There’s nothing that’s more important to rock n’ rollers than establishment recognition. Right? Wait…I thought rock was about sticking it to the man in a fit of progressive rebellion! I guess it depends on who you ask. If you ask the good folks at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, they will tell you that the Hall of Fame is a way to highlight those artists who best represent the spirit of rock and whose influence on culture is undeniable. If you ask others, the HoF is a good ol’ boys club in which gatekeepers and those already inducted get to lift up more of their own. 

In reality, it’s probably more in the middle. On one hand, it makes sense to have an institution to preserve and honor the contributions of great musicians. Over the past 65 years, rock & roll has had an incalculable influence on our societal mindset, fashion, business, and art. The music that The Greats have made means many things to different people, but we all have memories and emotions tied to songs, albums, and bands. It’s very edifying to have your favorite singer or band enshrined in the Hall of Fame, proof that others agree with what you’ve always known: that these guys rock. (I want to stress that I use the term “guys” as a gender-neutral collective pronoun).

In order for an act to be inducted, it must be at least 25 years past their first official release. For the first several years the selections were obvious and unobjectionable: the first class consisted of Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Elvis. In other words, the absolute foundation of everything that would come later. From there they did a pretty good job of collecting most of the great artists that started in the Sixties before getting to the mid-decade explosion that gave us such luminaries as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan.

From there, however, many of the annual selections seem pretty arbitrary. What are the real qualifications to be enshrined in the Rock Hall forever? How do you judge actual quality? Influence? It certainly has to be more than commercial success, although that can be a factor. More often than not, it seems like voters tend to lean toward more modern artists in favor of older acts that are more influential. For example, this year the Foo Fighters are being inducted. They are fine – the definition of middle-of-the-road rock. They don’t do anything to advance the form or challenge the listener. What makes them more deserving than the dozens of older bands that have paid their dues and undoubtedly influenced the Foos? Likewise, Jay-Z is going in, which is fine. He’s probably one of the best rappers alive today and has had a long and worthwhile career. I’d say he deserves to be in, but does he deserve to be in before so many other MCs who came before him who established the game that he now runs? (I used to be among those people who cried foul every time a hip-hop or pop artist was inducted. I’ve since come around. It’s more or less the “Popular Music” Hall of Fame by this point, and that’s fine. “Rock and Roll” is a genre, yes, but it’s also an attitude that anyone can possess and appreciate. Furthermore, rock was made out of several genres and has gone on to influence more, so how pedantic do we have to be to delineate between what is “true rock,” or R&B, or blues, or funk, or punk, or soul, or country? Saying hip-hop doesn’t belong in the Hall but these others do demonstrates a misunderstanding of hip-hop culture and music more broadly, an understanding that I admit I did not realize until recently.)

Several of my favorites have been inducted. Yet if you take a look at the list of artists who have been nominated but not inducted, I can pick out several that are more deserving than several who are already in. There’s a couple more who blow my mind to think that they haven’t even been nominated. Here are 15 artists that I feel have been majorly disrespected in not making it into the HoF yet:

King Crimson: It’s absolutely insane that King Crimson has not even been nominated yet. They are one of the most consistently interesting and forward-looking bands of the 20th century. Along with The Moody Blues (who are already in but whose catalogue has far less staying power) they practically invented progressive rock. Their landmark 1969 album In the Court of the Crimson King is iconic alone, and they continue to grow in prestige among younger listeners. While the RoF isn’t super friendly to prog artists, they have awarded Pink Floyd, Yes, and Genesis. Hall of Fame, get it together and honor one of the true pioneers of the genre. 

Iron Maiden: There are only two metal bands in the Rock Hall: Black Sabbath and Metallica. You can’t argue with those inclusions, but it’s insulting that such a long lasting and influential genre has not been more recognized. Among the metal greats, Iron Maiden stands tall. Since the late Seventies they have put out fast-paced music that is simultaneously melodic and fun, yet also technically thrilling and bombastic. Their imagery has gone on to influence the entire world of metal, and they still sell out stadiums today. On top of that, Bruce Dickenson has one of the most powerful voices in music. They scored high in the fan vote this year but didn’t make the cut.

Judas Priest: Like Maiden, Priest is the other heavy band that seems like a no-brainer. They helped establish the genre and have without a doubt become one of its most recognizable ambassadors. They helped popularize the black leather biker/metal studs look, which has gone on to bleed into pretty much every “edgy” fashion. They even had a lot of hits, which should at least get them some recognition from the establishment!

Pixies: It’s funny that Nirvana and now the Foo Fighters have been inducted, yet their primary influence has yet to be nominated. The Pixies popularized the loud/quiet/loud song structure in alternative rock, one that Kurt Cobain stated multiple times that he directly nicked for his own songwriting. Outside of their influence, the Pixies helped usher alternative to the mainstream with a stable of great songs, two decade-best albums in Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, and launched the solo careers of frontman Black Francis and bassist Kim Deal.

Bad Brains: Outside of the undeniable triumvirate of Ramones, The Clash, and the Sex Pistols, (with The Stooges and, um, Green Day), there isn’t much punk in the HoF either. Perhaps because it is so purposefully antagonistic and vulgar, it’s hard for the suits to present them in a digestible way. But it’s undeniable how much punk culture has become a pillar in the rock world. There’s a few that could easily be held up as representatives of the movement (Black Flag primarily among them) but I’m going with Bad Brains. Bad Brains came out of the Washington, D.C. hardcore scene in the early Eightees; they are black Rastafarians who originally played jazz before deciding to switch over to punk. Their technical acumen and spiritually urgency makes for an intense fusion of very hardcore punk with reggae in a way that sounds extremely vital and cool. Frankly, I choose them because they are just better than their hardcore peers. Others seem to agree: they were nominated in 2017 but didn’t make the cut.

Rage Against the Machine: Most “rap-metal” hybrids are laughed off as jokes, but not Rage Against the Machine. The band detonated the airwaves in 1992 with headbangable riffs over thick grooves. Vocalist Zack de la Rocha brought an aggressive flow and guitarist Tom Morello did things with his guitar that seemed impossible. More than that, the unit was uncompromisingly political. They used their lyrics, artwork, and performances to spread a leftist message that is still relevant today. In fact, their whole style still sounds fresh today, and puts other nu-metal acts that came in their wake to shame. They’ve been nominated thrice already, but again, the Hall seems turned off by anything heavier than Def Leppard.

A Tribe Called Quest: For the past decade or so, the Hall has been slowly shining light on the hip-hop world. Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, 2Pac, LL Cool J, N.W.A., and others have gotten their dues, and it seems like this trend is going to continue. Why not show some love to some of Queens’ finest, A Tribe Called Quest? In the early Nineties Tribe led the pack of what became known as “alternative hip-hop” (aka “backpacker”). Instead of hard funk and rock samples, they drew from jazz and used live instrumentation to make groovy, classically cool beats over which rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg unspooled hip, socially conscious lyrics that were a far cry from gangsta rap. Not only are they held up as legends in the hip-hop community, but I think inducting ATCQ would expose older traditional rock fans to more of what the rap world offers outside of harder stuff like The Notorious B.I.G..

Kate Bush: British songstress Kate Bush was on the ballot this year, but didn’t get it. It’s a real shame, because even though she isn’t burning up the charts currently, her work in the 1980s has proven to be extremely prescient. Her misty, poetic songs border the line between art rock and pop, and her highly choreographed music videos became staples of the medium. She collaborated with David Gilmour and Peter Gabriel, and had an undeniable influence on style. Look around today, and you can see touches of her theatrics in Florence + The Machine, Bjork, Bats For Lashes, and even Lana Del Rey (to name a few). Even Outkast rapper Big Boi cited her as a major influence on how he conceives music and production. It’s time for such a unique artist to get her due.

Outkast: Hailing from Atlanta, the hip-hop duo of Andre 3000 and Big Boi put the Dirty South on the map and paved the way for the next era of the genre. The started with standard Nineties boom-bap rap beats but quickly moved on to a mix that encompassed a kaleidoscope of funk, psychedelia, soul, R&B, and pop. I’ve seen their genre-mashing compared to Prince, who is an obvious influence, especially for 3k. They are also very popular today, despite not putting out new music since 2006. Actually, I am 100% sure that they will be inducted sooner than later, but considering that their first album came out in 1994, I’m genuinely surprised that they haven’t been nominated in the past couple years.

Little Feat: Little Feat are probably the least-known band on my list here, at least to the modern listener. That’s probably because they ceased operating in 1979 after the death of their frontman Lowell George. Even though they reformed in 1987 and have been recording and touring since, it is admittedly to a cult audience. Nonetheless, if we’re talking about quality musicians, the group cannot be beat. Originally formed by castaways from Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, Little Feat came to embody a very supple fusion of rock, blues, New Orleans R&B, and jazz that I haven’t heard exactly replicated by anyone else. They were early proponents of what came to be “jam bands,” and their 1978 live release Waiting For Columbus is one of the best live documents ever. George’s lyrics were funny yet also sneakily wise. If we have The Doobie Brothers and Hall & Oates inducted (two groups that were popular, although lightweight ) I don’t see why we can’t recognize one of the true lost greats. I mean, in 1975 Jimmy Page stated that they were his favorite band. That’s got to count for something.

Sonic Youth: Similar to the baffling omission of King Crimson, the Hall’s refusal to even nominate Sonic Youth is a real head-scratcher. Formed in the early Eightees, Sonic Youth produced decades of meaningful noise until their disbandment in 2009. More than banging out three chords, the band bridged the gaps between punk, garage rock, noise rock, experimental soundscapes, and drone is a way that is hard to describe but immediately identifiable. In becoming one of the indie darlings of the new “alternative rock” genre, their feedback drenched crunch also paved the way for grunge. On top of all that, they have some great songs to boot. The HoF in general seems to skip over this era of music to get to the higher profile acts of the Nineties. It’s a shame; if the Hall is so intent on enshrining the spirit of rock, they need to look at those groups who kept the scrappy underground spirit going during the heyday of hair metal. Sonic Youth genuinely changed the way people thought about guitar music, and in doing so opened up the genre for the next generation of greats. They deserve to be included.

Pat Benatar: Let’s see which Eighties singers are in the Hall of Fame: Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Stevie Nicks (who to be honest doesn’t deserve to be in there outside of her inclusion with Fleetwood Mac). Why not Pat Benatar? This lady had hit after hit, and they all rock harder than anything put out by the above names. Her voice and presence is powerful, which makes her 5’0” stature all the better. She was rockin’ the short hair and tough-girl attitude since day one and went on to go multi-platinum and win four Grammys. Heck yeah, put Pat Benatar in!

The Replacements: On the Rock Hall’s website, the executives have little blurbs in which they detail their favorite music memories, favorite artists, road trip playlist, and lyrics. Two of them list a Replacement lyric as their favorite line in rock, the only artist listed twice in that category. Know who isn’t in the Hall of Fame? You guessed it: The Replacements. The came out of Minneanapolis punk scene (alongside fellow underrated rockers Husker Du), yet distinguished themselves with the ace songwriting of frontman Paul Westerberg. He tapped into an adolescent yet deep perspective that weathers the ups and down of life with aplomb. Their music is loose and full of energy, yet tied to the foundations of roots rock. They really are one of the most underrated bands ever, and it’s a shame that they continue to get slept on, even by execs who claim to love them.

Gram Parsons: Some may say that Gram Parsons is more of a country singer. That may be so, but at the same time he had a profound influence on the world of rock. Parsons had a love for both rock ‘n roll and classic country, a trait that went on to inform his prophetic place in the annals of American music. He originally came to prominence as a member of The Byrds, and helped them record their landmark county/rock fusion Sweetheart of the Rodeo. After that he formed the Flying Burrito Bros. with the help of former Byrds and future Eagles, then went solo and released two great albums that spotlighted the then unknown Emmylou Harris. All the while, Parsons was good buddies with Keith Richards and influenced the Rolling Stones to get more into roots. Of course, he died at a young age of a drug overdose, but even the nature of his funeral (body stolen by his friend and manager, and burned in the Joshua Tree desert at night) has added to his legend. Gram Parson’s musical approach and songs have gone on to influence generations of musicians by bridging the worlds of country and rock, and undoubtedly deserves to be officially recognized.

Phish: Okay, I know that these four Vermont hippies are the furthest thing from common conceptions of “cool” as can be. I get it; their all-encompassing jams can be pretty out there. I’ve heard their music described as “very active listening.” But if you really think about it, isn’t flying your freak-flag high and sticking to your artistic guns the ideal of a rock band? For 35 years and counting, Phish has cultivated success and a community well outside of the mainstream music industry. Each member is a genuine master at their instrument, and guitarist Trey Anastasio is arguably one of the best guitarists alive. Much like their forefathers and point-of-comparison the Grateful Dead, Phish thrive onstage in front of a live audience, where they can stretch out to create free-flowing musical tapestries that are unique to each performance. Their performances draw ardent fans and are partly responsible for kickstarting the festival craze that still grips the music landscape. It’s a niche yet substantial subculture of the music world, and their worth will only become more apparent with time. Hey, when you are so far advanced, it takes a while for everyone else to catch up.

So there you have it: my list of currently omitted artists who most deserve a seat at the Hall of Fame table. I know taste is subjective and every artist has diehard fans, but I think it’s safe to say that the above mentioned acts have had undeniably worthwhile and influential careers. Most of them were pretty commercially successful too. I’m not sure of the politics that keeps them and others out of the running. One thing that I believe would help is if the fan vote counted for more. Every year, fans can vote for up to 5 nominees. The winner gets one (1) vote toward their name – out of 400 votes from committee members! That seems a tad unrepresentative. I get that a self-styled “Hall of Fame” needs to have some form of quality control, but at the end of the day this is rock n’ roll we’re talking about. It’s the people’s music, and no one knows what hits quite like us everyday shmucks. Maybe that’s it – maybe the entire idea of a Rock Hall of Fame is bunk, because who cares about stodgy recognition? Still…if there has to be a Hall that acts as an authority on the subject, you’d like to see it get things right. Just being popular doesn’t punch your ticket. It’s all about the music you make, the ideas you express, and the lives you affect with your art. All of the above artists (and more) have done that, whether their plaque hangs in Cleveland or not. We all have our own Hall of Fame bands in our hearts.