The 2026 inductees have been announced. These are the inductees for 2026 (performers):
Phil Collins
Billy Idol
Iron Maiden
Joy Division/New Order
Oasis
Sade
Luther Vandross
Wu-Tang Clan
Was discussed on the latest WIYE podcast but I think they misunderstood that you have to wait 25 years for consideration, then each year inductees are limited and for somebody like Phil Collins, this will be his 2nd time, first with Genesis, now solo.
I know the whole thing is fairly ridiculous but the building itself in Cleveland is worth a visit to see some of the amazing photography, videos and general memorabilia. Apparently Peter Hook is overjoyed, I wonder if we will see a proper New Order reunion at the ceremony. That would appear to be unlikely, but you never know.
Interesting to think who in 25 years who is a UK artist who is active now could be inducted.
Harry Styles
Sam Fender
Olivia Dean
Charli XCX
Ed Sheeran ( a shoe-in)
Coldpay (ditto)
Arctic Monkeys
Pulp? – I would say the ultimate ‘America absolutely doesn’t get it’ band.
Coldplay are eligible now (26 years since debut), similarly some of the others you name are also already eligible. Surprising they are not in yet, but neither are Jethro Tull, The Jam, The Monkees and many others who have been eligible for decades. The nomination committee work in strange ways.
The Jam another famously ‘small in America’ band. I say this as a massive Jam fan, but the Americans were impervious to their charms.
There’s an Oasis/Strangeways joke in there somewhere.
Still no Little Feat.
That’s outrageous! What the hell is it for?
Gram Parsons will finally be inducted at least.
About time!
I know. Shit isn’t it.
I guess commercial success is a significant factor, they probably didn’t have enough “hits”
I don’t know much about it. Artistic merit not important then.
These are their apparent criteria:
Key Eligibility & Selection Factors
Time Requirement: The first commercial recording must have been released at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination (e.g., for the 2026 class, the first release must be from 2001 or earlier).
Musical Impact: Evaluation is based on the artist’s influence on other musicians, longevity, and overall contribution to music culture.
Voting Process: A nominating committee creates a ballot, which is then voted on by an international body of artists, historians, and music professionals.
Fan Vote: An annual online fan vote is conducted, where the top five vote-getters constitute a “fans’ ballot” that is counted alongside professional ballots.
There are few bands with greater influence than Little Feat
Who have they mainly influenced? Weren’t they something of a one off?
Not agreeing with the decision, just playing devil’s advocate and obviously it is something that is voted upon, so it’s all very subjective like all the decisions.
They sold little but we’re revered by other bands. Little Feat was a band’s band, and George was a musician’s musician. That fusion of styles, the syncopated funk, derived from New Orleans second line, and the distinctive slide guitar impressed their peers.
Little Feat however magnificent are barely known outside us People of Taste. I, for one, am mighty glad they are nowhere near the ghastly “Hall of Fame”
I agree Lodes, I don’t need those tossers to tell me how great they were.
Much as I love their music, I don’t think Little Feat’s sound has influenced the sound of other bands to any extent. In that respect they are definitely in one-off territory.
I think we’re all of an age where we can see behind the artifice and admire the pop smarts and knowing silliness of Billy Idol. Strong tunes, great performer, cleverer than you might first have thought. But Hall of Fame?
Obviously it’s all baubles, but the other acts on the bill seem to have had more of a lasting influence on what came after, Joy Division and New Order particularly. Phil Collins’ sheer commercial clout can’t really be denied, esp in the US where his stature seems to have even grown. And Maiden deserve props for creating and maintaining their own cultural island. I love Oasis but perhaps this feels like a response to their triumphant tour rather than any cultural shifts that have continued to echo in their wake.
I suppose all this debate is what it’s all for, really.
Why not Hall of Fame for Billy? At least his music is music that I want to listen to, which is more than I can say about most of the others…I find that the older I get, the less time I have for dull music!
Also, Billy is still recording some real bangers.
I was surprised he wasn’t already in there.
He’s kind of a (British) national treasure in the States now, has a radio show on Sirius XM, I rarely listen, but when I have done he is full of great stories
Oasis absolutely deserves recognition for what they have done: breaking America years past their heyday. Although, this last year might be their greatest. Triumphant. Bringing joy to a world that needs it.
Also funny to imagine them meeting Phil Collins at the induction. They have certainly traded a few insults in the past.
I doubt he’ll be there, given his various health probs.
Do we know what the process is? Do acts need to accept the nomination? I’m quite surprised that Iron Maiden have accepted if so. I recall some issues with Heavy Rock and Metals acts being overlooked because they’re not Rolling Stone-friendly (Deep Purple for example). Not sure what Maiden get out of it.
Iron Maiden have been nominated a couple of times in the past, but never made it to the final list. Bruce Dickinson’s take on it: “a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock and roll if it hit them in the face”
What do Maiden get out of it? A ton of free publicity for their 50th Anniversary Tour. Which is happening at the same time as the Induction, and they will not be breaking off the Tour to attend (the fact they are in Australia at the time may also be a factor”.
Did read there was some debate if Blaze Bayley was to be included – I believe he now is, as is Dennis Stratton.
So the appearance at the ceremony may be Blaze, Dennis, and whoever else they can find with a Maiden connection in the past (my vote goes for Barry “Thunderstick” Purkis)
They should just send Eddie.
Still no nomination for Freddie and the Dreamers I see… 🙁
I’m telling you now, if you’ve got to make a fool of somebody, then it’s going to be Freddie and his gurning mates.
I like it.
I think the acts pay for the privilege of being inducted. Just like any other industry award. I was a bit disappointed with Depeche Mode when they got in there.
You certainly have to pay for the privilege of a gold star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
ok so playing rock n roll is not even a criterion for the rock n roll hall of fame.
I know what you mean, but if you did that you may as well call the whole thing “Boomerworld”. Who is the last act that made it big playing rock & roll? The White Stripes? I don’t think U2 or Radiohead are rock & roll. Should they really exclude Kraftwerk, Public Enemy and Madonna and wave through The Black Keys?
It’s just the name they chose originally, just pretend it’s called rock/pop/soul/reggae/rap/disco/folk/country/hip hop music hall of fame or something.
The name seems apt to me. If you look at the actual list of inductees it’s more or less a 1:1 match for those Rolling Stone lists of great artists.
To the extent other genres are represented, they’re represented through the prism of Rock journalism and the accompanying sense of hierarchy.
To give but one example, if you ran this same exercise with people who actually love and follow Hip Hop you wouldn’t end up with the Beastie Boys as the third inductee. And I say that as someone who loves the Beastie Boys. If you asked them, they’d tell you the same thing: there are about a dozen acts who predate them and are more deserving.
What you end up with is the Hip Hop that Rock fans listen to/recognise (the Beasties, Public Enemy, Eminem, the Wu – acts that follow recognisable pathways or look like bands), rather than the Hip Hop that the primary Hip Hop audience listens to.
The reality is that of all musical genres, Rock is the one more prone to this sort of exercise – the self conscious attempt to organise a canon – and there’s nothing wrong with it per se, but the title is ultimately probably the most honest thing about it. I would be stunned if the voting panel isn’t overwhelmingly Rock-oriented.
For most UK listeners, Rock ‘n’ roll ended in about 1959. In the US they use it in a far more general form
I look forward to the Christian Gangsta Rap Hall of Fame.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum is indeed a fabulous day out (although you’ll probably rush a few rooms if you only allow a day!). However, the actual Hall of Fame with plaques on the walls was probably the dullest part of the whole building.
The museum is (or at least was when we went) pretty much the only museum we’ve been to in the US that had actual real items belonging to artists etc. It made a pleasant change from the regular US technique of putting something in a glass case and labelling it as an item “believed to be similar to an item that might have belonged to……”
Hard Rock Cafe?
The Buddy Holly museum in Lubbock has genuine items.
Including the guitar that Holly gave to Des O’Connor.
Re New Order and Joy Division, I’d like to think that they did something positively mancunian in response to being nominated for such a mainstream rock cliche institution (sorry, I know that sounds like a 17 year old NME reader talking but I can’t think of any other way to phrase it!) however I just can’t see Sumner and Hooky making up enough to get through a stilted version of Love Will Tear Us Apart or something, as heartwarming as it may be. Or maybe that would be positively mancunian, who knows…
My sources tell me @nick-l that there are moves to reunite Hooky with New Order for some gigs this year.
Wow @FreddySteady I’d be keen to see that. I’d seen a couple of whispers online but assumed it was tittle tattle type stuff.
Well, erm, my source is my mate! But he’s a big N.O fan so it must be true.
Hooky has gone on record to say he definitely won’t be joining a NO reunion, due to the grief they caused him and his family.
Also, Barney’s 70, doesn’t sing much nowadays, and his voice was never very in tune at its peak. I’m not sure I want to hear it these days*, anyway.
(*) nerdy JD reference there, folks.
Nope , don’t get the reference!
These Days, b-side of Love Will Tear Us Apart. It was a bit abtruse.
Thank you!
It’s quite reasonable, I think. I remember nothing of their less celebrated songs. Even the one that you knew fades with a new dawn.
I can’t see any movement between Hooky and the rebooted New Order so going all the way to the ceremony would lead to regret and confusion. There’s still no love lost between them, these days. They’re no closer. It would be a love less atmosphere, not a fine time at all. Unless they figure out to unlearn this hatred.
@slotbadger
This is excellent!
It’s all a grift, and very much an American thing, as with all Halls of Fame. Thousands to get shortlisted, campaigns to run, tens of thousands to get a table for the night (even for the winners) and no travel/expenses. Some acts can’t afford to be nominated. What a load of bollo. Glad it didn’t catch on over here.
A grift? How completely out of keeping with the whole history of fair play, decent contracts and lack of law suits that haven’t plagued rock’n’roll.
If Tony McCarroll can share a stage with Oasis then surely Hooky and New Order can make up for the day.
Well, Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison were famously snubbed by Debbie and Chris at Blondie’s induction.
McCartney didn’t show up when The Fabs were inducted “Business differences”, of course they couldn’t all be there anyway 🙁
The Hall makes it’s money from ticket sales to visit the site, the merch and the events it promotes. Bands don’t pay anything to be in inducted or nominated. Steve Miller had a hissy fit about the fact that the Hall wouldn’t comp his family seats at the ceremony (I think he had a point) and others have moaned about not getting paid to perform there but it’s not something that can be purchased.
The panel who agree the nominees isn’t fully public but is known to include musicians like Steve Van Zandt, Questlove, Sheryl Crow, Dave Grohl and Tom Morello and a bunch of music execs and music journos. There’s a wider panel that vote on induction.
It’s been fairly common for artists to diss the Hall until they were nominated and then accept as and when it finally comes. Often the real issue is the time delay before nomination is permitted means bands have split and are suing each other (Fogerty and CCR being a prime example) or excluded (see Bob Welch and Fleetwood Mac or Cher getting nominated but not Sonny).
It’s a great day out, lots to see, a whole area with instruments that can be used and well curated exhibits.
Music journalist Alan Light was until recently on the committee, he has spoken on his podcast Sound Up a bit about how things work. They have to reach some sort of consensus as to who is nominated, he sometimes tried for years without success to get acts on the ballot.
Everybody will have an act they think should be there, but who isn’t. Spaces are limited. My favourite current band are Wilco, they became eligible about 6 years ago, but have not been included. Am I surprised? No. Am I disappointed? Not really, but I expect them (or Jeff Tweedy) to get in at some point.
Hard to care one way or the other, really…
Hoffman mode: They passed on England Dan & John Ford Coley again! Hard pass from me. Listenin’ to warm wind and conversation tonight. Gorts!