One thing I am always curious about is if rock hall puts J Geils Band on 2026 ballot or a similar ballot without any white boomer rock, then would they be voted in very easily? Or they will be no different to conservative traditional rock acts like Black Crowes, Melissa Etheridge and still fail (even boomers do not fully think they are deserving)
I do think that, for the remaining 80s acts, induction mainly depends on whether they are still seen as "cool" by younger generations of musicians. Casual listeners were never really the main focus of Rock Hall nominations anyway.
Obviously, most alternative pioneers pass this test. Recently inducted MTV-era stars like Billy Idol and Cyndi Lauper definitely pass it too. INXS is also clearly respected and considered cool among many 90s and 2000s rock musicians.
Meanwhile, Bryan Adams is still hugely popular, but not really viewed as "cool" in that same way. Still I think he will have great chance to be voted in immediately after nomination.
And not many younger artists would say that Huey Lewis and the News cool to them. Looking like they don't have lasting good impression on younger generations of musicians.
That's why I feel Huey Lewis & the News could ultimately be left out.
Again, the Rock Hall has never been, and probably never will be, a pure popularity contest. Popularity alone does not matter that much, respect from the music industry (industry insiders, critics, media, and fellow musicians) matters far more in induction chance.
Of course, popularity often helps because highly popular artists are more likely to earn respect as well. But popularity itself does not always translate into overwhelming industry support or immediate induction once nominated. Just look at artists like Shakira, Pink, or Mariah Carey.
Rick Krim, the current head of the Rock Hall nomination committee, has already said before that nominations are not supposed to consider the ceremony itself, and that the ceremony is planned only after the inductee list is finalized. At least "officially", that is the standard.
Again, no one is going to openly say, "Don't nominate or induct this act because they probably won't show up at the ceremony." It's just not something that sounds publicly justifiable.
Maybe the unspoken rule is to favor acts that would make the ceremony more attractive or exciting, but nobody is going to openly say it that way in the meeting, because it would look bad. Even John Sykes and museum president Greg Harris would not say something like that openly.
At least according to the "official standard," the primary goal is always the induction itself, while the ceremony is treated as a bonus. I know the Rock Hall does care about the ceremony in reality a lot, because it generates attention and revenue for the institution, but "officially" the priority is still to honor the artists and evaluate their musical merits, not whether they are likely to appear or perform at the ceremony.
Yes, INXS will be 100% inducted in three years as performer, probably in next nomination in next year.
omar wrote: