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Why Aren’t These 10 Music Legends in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
It might seem shocking, but these artists have yet to be honored
5-minute read
Artists deserving a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (left to right): Devo, Connie Francis, the Monkees, John Coltrane and Jane's Addiction
AARP (Devo: Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images; Connie Francis: Archive Photos/Getty Images; The Monkees: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; John Coltrane: CBS via Getty Images; Jane’s Addiction: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Rock fans are all peace, love and understanding … until the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame comes up. Then everybody starts kung fu fighting over who deserves the honor and who should be banished. A new class of music luminaries (sometimes in genres beyond what traditionalists consider rock) has been enshrined every year since 1986; this year’s class includes Luther Vandross, Billy Idol and Sade and is to be inducted at a ceremony in November. Yet many notable artists remain in the waiting room, including these worthy candidates:
Smashing Pumpkins demonstrated that heavy rock could be sophisticated and pretty, opening the door for new forms of alt-rock.
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Smashing Pumpkins
This Chicago band, led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Billy Corgan, achieved commercial success without sacrificing artistic vision. Demonstrating that heavy rock could be sophisticated and pretty, Corgan built soundscapes using layered electric guitars, synthesizers, lush strings and other instrumentation. He opened the door for new strains of alt-rock. Siamese Dream (1993) and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995) remain defining albums of the era.
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The Monkees, originally created for a TV show, paved the way for boy bands that followed.
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The Monkees
A petri-dish band made for TV, the Monkees proved to be a flourishing force. “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “I’m a Believer” remain rock radio staples. Their Hall-worthy impact? They paved the path for boy bands. They cast the mold for the music video. Their cheekiness and singable melodies impressed acts from R.E.M. to Weezer. They rose above the “fake band” stigma with genuine skill and creativity. Micky Dolenz, 81, is the sole surviving member.
Chic's minimalism, groove and funk set it apart from other disco bands and endured long past the 1970s.
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Chic
Founded by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, Chic became the most talented and influential band of the disco era on the success of such hits as “Le Freak,” “Good Times” and “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah).” The band’s minimalism, slinky grooves and organic funk set it apart from the day’s machined dance-floor tracks. Post-disco, scores of rap and dance artists sampled Chic’s guitar riffs and bass lines.
The 1980s English rock band the Smiths brought energy to the Manchester music scene and paved the way for Britpop.
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The Smiths
With four albums, the ’80s English rock band revitalized the Manchester scene and paved the way for Britpop, shaping the sound and vision of Oasis, Radiohead and others. The Smiths favored a blend of punk and art pop with jangly guitars and splashes of ’60s rock and glam, topped by front man Morrissey’s bleak baritone and lyrics brimming with despair and black humor.
Devo
After initially baffling critics and audiences with its dystopian “de-evolution” theory of mankind in decline, the Ohio band captured the mainstream with “Whip It” in 1980. It built a cult following by fusing experimental electronics and punk while sporting futuristic costumes in campy videos. Lauded early by David Bowie, Neil Young and Iggy Pop, Devo seeped into countless new wave and indie bands and influenced the grunge scene’s Pearl Jam and Nirvana, as well as Arcade Fire and Lady Gaga.
Connie Francis' 1957 single "Who's Sorry Now" launched a massive career that spawned seven decades.
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Connie Francis
Rock Hall inductees Madonna, Linda Ronstadt, Joan Jett, Carole King, Cher and Cyndi Lauper owe a debt to Connie Francis, the female pop singer prototype whose 1957 single “Who’s Sorry Now” launched a massive career that spanned seven decades. Her early ’60s string of hits included “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own,” “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” and “Where the Boys Are.” She died last year at 87.
Saxophonist John Coltrane transformed jazz but also influenced generations of rock artists.
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John Coltrane
The storied saxophonist, who died at 40 in 1967, not only transformed jazz. His modal playing, “sheets of sound” improvisation and complex chord progressions enlightened scores of rock musicians, including the Grateful Dead, the Doors and the Byrds. Coltrane’s spiritual masterpiece, 1965’s A Love Supreme, shaped the styles of guitarists Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana.
Formed in 1985, the psychedelic rock band Jane's Addiction launched Lollapalooza in 1991, which became the blueprint for festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo and Lilith Fair.
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Jane’s Addiction
The Los Angeles psychedelic rock band, formed in 1985, was one of the most influential forces in the alternative movement of the ’90s and among the earliest to enjoy mainstream success. Drawing on punk, jazz, folk and art rock, Jane’s forged a distinctive metal hybrid that was aggressive, beautiful, sensitive and epic. For its 1991 tour, singer Perry Farrell created Lollapalooza, a roving multi-act festival that ran annually until 1997 and now is staged as a four-day summer event in Chicago. It became the blueprint for such fests as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Ozzfest and Lilith Fair.
The Replacements
Propelled by chaotic shows, shambolic recordings and the wry and heartfelt songs of singer-guitarist Paul Westerberg, the underground alt-rock band wowed critics, college radio and legions of fans. Formed in Minneapolis in 1979, the Replacements never achieved stardom, but their ferocious independence, ragged brilliance and emotional authenticity seeded the Seattle grunge scene, alt-country, the Bay Area punk movement and myriad indie bands.
The Shangri-Las' blend of innocence and street swagger inspired acts from Blondie to Aerosmith.
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The Shangri-Las
The prominent ’60s girl group out of Queens, New York, led by Mary Weiss, made an indelible impression with scrappy R&B–inflected pop hits like “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” and their signature song, “Leader of the Pack.” The foursome’s blend of innocence and street swagger inspired acts from Blondie, the Ramones and the New York Dolls to Morrissey and Aerosmith. Weiss died at 75 in 2024.
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