If you like to debate who should be or shouldn't be nominated and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, then you are not alone. Even voting members raise their eyebrows.
Once again, Vulture.com has interviewed two of those members to get their take on this year's ballot and who they will be voting for. See if you agree.
Bad Company
Voter 1: "Are they a major rock act? No. Are they an ever-present classic-rock act heard on the radio to this day? Absolutely. I like them more than I want to admit, largely because Paul Rodgers has a fantastic rock-and-roll voice. 'Feel Like Makin’ Love' may be a meathead anthem, but it’s catchy. I won’t vote for them, though, because I’m trying to use my vote strategically to help women and people of color."
Voter 2: "When you look at people talking about the Rock Hall and saying, 'Why isn’t X inducted?,' Bad Company is up there every year. It’s a quintessential rock supergroup. You have Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, so you have links to Free, Mott the Hoople [with Mick Ralphs], and King Crimson [Boz Burrell]. They’re sort of the connective tissue between all the British bands of the ’60s and everyone who came after. They have a good chance of getting in without my vote."
The Black Crowes
Voter 1: "I’d be a liar if I didn’t cop to the fact they’ve had hits I’ve liked. But do I think they deserve to be on this ballot? No, not over other people. It’s possible to love an act and think they don’t need to be in the Rock Hall. This comes up with The Monkees argument every year. I love the Monkees, but I don’t feel it’s a great outrage that they’re not inducted. The Black Crowes are fairly derivative. If they get in, it’s because people will say, 'When you think rock and roll in the ’90s, you think Black Crowes.'"
Voter 2: "It had never occurred to me that The Black Crowes, of all bands, would get nominated. That’s no shade on them because I find them to be fantastic. I just don’t think they’re Rock Hall–worthy. They’re part of the great Southern rock tradition and fit in that lineage, but who have they influenced?"
Joe Cocker
Voter 1: "I’m partially disappointed by this nomination because it would’ve been nice if he had been on the ballot while alive. I’m still deciding if I’m going to vote for him. He’s a very distinctive vocalist, but the recorded output is spotty. 'Up Where We Belong' and 'You Are So Beautiful' aren’t priority songs in the history of rock and roll. You’re basically voting for him as a song stylist. It’s comparable to Chubby Checker in that the songs slightly overshadow the career, but the career is pretty great."
Voter 2: "This was another one that was a bit of a head-scratcher for me, only because it was like, Huh, that’s right, he’s not in. He sits in the Linda Ronstadt–type category in that he’s such a wonderful interpreter of music and other artists’ songs. As a vocalist, he’s peerless. What his impact is, I don’t know. I didn’t end up voting for him, but I could see him getting in."
Billy Idol
Voter 1: "Do I need to vote for this guitar-wielding white man? Maybe not. This nomination is basically about Billy playing ball with the Rock Hall. Not to be too cynical, but appearing at a couple of ceremonies is notoriously a way to get on the ballot. Good for you, buddy. The main thing I love about him is he’s a tough genre categorization. He’s pop, he’s punk, he’s New Wave. He even qualified as hair metal. If anything gets me to vote for Billy, it’s his shape-shifter nature."
Voter 2: "I would never have anticipated Billy Idol getting inducted. It makes a lot of sense, though. When you think of ’80s solo acts, he was huge. He started off in Generation X as a real punk-rocker and translated that attitude to rock and pop music for decades. But this year, there were other people I felt needed my vote more."
Oasis
Voter 1: "Oasis has a brand to protect. They are the turds in the punch bowl of rock and roll. They have to act like they’re above it all and don’t give a [crap], though Liam Gallagher said he would show up if they got inducted. I won’t vote for them. I have a hard time seeing the influence. I suspect a lot of the people voting for them are ten years younger than me who remember the ’90s a little more fondly than I do."
Voter 2: "They’re so influential, almost in spite of themselves. It’s been 30 years since they first emerged, and bands that are still forming are saying, 'I want to sound like Oasis.' The fact they’re coming around to do a victory lap, to say, 'Hey, remember us? We did it right first, we’re the best' -- I love that. They’re massively popular in America. People forget about that. I voted for them because the spectacle of them showing up would be hilarious."
Soundgarden
Voter 1: "They arguably could’ve gotten in before Nirvana and Pearl Jam and have a bit more influence than them. They were in the Seattle scene long before Nirvana even released an album. I’m the problem because I’ve never voted for them. I’m trying to find room for Soundgarden this year because they deserve it. This is morbid, but after Chris Cornell died, why didn’t they get in the following year?"
Voter 2: "They’ve probably been dinged for so long because they draw so much on the metal side, especially their earlier stuff. I can see people being a little put off because they hewed toward that end rather than, say, someone else from Seattle who was a bit poppier, like Nirvana. Soundgarden is heavy, but they’re extremely influential. Chris Cornell’s voice was unreal. They were a 'classic band,' so I voted for them. It’s long overdue.
And the rest:
- The White Stripes -- Voter 1 Yes, Voter 2 No
- Mariah Carey -- Voter 1 unclear, Voter 2 Yes
- Chubby Checker -- No for both
- Joy Division/New Order -- Yes for both
- Cyndi Lauper -- Yes for both
- Maná -- Voter 1 unclear, Voter 2 No
- OutKast -- Yes for both
- Phish -- No for both
As for the Fan Vote, the Top 5 voter getters are:
- Phish
- Bad Company
- Billy Idol
- Soundgarden
- Cyndi Lauper
You can vote once a day through April 21st at RockHall.com.
The top five artists selected by the public will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to determine the 2025 Inductees.
The Class of 2025 will be announced in late April with the ceremony set for the fall in Los Angeles.