Mar 1, 2023 - News
Ranking the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees
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A bit of catch hell blues. Photo: Lex van Rossen/MAI/Redferns
As we wait for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to announce its class of 2023, let's have a little fun debating the acts on the ballot.
Catch up fast: The 14 nominees were announced Feb. 1.
- A voting pool of more than 1,000 music historians, journalists and previous inductees will select five to seven inductees, to be announced in May.
💠My thought bubble: I ranked the nominees from most to least deserving based on their resumes and impact.
- Joy Division's post-punk sound inspired a countless number of moody alternative-rock acts, while New Order redefined electronic music for future generations.
- One of country music's most iconic figures and a pioneer of the 1970s outlaw movement that changed Southern music.
3. Kate Bush
- Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter with a progressive pop style that influenced numerous female (and male) artists.
- A massive star of the 1980s and 1990s with one of the great voices in popular music history.
- The definitive rock band of the 21st century whose merger of blues and protopunk defined the genre.
- Unique artist who helped change the landscape of hip-hop and pop music during the late 1990s/early 2000s.
7. Iron Maiden
- One of the most influential heavy metal bands of all-time; rode the new wave of British heavy metal to global success in the 1980s.
8. Cyndi Lauper
- One of the biggest pop-culture icons of the 1980s who pushed pop feminism and punk characteristics into the mainstream.
9. Warren Zevon
- Not the biggest name on the ballot, but a smart songwriter who influenced Hall of Famers like R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
- One of the most eclectic and politically charged acts of the 1990s, yet released only three albums of original material.
11. Soundgarden
- On the Mount Rushmore of 1990s grunge bands, but not quite impactful as previous inductees like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
- One of the most artistic rap acts of the 1990s; lacks the crossover success of other recent hip-hop inductees.
13. The Spinners
- Often overlooked R&B group with tremendous longevity and a few big hits, but nothing truly game-changing.
14. Sheryl Crow
- Beloved roots rocker with major success in the 1990s. Still, feels like she unfairly leaped over more deserving artists like Melissa Etheridge and Alanis Morissette.