Kenny Rogers should be considered more seriously for the Rock Hall, right? Don't talk about "musical excellence," because that is really subjective (I don't like his music either). His achievements should make him a no-brainer HOFer. He is a respected icon and basically a white Lionel Richie. The sales, hits, fame, and respect are all there, and he is not "too country," as he was also adult contemporary and soft rock, so he should be crossover enough.
Again, if you induct Lionel Richie, then Kenny Rogers should definitely be on the table. He was one of the most remembered music icons of the 80s and was more connected to rock than many other more country-specific artists.
If you consider him rock-adjacent, he is definitely one of the two most recognizable MTV-era 80s stars that not in, alongside Bryan Adams, and you don't have many remaining picks when looking for 80s icons who still resonate today.
I'd say the Backstreet Boys are in the upper tier of eligible pop acts. They're not the first boy band, but they're the first one most people think of. They've got 2 super-famous songs, amazing sales numbers, they're still an arena level act, and in terms of global impact, the current k-pop music industry definitely took some notes from the 90s boy band boom they spearheaded.
Billie Eilish: One of the defining pop artists of her generation and very worthy of being a first-ballot inductee in this project.
Dr. Dre: Arguably the biggest snub from the hip-hop world who isn't already in this project as a performer. The Chronic alone makes a strong case for his induction.
Joe Cocker: One of rock and roll's most distinctive singers, with a career that lasted longer than most of his contemporaries. He's also one of the few artists who's in the actual Rock Hall but not ours.
Lana Del Rey: A distinctive singer-songwriter who's been hugely influential on modern alternative and pop music. She bridges the gap between both worlds and should do really well with our voters.
Luther Vandross: One of R&B's greatest singers and arguably the biggest post-'70s R&B artist we haven't inducted. Also, see Cocker: he's in the actual Rock Hall and should probably be in ours too.
No Doubt: Helped propel Gwen Stefani to superstardom and had tons of success crossing between alternative rock and pop. If you want to see more '90s and '00s alternative acts get in, you should probably vote for No Doubt and clear a lane on next year's ballot.
These are the 6 performers I'll be voting for. The others I am open to hearing cases from the rest. I'm leaning towards the following thou: Arctic Monkeys, Britney Spears, Charli XCX, Drake, Gang of Four, Gordon Lightfoot, Muse, Robyn, Scorpions, Selena, Shakira.
For the other categories, sans Side Performers, here's one person I am voting for and hope others consider:
Non- Performer - Jimmy Webb: simply one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He wrote "Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "MacArthur Pack," "Up, Up and Away," "The Highwaymen" among others. Also, a songwriter with name recognition and longevity and I think both matter here. He seems forgotten here for some reason and yet was voted in round 1 of voting this year. Should get in this year.
Influences - Johnnie Ray: my ride-or-die pick for this category each year and he seems to always get enough votes to be on the ballot but never enough to make the Final Cut. Let's change that. He was one of the biggest pop stars of the early 1950s and an important bridge between traditional pop and rock and roll. His emotional, highly physical singing style helped pave the way for the rock vocalists and teen idols who followed.
J.W. wrote: