With New Edition's nomination (and eventual induction, at the very least in a side category, considering they have high place people like Questlove and Jimmy Jam advocating for them, and side-category inductions are basically just powerful insiders doing whatever they want), Boyz II Men will definitely be on the table and appear on the ballot at some point.
And I wouldn't be totally surprised if they pushed for a "lesser" pick like En Vogue or something along those lines, at least in a side category, or even for an appearance on the main ballot if they have that much influence.
But Boyz II Men should now definitely be an easy addition to any shortlist of future Rock Hall prospects to watch.
In fact, I think TLC are probably the single most inductable 90s R&B act right now (excluding Beyoncé, whose near future induction is inevitable, and the already-eligible Alicia Keys, both of whom are in the 2000s). I think they'd be a much easier sell to voters than Mariah Carey or Lauryn Hill (assuming still nominate her as solo act).
They don't have Lauryn Hill's "only one album" problem, as they have multiple classic albums. They're also big enough that virtually every voter knows at least one of their songs, and they were hugely commercially successful. Critically, they're actually more acclaimed than Mariah Carey (#354 vs. #818 on Acclaimed Music). TLC's highest entries on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums and 500 Greatest Songs lists are #218 and #127, respectively, compared to Mariah's #389 and #419. TLC's music also has more edge and is less likely to come across as too adult contemporary for certain voters. I think rock-oriented voters outside the pop/R&B/Black music camp would be more inclined to vote for TLC than Mariah. They simply don't have any glaring weaknesses in their resume, making their case somewhat similar to Mary J. Blige's or Sade's.
I genuinely think TLC could easily get voted in within one or two tries with normal ballots, and the Rock Hall really should put them on the ballot soon. However, I suspect the Hall will keep them waiting and won't seriously consider them until most, if not all, of Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and perhaps even Usher have been inducted. That means we could still be looking at another 5–10 years before TLC even make it onto the ballot.
TLC will most likely be inducted in the Performer category. There has been some speculation that they might receive the same treatment as Salt-N-Pepa/Queen Latifah/MC Lyte, but I don't think that will happen.
TLC currently has 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify, compared to fewer than 5 million for Salt-N-Pepa. Salt-N-Pepa's best-selling album was certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA, while TLC has a 12× Platinum (Diamond) album, a 6× Platinum album, and a 4× Platinum album. TLC's estimated worldwide record sales are around 60 million, compared to fewer than 20 million for Salt-N-Pepa. Of course, TLC is also far bigger commercially than Queen Latifah or MC Lyte.
In terms of critical acclaim, TLC also has a much stronger track record. It would be difficult to justify placing an act this commercially successful and critically acclaimed directly into the Early Influence category without even giving them a chance on the Performer ballot. They are more in line with acts nominated three times recently (too important/big to be side categorized)
Oscar wrote: