It is hard to believe that we’ve already come around again to having to put together a nominee list for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Just over two months ago, the Induction Class of 2023 was ushered into the venerable halls in Cleveland, with the accolades for Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Chaka Khan, and others, still ringing from the rafters of the Barclays Center in New York. Time, however, moves forward, and it has come around again to consider the potential nominees for the 2024 class of the Rock Hall.

What does it take to get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? The ONLY qualification is that your initial recording must have a minimum of twenty-five (25) years before the current year. There is no rule regarding what style of music you play, no hard-set guidelines as far as sales, just the fact that you had an impact on the development and history of rock and roll. Note that I say “rock and roll” there; the problem that way too many people have is they think the building on the shores of Lake Erie is there JUST for “rock” music. It isn’t…and the sooner that people look at the history of the Hall (and the people who have been inducted), they will realize this.

But let’s get beyond this. As it is 2024, those who did their first recording in 1999 are now what is called “first-year eligible” for induction into the Hall. The problem is…there are not that many that are newly eligible that would be worth a “FYE” induction. Thus, it is time that the Rock Hall and the Nomination Committee take care of business and right some wrongs that have gone on in the past. Let’s look at what we might be seeing next month when the 2024 Nomination Class is announced.

First-Year Eligibles and Last Year’s Leftovers

In looking at the pool of candidates for 2024, I have to be honest…it’s an underwhelming list. When your power hitters are 50 Cent, Brad Paisley, Buckcherry, Jennifer Lopez, and John Mayer (among others), there’s not a lot to hang your hat on here. Even one of my longtime favorites, Halestorm, does not save this lot from a general “meh” comment. I do not believe that there has ever been a year that DIDN’T have an FYE nominee on the list…this one could very well do it.

So, what about last year’s choices? The 2023 Nomination Class was arguably one of the most diverse, both musically and otherwise, of any group in Rock Hall history. ANY of the fourteen choices available would have had a legitimate reason for induction. That’s why I believe that at least four of those that were overlooked last year will be back on the ballot again.

The outrage from fans of Warren Zevon regarding his longtime snub as a nominee and, last year, as an inductee, is something that the Rock Hall has to correct. Anyone who related to the SoCal music scene of the Seventies, from Jackson Browne to Fleetwood Mac to Linda Ronstadt to The Eagles, has bowed before Zevon and his notable songwriting and lyrical prowess. To continue to keep Zevon out of the Hall is unforgivable.

There was a similar outrage from backers of Joy Division/New Order regarding their non-induction in 2023. For everyone who calls themselves fans of The Cure, Depeche Mode, and other synth rock acts from the Eighties, they all owe a mascara-smeared nod to Joy Division/New Order, who were the forebearers of the goth sound (you could also toss The Damned in here, but I digress). You would not have much of that dark, moody sound that has permeated many other areas of music without Joy Division/New Order.

Finally, it is time that the Rock Hall gets over their bias – some would call it a hatred – of hard rock and heavy metal. Last year’s Nomination Class had two legends of the genre in Soundgarden, who were “grunge” before the term existed, and Iron Maiden (despite their dismissiveness of such honors like the Hall). BOTH of these bands not only deserve another nomination, but they also deserve induction.

Recent Nominees…A Second Chance

Over the past few years, there have also been those who got their nomination, failed to be inducted, and…drifted away like they didn’t matter. The problem is that all these artists had a sizeable impact on the world of rock and roll; it’s just that it is in a more nuanced and low-key manner. It is time these artists/bands got their second bite at the apple, and maybe this time they’ll get the call.

Artists like Fiona Apple and Beck have been overlooked because of their idiosyncrasies and the difficulties in appreciating their creations (Tori Amos falls in this same category). It is their experimentation with rock and roll that has pushed it forward into the 21^st century, for such bands as Arctic Monkeys and Portugal. The Man to become successful. With Kate Bush taking her rightful seat in the Hall, both Apple and Beck should get another look.

Likewise, there are a handful of bands that deserve kudos for their efforts. How the Hall has overlooked such influential bands as Oasis, Daft Punk, and Sleater-Kinney for induction for so long is a bit mind-boggling, to be honest, because each of the bands has left their DNA on rock and roll. Oasis made Brit Pop memorable again in the Nineties, becoming the biggest thing to come from England since arguably the Beatles; Daft Punk delivered for the electronic/dance music generation (and don’t say that Daft Punk aren’t the forefathers of the EDM movement), while Sleater-Kinney carried on the riot grrrl spirit of the early Nineties (and were the rightful heirs to The Runaways, who also deserve an induction).

Pop? Rap? Country? The Eighties? The Seventies?

The “rock” enthusiasts always scream about it, but pop music and rap/hip-hop are genres that have imprinted themselves on the fabric of rock and roll. Thus, the best that these musical stylings have must be remembered. For pop, you have Destiny’s Child (and you don’t think that the Rock Hall would not salivate over a Beyonce-led reunion on Induction Night?) and Mary J. Blige. But it is Mariah Carey that most would consider the most likely nominee to be inducted into the Rock Hall.

The litany of rap artists and acts that should be considered is led by Snoop Dogg. The Doggfather continues to have an impact on culture and the music world – NBC just tapped the man to be a part of the coverage of the 2024 Olympics…what else is needed beyond that and his ample skills on the mic? Toss into the mix Dr. Dre (could put him and Snoop in together, if you want), Queen Latifah (think she was more deserving of entry than Missy Elliott), Nas, Arrested Development (covers Lauryn Hill, too), Outkast, Wu-Tang Clan, or P. Diddy, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of the rap/hip-hop hierarchy.

The screeching from the “rock” set was loud with Dolly Parton in 2022 and got even louder with Willie Nelson in 2023. The basic fact is that, without country music, you DO NOT HAVE ROCK AND ROLL. Thus, let’s get those legends from country music – Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Garth Brooks – and give them their kudos (Cline especially – a whole host of women in the industry owe her a monster debt of gratitude).

If you want to break it down by decades, the Eighties gave us INXS, The Pixies, the late Sinead O’Connor, and many others (including such “second induction” nominee choices like Don Henley, Sting, and Phil Collins). The Seventies? They haven’t been totally picked clean, as bands like Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, DEVO, Television, MC5, and New York Dolls are all still out there. The Sixties? Well…let’s let that one alone.

So, now that we have broken it down…who do I think will be there? How’s this for a list?

Warren Zevon
Joy Division/New Order
Soundgarden
Iron Maiden
Fiona Apple
Beck
Oasis
Sleater-Kinney
Daft Punk
Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre
Mariah Carey
Destiny’s Child
Patsy Cline
Garth Brooks
Thin Lizzy
DEVO
Don Henley
Sting

That’s a pretty strong Nomination Class if you ask me!

Toss in such notables as “Big Mama” Thornton and John Coltrane for Influencers (and, what the hell…let’s give Frank Sinatra and Neil Sedaka a nod too), “Wolfman” Jack, “Mutt” Lange, and Rick Rubin for the Ahmet Ertegun Award, and “Weird” Al Yankovic and Paul Rodgers for Musical Excellence, and I think you’d have a damn good Class of 2024 set up. Alas, we will see what the Nomination Committee produces at the start of February, and then we can debate who should be the next inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.