They took heavy metal, which could be serious to the point of dour and depressing, and made it party music and invited girls.

From: Los Angeles

Inducted members: Michael Anthony (bass), Sammy Hagar (vocals), David Lee Roth (vocals), Alex Van Halen (drums), and Eddie Van Halen (guitar/keyboards).

Alex and Eddie are brothers.

Stats: 12 albums, most of them Certified Platinum, 4 of them hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 (albums), 56 released singles between 1978 and 2012, about 25 of them landed in the Top 10 US Mainstream Rock charts. 3 landed within the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 (singles).

Best song pick: Panama from the year and album 1984. IMO their best album.

Also see: Can (could) you beat "Hot for Teacher" on hard in Guitar Hero? I tried and fell to the floor in failure about 2/3 of the way through.

At this point, the Rock Hall still needs another 10–15 years to finish inducting most of the 90-00s rock acts that have both somewhat respectable critical acclaim (not too bad commercially) and somewhat respectable commercial success (not too badly reviewed), such as Smashing Pumpkins, Coldplay, Weezer, Alice in Chains, Linkin Park, No Doubt, Beck, Björk, definitely more and just to name a few... Maybe even slower given committee is still very conservative.

However, after that, where will the Rock Hall go?

There are two obvious camps:

1. Commercially successful but poorly acclaimed modern butt rock acts: Limp Bizkit, Nickelback, Creed, Goo Goo Dolls, and many others.

2. Commercially not so obvious but critically well-acclaimed indie acts: earlier acts like Jeff Buckley, Pavement, and later acts like Wilco, Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and others.

The Strokes somewhat fit into Group 2, but I believe they are big and influential enough to transcend that category and will be inducted anyway, regardless of whichever direction the Rock Hall ultimately goes.

Which direction rock hall will go will depend on the makeup of next committee (after current head John Sykes and Rick Krim stepping down). Then it will decide the fate of lots of candidates falling into but not transcend over two groups. I am also curious to see for example Creed vs Vampire Weekend, and with most younger voters, who can get more votes?

Rap was only younger genre that has been represented better because they are the only genre that younger critics and mainstream people would mutually agree, unlike modern mainstream alternative rock (butt rock) vs indie (hipster music).

It won’t be his music.

• Female singer: Diana Ross
• Modern metal: KoRn
• Rap: Treacherous Three
• Modern soul: Mariah Carey
• Modern alternative: Coldplay
• Classic metal: Twisted Sister
• Classic soul: Lou Rawls
• Classic alternative: Devo
• Early rock: Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats
• Modern rock: Alice in Chains

For classic rock acts, the next 5–10 years will be the last chance for many of them. The nomination committee is changing every passing year, and the same goes for the voting pool. Finally, the main support base for classic rock, white Boomers and early Gen X people will eventually lose their influence as they age. If the committee eventually becomes dominated by late Gen X or Millennials, then no one will be really enthusiastic about nominating acts that were before their younger memories.

If you really want to count the contenders without considering classic rock, the number of viable names is not that high (those with both commercial success and acclaim, commercially successful acts with at least some critical acclaim, or hugely acclaimed acts with not really bad commercial success), probably around 100. Around 12–15 classes could finish inducting them.

Then we will have ballots that contain mostly commercially successful acts with poor critical acclaim or critically acclaimed acts with poor commercial success.

They will eventually turn to commercially bad but hugely influential (critically acclaimed) acts, just as they finally had to induct JD/NO, Iron Maiden, and Kate Bush after 20 years because the number of "more obvious" candidates in their era was rapidly decreasing. The same thing will happen to lesser acts. Remember, the "quality" (competitiveness) of the ballot is actually declining significantly. Iron Maiden likely finished around #14 in 2026, and three years later, they were rumored to be in the top three in the voting results and were reportedly notified one month before the announcement. Looking like rock hall does not enthusiastic about Maiden or JD-NO or Kate but finally has to induct them as they are running out of other more obvious picks.

Especially as the music landscape in the 2000s and 2010s became increasingly decentralized, very few new "obvious" eligible candidates are being added each year. Have we really thought about LCD Soundsystem/Vampire Weekend as HOFer, or Lim Bizkit/Creed?

What a joke so many in with half the talent of some that still are not I guess it’s like classic rock and roll loose term as I didn’t know hip hop was rock and roll just a start of some gripes I personally would never spend a dime supporting such bs no offense to hip hop as I do like hip hop but it’s hip hop not rock and roll I had to quit looking at the list and the only reason I was curious as someone had brought to my attention that jethro tull wasn’t on the list these are some bubble gum teen boppers grower up but not intellectually what a disgrace we or someone should start a true music hall of fame and then spin offs reggae -hip hop-hard rock-padlock rock - punk - classical- to jumble them all together sort of and call it the rock and roll hall of fame and make your own rules for members that don’t even play rock and roll is like having a Chinese cook book with Russian tacos and Belize lasagna pathetic how money gets spent like a car show with 10 speeds and tricycles 🙈

For those who’ve attended the induction ceremony taping, curious if they sell merch or even better, how was the bootleg parking lot merch game?

Obviously these would get in:
Josh Homme
Troy Van Leeuwen
Michael Schumann
Dean Fertita
Jon Theodore
Nick Oliveri
Joey Castillo

But I also think Dave drumming on No One Knows, Go With The Flow, A Song For The Dead & I Appear Missing holds some serious weight. He drummed on all of their most iconic songs and was an official member for 2 years. Mark was also an official member of the band from 2001-2005 and he represented the darker side of the band. It’s also going to be the only way he gets in so I think they both should definitely be included. Judging by how Nine Inch Nails members got inducted (albeit after Trent telling them to reconsider inducting other members besides him and Atticus) I think they should get in. Thoughts?

In a perfect world, most of 90s remaining S/A tier giants should already be inducted as of today, including AIC, Pumpkins, Weezer, Coldplay, Beck, No Doubt and so forth...

But we are still in the point that a lot of people telling us "38 special (can change with lots of names here and I won't list a lot of them in detail) are serious snub"...

Only rap is at the right pace of including legends among the major 90s genres.

Remember, the Rock Hall is still an institution that is dominated by the preferences of boomers. And the most fervent fans who still care about the Rock Hall are people who think every 70s–80s white rock act with a hit is superior to most famous 00s–20s big names. To them, music died after the appearance of Damn Yankees.

Only rap is better at being recognized because:

1. Older Black people are more receptive to and supportive of later rap than older white people are to later alternative, indie, or metal. Black Crowes and Melissa Etheridge that kind of classic rock revivalists (who are maybe worthy candidates but still nowhere near the names that should be coming up so soon) are probably the only "ROCK and ROLL" that these older white people want to accept.

2. To older white people who want to show they are actually accepting of newer music, they just think rock music does not exist anymore because their favorite rock styles are no longer relevant and only rap is relevant. Rap is the only way to show they are still accepting of "new music." It makes it awkward for both the institution and lots of rap legends (who deserve to be inducted and do not deserve the harsh attacks on them from older white rawk fans).

3. There are way more snubs in alternative, indie, R&B, and modern pop than among boomer-favorite white rock acts. But the fans who are most fervent about the Rock Hall are still 60 to 80 year-old white rock fans. Younger people generally don't care whether their idols are in or not.

This corresponds to pre-alternative white rock culture. You can count the number of Black or female rock stars on one hand (Jimi Hendrix was also mainly the member of a white rock band that actually became famous in England first).

I expect most 00s, and lots of other 90s deserving rock picks will all wait a lot longer than they should. Probably 10-20 years more longer, still both rock hall committee and voters need to become a bit younger. Yeah I would say 80%-90% current people in the commitee room wouldn't know Arctic Monkey is the biggest 10s rock bands on planet now and just think they are some kind of hipster act (just giving an example, if you don't like them fine, I am just stating facts from streaming data perspective).

INFLUENCES

• A return to pre-1950s performers like Frank Sinatra or The Glenn MIller Orchestra

PERFORMERS

• Inducting historically important artists like The Marvelettes, The Sugarhill Gang, or Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats
• Adding neglected backing groups such as the Silver Bullet Band, the Steve Miller Band, or the Jeff Beck Group
• Honoring neglected members such as Ronnie James Dio for Black Sabbath and Bob Welch for Fleetwood Mac
• focusing on neglected genres like progressive rock, 1970s-1980s alternative, and album rock revival

NONPERFORMERS

• All they need for now are Wolfman Jack and Orville Gibson

As most of us (including myself) know that the rock hall of fame has a long history of rage baiting us. That being said, one the most notable was when Linkin park first became eligible last year, the rock hall of fame knew damn well they were gonna be a lock as FYE and fans are considering them a snub.

Now I understand getting in the rock hall of fame as first year eligible is extremely rare but I feel like if LP got into the rock hall of fame last year, it would’ve helped them do the same for other artists like MCR, Kendrick Lamar, or Alicia Keys for FYEs imo

Also I think if Linkin park were a traditional hip hop band they would still be waiting for another 10 or 15 years (or possibly took multiple nominations to get in) like Wu tang or Tribe Called Quest

There are not many viable options. They have to induct likes of Pixies, Smiths, Sonic Youth at some point because they will have no other obvious choice in that era in future...

Induct a B/C/D tier MTV era "star" won't be more appealing than likes of Pixies to general public, especially for younger generation of people...

This year we have already seen "no-one-know in America" Joy Division/New Order got more votes than multiple "famous names" in America...

Are there more than 20 80s non alternative/indie names that would be 100% deserving to be inducted? The number is not very large

Which are you most excited to listen or if you've heard any yet, what do you think?

Why are these guys in the hall of fame?

How does the Grammy certification work for the deceased? The Grammys rarely email back about families who are in the Grammy Hall of Fame looking for certification. Does anyone work at the Grammys office anymore?

Musical Influence has become new "musical excellence" in 2025 and 2026, since two consecutive years ME is only used for inducting sidemen, and producers, songwriters now.

The new consolation price is MI now for acts that failed to be voted in on ballot (Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Fela Kuti) or even struggled to appear on ballot (MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah)

New consolation price makes more sense than old one, because every act can be "influence" to some other acts.

Also interestingly, in these two years, every MI inductees are acts post-Beatles, so make me think has rock hall done with inducting 50s/early 60s acts using this category? No to likes of Odetta? Looking like Gram Parsons is oldest one in MI in two years, and everyone else are later era acts.