Billie Eilish
Joe Cocker
Drake
Shakira
Arctic Monkeys
Lana Del Rey
Under consideration:
Muse
Luther Vandross
Cocteau Twins
St. Vincent
Blink-182
D'Angelo
Amy Winehouse
Usher
No Doubt
Selena
Gang Of Four
Phish
Dr. Dre
Lucinda Williams
Bad Bunny
Probably not:
Gary Numan / Tubeway Army
John Denver
Charli XCX
Gordon Lightfoot
Robyn
Scorpions
The Cranberries
Britney Spears
Grace Jones
Billie Eilish and Joe Cocker are my absolute yeses from this list. Kinda surprised there's not more support for Drake, considering the level of success and acclaim he's had over the last 15+ years. Shakira is so massive internationally that I can't leave her off. And Arctic Monkeys and Lana Del Rey feel to me like artists whose influence will still be felt 20 years from now.
Very open to hearing arguments from everyone on the others.
Kenny Rogers should be considered more seriously for the Rock Hall, right? Don't talk about "musical excellence," because that is really subjective (I don't like his music either). His achievements should make him a no-brainer HOFer. He is a respected icon and basically a white Lionel Richie. The sales, hits, fame, and respect are all there, and he is not "too country," as he was also adult contemporary and soft rock, so he should be crossover enough.
Again, if you induct Lionel Richie, then Kenny Rogers should definitely be on the table. He was one of the most remembered music icons of the 80s and was more connected to rock than many other more country-specific artists.
If you consider him rock-adjacent, he is definitely one of the two most recognizable MTV-era 80s stars that not in, alongside Bryan Adams, and you don't have many remaining picks when looking for 80s icons who still resonate today.
I'd say the Backstreet Boys are in the upper tier of eligible pop acts. They're not the first boy band, but they're the first one most people think of. They've got 2 super-famous songs, amazing sales numbers, they're still an arena level act, and in terms of global impact, the current k-pop music industry definitely took some notes from the 90s boy band boom they spearheaded.
J.W. wrote: