new album have reactivated interest in the group. Led by brothers Liam Gallagher, 52, and Noel Gallagher, 57, Oasis dominated Britpop with such classics as “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova,” along with a string of acclaimed albums between 1994 and 2008. They were just as well-known for their smugness, rowdy lifestyle and constant brawling, all of which feed their rock credibility. 

Outkast

A wholehearted yes. I imagine voters will be split down the middle on this one. Some remain wary of hip-hop, while others recognize the glorious originality and immeasurable influence of this Atlanta duo. Releasing five consecutive albums that reached No. 1 or 2 in Billboard, André 3000 and Big Boi, 50, brought progressive Southern hip-hop to the masses with fluid melodies, fresh wordplay and a visionary mix of rap, funk, jazz, psychedelia and electronica. Outkast hit its peak with 2003’s wildly ambitious Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which sent singles “Hey Ya!” and “The Way You Move” to the top of the charts.

Soundgarden

Yes, please. I’m concerned that voters’ aversion to metal might thwart Soundgarden, on the ballot for the third time. The grunge era’s Nirvana was inducted in 2014 and Pearl Jam in 2017. Soundgarden meets every prerequisite. Chris Cornell was a consummate rock vocalist with impressive range and emotional power. The band was admired by critics and colleagues, made its way up radio and record charts, and paved a fresh path with its dark, metallic alt-rock.

The White Stripes

A firm yes. Voters bypassed the duo in 2023 and may do so again, unfortunately. Singer/guitarist Jack White, who turns 50 in July, and drummer Meg White, 50, arrived in the late 1990s and jump-started the flagging rock genre with a bracing blast of purity, minimalism and raw energy. The albums White Blood Cells, Elephant, Get Behind Me Satan and Icky Thump brought excitement and ingenuity back to garage rock 'n' blues. In his solo career, Jack White remains a vital and highly regarded rock savant.

My no votes:

Bad Company

The British supergroup has weighty rock credentials. It rose from Free, King Crimson and Mott the Hoople, churned out such big ’70s hits as “Bad Company,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and "Shooting Star,” and was blessed with the mighty vocals of Paul Rodgers, 75. It wasn’t a vital, influential act or particularly innovative, so it doesn’t get my check mark. I doubt it will slide into the Hall. 

The Black Crowes

An easy no. The Crowes delivered palatable Southern rock hits in the ’90s: “Hard to Handle” (an Otis Redding cover), “Remedy,” “She Talks to Angels.” That’s not enough to deserve a spot on the ballot, let alone in the Rock Hall. The music is entirely derivative and has had no impact going forward. Still, the voting body may tilt toward yes because of the band’s commercial success.

Mariah Carey

The pop superstar, 56, is likely to get enough votes with her second appearance on the ballot, but she won’t get mine. Carey skyrocketed to fame with four consecutive chart-toppers from her 1990 self-titled debut album. She savvily blends R&B and hip-hop into polished pop. She’s a songwriter, and she knocks out tunes with a multi-octave wallop. My hesitation? It’s tough to find any threads of rock in her music, and her considerable influence has encouraged more than a few female vocalists toward flashy melismatic caterwauling.

Chubby Checker

Nostalgia may push Checker, 83, over the finish line, but it’s another no for me. Checker (whose name is a play on Fats Domino) had a single big, notable hit, 1960’s “The Twist,” written by Hank Ballard. From 2008 to 2020 it topped Billboard’s list of all-time No. 1 Hot Singles. Other highlights of the singer’s thin résumé include a few “Twist” spin-offs and dance-fad tunes like “Pony Time” and “Limbo Rock.” His career was not substantial enough to warrant Rock Hall inclusion; plus “The Twist” was already inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Singles category.

Joe Cocker

Boosted by the boomer voting bloc, Cocker will likely slip in. I’m declining, only because I see worthier options. The British singer, who died at 70 in 2024, is on the ballot for the first time after 30 years of eligibility. A masterful interpreter with a distinctive rasp, he is best remembered for his Woodstock performance, his cover of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and 1982’s “Up Where We Belong” with Jennifer Warnes, 78. More a vocal stylist than an influential artist, Cocker is a better fit for the Rock Hall’s Award for Musical Excellence.

Maná

It’s likely most voters will also leave this box unchecked. Maná is certainly deserving on many fronts. The Mexican rock band has four Grammys, eight Latin Grammys and sales of 45 million records worldwide. Its music, a savvy cocktail of rock, Latin pop, ska, reggae and calypso, has been a leading light in the rock en español movement. And it’s thrilling to see the biggest Latin American band in history surface on the ballot. But Maná remains on the fringes of the mainstream.

Phish

No, and I presume few voters will take the bait. The prog-leaning Vermont jam band has released loads of live recordings, but not a single tune has cracked the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  The Phish shtick entails touring constantly with traveling hordes of fans in tow, and performing lengthy, improvisational rock tunes which the band records and sells, and that audience members trade among themselves. While Phish has had decades of success, it’s made no measurable imprint outside the cult.