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Who’s Not in the Rock Hall?
It might seem shocking, but these artists have yet to be honored
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 to be there. AARP rock critic Edna Gundersen offers her top choices of worthy candidates.
1. SMASHING PUMPKINS
Eligible since 2016
Led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Billy Corgan, this Chicago band achieved success without sacrificing artistic vision and opened the door to new strains of alt-rock. Siamese Dream (1993) and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995) are era-defining albums.
2. THE MONKEES
Eligible since 1991
Formed for TV, they rose above the “fake band” stigma with genuine skill and creativity, impressing acts from R.E.M. to Weezer. “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “I’m a Believer” are rock radio staples.
3. CHIC
Eligible since 2002
Guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards made Chic disco’s most influential band with hits “Le Freak,” “Good Times” and “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah).” Scores of artists sampled the guitar riffs and bass lines.
4. THE SMITHS
Eligible since 2008
The ’80s English band helped define the Manchester scene and paved the way for Oasis, Radiohead and others. The Smiths’ punk–art pop blended jangly guitars with ’60s rock and glam, topped by Morrissey’s bleak baritone and lyrics full of black humor.
5. DEVO
Eligible since 2002
The Ohio band hit the mainstream with “Whip It” in 1980 and built a cult following fusing electronics and punk. Lauded by David Bowie and Iggy Pop, Devo seeped into new wave and indie bands and influenced the grunge scene.
6. CONNIE FRANCIS
Eligible since 1980
Rock Hall inductees Madonna, Linda Ronstadt, Cher and Cyndi Lauper owe a debt to Connie Francis, the female pop singer prototype whose 1957 single “Who’s Sorry Now” launched a career that spanned seven decades.
7. JOHN COLTRANE
Eligible since 1982
The storied jazz saxophonist’s modal playing, improvisation and complex chord progressions enlightened rock music’s the Grateful Dead, the Doors and the Byrds—and shaped the style of guitarist Carlos Santana.
8. JANE’S ADDICTION
Eligible since 2012
The Los Angeles psychedelic rock band, formed in 1985, influenced the alternative movement of the ’90s. Blending punk, jazz, folk and art rock, Jane’s forged a distinctive metal hybrid that was aggressive, beautiful, sensitive and epic.
9. THE REPLACEMENTS
Eligible since 2006
Formed in 1979, the Replacements never saw stardom, but their ferocious independence, ragged brilliance and emotional authenticity seeded Seattle grunge, alt-country and the Bay Area punk movement.
10. THE SHANGRI-LAS
Eligible since 1989
The ’60s girl group out of Queens, New York, made an indelible impression with R&B–inflected pop hits like “Leader of the Pack.” Their innocence and street swagger inspired acts such as Blondie and the Ramones.
Tell us what you think: Leave a comment about which artists should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at aarp.org/rockhall