Feb 26, 2024 - Music
Let's rank the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees
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The Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images
It's time to put my reputation (and email inbox) on the line when it comes to this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot.
Catch up quick: The 15 nominees were announced Feb. 10.
- A voting pool of more than 1,000 music historians, journalists and previous inductees will select the class of 2024, which will be announced in late April and inducted during a ceremony in Cleveland this fall.
I ranked the nominees from most to least deserving based on their resumes and influence:
1. Mariah Carey
- Arguably the greatest vocalist of all time whose 19 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 are second only to The Beatles.
2. Cher
- An iconic entertainer whose career has stretched over 60 years, inspiring the work of everyone from Madonna and Cyndi Lauper to Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.
3. Ozzy Osbourne
- Took the art of rock showmanship to new heights post-Black Sabbath and one of the greatest voices in heavy metal history.
4. Mary J. Blige
- Created a formula of classic soul mixed with hip-hop that became a blueprint for future superstars like Beyoncé, Rihanna and Usher.
5. Eric B. & Rakim
- Transformed hip-hop into a lyrical art form in the late 1980s, inspiring recent inductees like Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem and Tupac Shakur.
6. Peter Frampton
- A revered guitarist who made his mark with The Herd and Humble Pie before embarking on a successful solo career that includes one of the greatest live albums of all time.
7. Kool & the Gang
- Put together a lengthy career of funk, soul and disco hits that influenced a wide range of artists, including hall of famers Chaka Khan, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lionel Richie.
8. Sade
- Perfected a smooth, jazz-fueled style of R&B that served as a blueprint for progressive and neo-soul acts like D'Angelo, Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill.
9. Jane's Addiction
- Highly innovative band with a limited catalog that paved the way for alternative rock and metal.
10. Oasis
- Their huge, yet short-lived run as part of the 1990s Brit-pop movement brought guitar-driven pop back into the mainstream.
11. Sinead O'Connor
- Combined an amazing voice and powerful message that artists like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Liz Phair rode into the 1990s.
12. A Tribe Called Quest
- One of the most artistic hip-hop acts of all time, but maybe should take a backseat to more impactful groups like De La Soul, Outkast and Wu-Tang Clan.
13. Lenny Kravitz
- Carried the torch for rock music at a time when it appeared to be dying, but far from the most influential artist on this list.
14. Dave Matthews Band
- An accomplished band with a devoted fan base, but whose music wasn't as groundbreaking as other acts from the same era — Soundgarden, Beck, Smashing Pumpkins — that should be on the ballot instead.
15. Foreigner
- Had a string of hits over two decades that were fun but didn't impact the course of music history in any substantial way.