Jan 5, 2026 - Music

Rock Hall 2026: Longtime snubs that may finally get their due

Troy Smith

Two men wearing gold chains and rings, one in a green and black jacket with a blue Kangol hat, the other in a dark jacket and black beanie, posing indoors with serious expressions. — Rap legends Rakim and Eric B. Photo: David Corio/Redferns

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is expected to announce the nominees for its class of 2026 in the next month or so.

The intrigue: The annual ceremony, which is scheduled to return to Cleveland this fall, has honored several longtime snubs in recent years.

That includes the likes of Warren Zevon, Soundgarden and Cyndi Lauper in 2025, making you wonder which previous nominees could join them this year.

💭 Troy's thought bubble: The obvious choices are Oasis and Mariah Carey — the only two acts to earn nominations each of the past two years but fail to get in.

Yes, but: I'm going with Eric B. & Rakim. The legendary rap duo was nominated in 2024 and could be nominated again, or honored in the Musical Influence category, a la Salt-N-Pepa last year.

Between the lines: Other viable options include previous nominees Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz, Iron Maiden and Joy Division/New Order.

Reality check: Predicting the Rock Hall nominees is like trying to select the Powerball numbers.

Inductees like Bad Company, Joe Cocker and Foreigner just recently earned their first nominations, despite being eligible for more than 25 years.

Go deeper: Rock Hall ceremony hits high notes in L.A.

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Rock Hall 2026: Longtime snubs that may finally get their due

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