Apr 13, 2023 - News

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's fan vote has been eerily precise

Troy Smith

Singer George Michael stands under a re dspotlight. — Should you have faith in the Rock Hall's fan vote? Photo: Michael Putland/Getty Images

Two weeks are left in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's annual fan vote for which artists to induct this year. Yet as 1989 inductee The Ink Spots once sang, it's all over but the crying.

Driving the news: Fan voting ends April 28, with the class of 2023 scheduled to be announced in early May.

Why it matters: The fan vote has become one of the best indicators as to who will get inducted.

Details: The top five vote-getters — currently George Michael, Cyndi Lauper, Warren Zevon, Iron Maiden and Soundgarden — will constitute a single "fan ballot" added to a pool of more than 1,000 votes.

Each of the top five acts in last year's fan vote — Duran Duran, Eminem, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics and Dolly Parton — were inducted.

The intrigue: Since the online poll debuted in 2012, the No. 1 vote-getter has been inducted all but once. The lone exception was Dave Matthews Band in 2020.

In fact, all but three acts (DMB, Soundgarden and Fela Kuti) that finished in the top-five in previous fan votes are now Rock Hall inductees.

💭 My thought bubble: I wouldn't be shocked if all five acts on this year's fan ballot got in. I'm least confident about Iron Maiden.

Go deeper: Predicting the 2023 Rock Hall Inductees

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's fan vote has been eerily precise

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