5 shocking Rock & Roll Hall of Fame omissions
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Ronnie James Dio isn't in the Rock Hall ... why not? Photo: Ann Summa/Getty Images
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been subject to criticism over not just which acts get inducted, but which members of those inductees it honors.
For instance, Cher was inducted last year without Sonny Bono, while Motown producer Norman Whitfield was honored without his lyrical collaborator, Barrett Strong.
- The Rock Hall is set to announce the nominees for the class of 2025 any day now, leaving us to think about the museum's biggest omissions.
How it works: There is no steadfast rule to determine which members of a band get included on a plaque upon induction.
What they've said: When Gene Simmons complained about the Rock Hall only inducting the original KISS members in 2014, Rock Hall Foundation CEO Joel Peresman responded vaguely:
- "Sometimes, it's the overall body of work; sometimes, it's a specific period in time and the people who comprised the band that put them on the map and gave them that influence and created that legacy."
Our take: The Rock Hall's subjective decision-making has led to some surprising oversights:
Carol Kaye
Multiple members of the Wrecking Crew — the collective of session musicians who helped create Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" in the 1960s — were inducted in 2000.
Yes, but: Kaye was the group's bass guitarist who went on to have the most prolific career of any member, yet was somehow left out.
Ronnie James Dio
The Rock Hall opted to honor Black Sabbath's classic lineup when the iconic metal band was inducted in 2006.
- That left out Dio, who replaced Ozzy Osbourne as singer in 1979 and fronted the band during its commercial revival in the early 1980s.
Gram Parsons
Parsons has been nominated three times as a solo artist, yet hasn't been inducted.
- He should have gotten in as a member of the Byrds in 1991, having been an essential part of the band's pioneering country rock period.
The Wailers
The Rock Hall has retroactively inducted some legendary backing bands it initially overlooked.
- The Wailers, who are credited on all of Bob Marley's essential recordings, weren't included in his 1994 induction.
Dave Abbruzzese
Six members of Pearl Jam were inducted in 2017.
- Abbruzzese, who played drums on the band's first three albums before being fired in 1994, was excluded.
- Abbruzzese spoke out about his snub, leading the band to invite him to the induction ceremony. Abbruzzese declined.