Predicting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2024 Nominees
It’s that time of the year again – predicting the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 nominees in the Performers category. This is an interesting time for the nomination committee for a host of reasons. This is the first ballot they’ll produce in the wake of Jann Wenner’s highly publicized exit from the Rock Hall’s Foundation board last September. Wenner’s comments about female artists and people of color were pitiful and indefensible. The Rock Hall’s swift reaction is a step in the right direction to distance themselves from Wenner. I ponder thou whether the Rock Hall believes they’ve done enough to correct the errors of their past. Rock Hall Chairman John Sykes has continually emphasized the institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion at all levels and, I would think, that includes the artists selected as nominees by the nomination committee. There might be a radical overhaul of the selection process, or they could produce a ballot with the usual suspects. We shall see in a few weeks.
The 2024 ballot is also intriguing as there are not any slam-dunk choices among the newly eligible artists. There are a few names who are likely to come up at some point – 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, John Mayer, Jennifer Lopez – but none of them are a priority at the moment. To be blunter, this is a weak year for newly eligible artists, and I believe the nomination committee will use 2024 as a catch-up year. They are more likely to put up pet projects and long-time snubs than any of the names mentioned above. We’ll likely see several returning nominees this year and, hopefully, this clears the backlog of certain eras and genres.
And I’ll be honest with readers: I’m not all that thrilled doing predictions this year. This is an exercise requiring me to “think” like the members of the nomination committee and that often feels gross and wrong. If you like predicting this sort of thing, more power to you but sometimes I wonder why I do this blog each year. For a nomination selection process as subjective as the Rock Hall’s, it’s like throwing darts on a board and not knowing where (or if) they’ll land. When there’s hundreds of artists vying for consideration by the nomination committee, it’s a wild guess to predict these ballots. Sure, there are trends and patterns within the last 5-10 years to consider but, often, this is a crapshoot of an exercise. I don’t necessarily know the motives of the committee members so it’s hard to gage from afar. But, for some ungodly reason, I decided to take a stab and predict the artists who I believe will appear on the official ballot in early February. It will be a great assortment of artists across the rock and roll diaspora and every name (regardless of whether I predict them or not) will be worthy of consideration. With so much uncertainty ahead, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Here are my predictions for the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Performers ballot:
1. Jimmy Buffett: A lot of people have wondered if the Rock Hall will continue embracing its country roots or if it stops with Dolly and Willie’s recent inductions. Some of the often-mentioned names are too distinctively country and lack Dolly and Willie’s crossover success (e.g., Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings) or seem too contemporary (e.g., Garth Brooks, Shania Twain). Country’s place in the Rock Hall is, at best, inconsistent and artists from genres outside rock and roll must be cultural or legendary icons to be considered. One name that’s been coming up a lot lately is Jimmy Buffett, an artist who ideally should be an inductee in both the Rock & Country Halls of Fame. There’s no denying the fact he was one of the most prolific and singular singer-songwriters of the last half-century, even if he was never a favorite of the critics. If Buffett were nominated, there’s little doubt he would do well on the fan vote and the Parrotheads would do anything in their power to make sure their idol makes it in. He has enough industry respect, a populist fanbase, and a catalog of legendary songs to warrant induction the first time he’s on a ballot.
2. Tracy Chapman: Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” her breakout single first released in 1988, was a massive hit on both the country and pop charts last year. The song’s newfound popularity and Combs’ mostly faithful rendition proves her song has stood the test of time. She recently won the Country Music Association’s Award for Song of the Year, the first time a Black woman was honored in that category. Chapman is so much more than “Fast Car” in a career marked by consistency and musical excellence. Over the course of her career, Chapman became one of the go-to singer-songwriters of the 1980s and 1990s thanks to multiplatinum-selling albums that boosted several hit singles. In the wake of Sheryl Crow’s recent induction, I think Chapman will occupy the coveted singer-songwriters spot and has a legitimately good chance for induction. Remember, she’s from Cleveland and that’s where the ceremony is taking place later this year!
3. Cher: Cher has always been outspoken about her aversion with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but her exclusion as an inductee was recently brought back to the limelight. Appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show late last year, Clarkson mentioned that Cher has number one hits spanning seven decades, a feat only shared with the Rolling Stones. Cher replied: “And I’m not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! You know what, I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I’m not kidding you. I was about to say something else — I was about to say I’m not shitting you. I’m never changing my mind. They can just go you-know-what themselves.” Eligible as a solo artist since 1991, Cher is simply the biggest musical and cultural icon to not be inducted in the Rock Hall in any capacity. It’s just bizarre and puzzling at this point and I think, frankly, the Rock Hall needs Cher more than she needs them to validate her legacy. She’s got a truckload of awards including one away from an EGOT and a Kennedy Center Honor. She’s long overdue for the Rock Hall and it’s about damn time it happens.
4. Dave Matthews Band: To date, Dave Matthews Band is the only artist to top the fan vote and not receive induction that same year. Their first nomination happened for the class of 2020 and that feels like eons ago. Matthews’ recent appearance at the 2023 ceremony should boost their chances for a second nomination. He inducted and performed with the legendary Willie Nelson for crying out loud! I don’t know if they’ll get enough votes for induction this time around, but they deserve another chance.
5. Devo: Nominated three times in the last five years, Devo has amble support amongst the members of the nomination committee. They are worthy of induction, but they haven’t resonated with the larger body and, quite frankly, I don’t think they ever will. Too many consider them a niche band with one massively popular hit. They are one of the preeminent acts of the new wave/post-punk era, but they lack the appeal and notoriety to connect with voters. Given the 2024 ceremony will be in Cleveland, I think Devo will be nominated for a fourth time and they’ll be shoehorned in the reimagined Musical Excellence category. It will be a hero’s welcome for these legendary Ohioans, and I bet their live set will knock everyone’s socks off.
6. Gloria Estefan: There aren’t too many iconic performers from the 1980s left that are slam dunks for induction, but Gloria Estefan is certainly one of them. I’m not sure if she’ll be nominated as a solo artist or with her band Miami Sound Machine, but there’s no denying her place as one of the most successful and beloved pop superstars of all time. Her catalog of massive hit singles helped bring Latin-infused pop and rock and roll back to the charts in the mid-1980s and forever changed the landscape of contemporary music. She’s well-awarded by the industry as she has a Kennedy Center Honor, the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize, and a recent induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. A Rock Hall induction would be another feather in the cap for a trailblazing career and she absolutely deserves it.
7. Cyndi Lauper: I’m still floored Cyndi Lauper did not receive a Rock Hall induction last year. She had all the ingredients to get in on the first try but, for whatever reason, it didn’t happen. She finished second on the fan vote and occupied the number one spot for a while, so clearly there is a lot of fan support for her induction. She will be the next MTV-era icon to be enshrined at the Rock Hall and she should be back on this year’s ballot. Lauper’s got enough industry cred, critical acclaim, and cultural ubiquity to make it happen.
8. Iron Maiden: I don’t see another hard rock or metal artist occupying Iron Maiden’s spot on this year’s ballot, so I think they’ll return for a third overall nomination. Given the Rock Hall’s shaky-at-best history with hard rock and metal, I don’t like their chances but that doesn’t take away Maiden’s place as one of the most successful and influential bands of all time.
9. Jane’s Addiction: After Rage Against the Machine’s induction, it’ll be interesting to see where the nomination committee goes with 1990s rock acts. There are a lot of worthy bands from this era that deserve consideration, but I’m settling on Jane’s Addiction making a long-awaited return to the ballot. Jane’s Addiction has a slim discography, but they are also one of the most influential bands from their era. Their last nomination was almost 7 years ago and waiting that long might do wonders for them. They are one of the cornerstones of modern alternative rock and deserve another opportunity.
10. Sinead O’Connor: In the wake of Sinead O’Connor’s death last year, there was an outpour of love for her that I haven’t seen in my lifetime. A tireless political and social activist, she was always willing to speak her mind and sometimes that came with a cost. But she didn’t care about fame and notoriety as she often spoke for the voiceless and marginalized. As a musical artist, she was a singular figure who made music on her own terms and became the central female alternative rock artist heading into the 1990s. She is best known for covering Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” but she was so much more than that one massive hit single. Her catalog of excellent records showed an artist uncompromised in their willingness to take bold, radical approaches to her art form. A posthumous Rock Hall induction is the easiest route for O’Connor who never cared about industry accolades (to date, she is the only artist to ever refuse a Grammy win). But that doesn’t take away her worthiness as a prospective Rock Hall inductee. She was simply an artist ahead of her time and served as an inspiration to so many across the world.
11. Snoop Dogg: After Missy Elliott’s recent induction, the field is wide open for hip hop this year. There are several names that stand out but, for whatever reason, I keep going back to Snoop Dogg. He’s one of the most recognizable and iconic figures to come from that genre. I mean, his name is so massive in the grand scheme of popular culture that I can see the members of the nomination committee support his candidacy. But honestly, what sold me on Snoop Dogg’s Rock Hall chances is his pending induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The only two rappers inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (so far) are Jay-Z and Missy Elliott…and they were both inducted into the Rock Hall as soon as they were eligible. Snoop is in good company for a potential Rock Hall nomination for sure.
12. Soundgarden: It’s quite bizarre Soundgarden is having a tough time getting inducted into the Rock Hall. For someone as beloved and admired as the late Chris Cornell, you would think voters would jump at the opportunity to honor him. Objectively, Soundgarden should be the next 1990s era rock band inducted and they finished in the top five of both fan votes. I suspect they’ll be back for a third nomination. I don’t know if their chances are going to be any better, but I hope the committee continues supporting Soundgarden’s candidacy.
13. A Tribe Called Quest: The committee has nominated, at least, two hip hop artists on the ballot since 2021 and I think that will be the norm going forward. A Tribe Called Quest is certainly a pioneering act who forever changed the landscape of hip hop thanks to their socially conscious lyrics, jazz-infused sound, and innovative sampling techniques. This would be their third consecutive nomination and an artist that the committee is really rallying behind. I think they will continue having an uphill battle with the larger voting body and perhaps another golden age of hip hop act could take their spot this year (e.g., Salt-N-Pepa, De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Wu Tang Clan). But I’m playing it safe and saying they go with Tribe yet again.
14. War: If there’s one thing the Spinners’ induction proved last year, it’s never too late for an artist to come back to the ballot and connect with voters. The Spinners’ recent success story should convince the members of the nomination committee to try another old school R&B artist this year. There are a lot of worthy names from this genre, but War is a band who deserves another chance. They were nominated thrice in the past and their last nomination happened a decade ago (wow, time flies). They have several iconic songs forever ingrained in popular culture and their diverse sound and lineup is certainly welcomed with the Rock Hall’s mission for diversity and inclusion. Their fiercely social and political songs along with a distinctive fusion of Latin-infused R&B and Rock and Roll helps them stand out in the sea of 1970s-era artists.
15. Dionne Warwick: Her recent Kennedy Center Honor is a great reminder of why Dionne Warwick is a beloved living legend. A longtime snub, I always thought Warwick had a great shot for induction on her first try whenever she made it onto a ballot. The problem is that the two times she was nominated happened when the committee stacked the ballots with other equally legendary and iconic names. In hindsight, she didn’t stand much of a chance a few years ago but I think it’s time for her to return to the ballot. I think the third time will be the charm.
16. The White Stripes: They were passed over in their first year of eligibility last year, but I think they will be back in the fold for the 2024 ballot. Anyone considered a guitar god is inevitable for a Rock Hall induction and Jack White is perhaps the most famous of the 21st century so far. Likewise, the sexist controversy surrounding Meg White’s drumming abilities provoked a larger discussion of the critical assessment of female musicians. The White Stripes are almost as big as it gets when it comes to 21st century rock music and I expect them to return this year. Unless the committee decides to go with Coldplay instead…or they decide to put them both up at the same time. It could happen!
Artists I considered (in no particular order): Coldplay, The B-52’s, Peter Frampton, Billy Idol, Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa, Tori Amos, Sade, Smashing Pumpkins, Ice-T, Roberta Flack, Mary J. Blige, Diana Ross, Phil Collins, Queen Latifah, Joy Division/New Order, Bryan Adams, Mariah Carey, Beck, Kool & the Gang, The Pointer Sisters, INXS, De La Soul, Warren Zevon.
And those are my predictions! I wonder how many of them will appear on the official ballot in the coming weeks. Regardless of that, this is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable and wild Rock Hall seasons since I started this blog years ago.
Thoughts? Comments? Send me an email. Remember to be respectful, if not I’ll ignore it.
