The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, established in 1986 and located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, is dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential musicians, bands, producers, and others that have in some major way influenced the music industry, particularly in the area of rock and roll.[1] Originally, there were four categories of induction: performers, non-performers, early influences, and lifetime achievement. In 2000, "sidemen" was introduced as a category while that year also marked the last time for nine years that early influences would be inducted.
The only category that has seen new inductees every single year is the performers category. Artists become eligible for induction in that category 25 years after the release of their first record.[2] In order to be inducted, an artist must be nominated by a committee that selects anywhere from nine to a dozen candidates. Ballots are then sent to 500 "rock experts" who evaluate the candidates and vote on who should be inducted. The performers that receive the highest number of votes and more than 50 percent of the vote are inducted. In 2010, the number inducted was five. The rest of the categories are voted on by special committees.[2] New inductees are honored at an annual ceremony held either in New York or every three years at the Hall of Fame city in Cleveland.[3]
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has garnered criticism for allegedly allowing the nomination process to be controlled by a few individuals,[4] nominating too many artists in too many genres that are not entirely rock,[5] ignoring entire rock genres,[6] and using technicalities to induct groups who may not have been among the top vote getters.[7] The surviving members of the Sex Pistols, who were inducted in 2006, refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum a "piss stain."[8]
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The performers category is meant for recording artists and bands that have "influence and significance to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll."[2] Artists become eligible for induction in that category 25 years after the release of their first record. In order to be inducted, an artist must be nominated by a committee that selects anywhere from nine to a dozen candidates. Ballots are sent to 500 "rock experts" who then evaluate the candidates and vote on who should be inducted. The performers that receive the highest number of votes and more than 50 percent of the vote are inducted. In 2011, the number inducted was five. The rest of the categories are voted on by special committees.[2]
Artists inducted into the early influences category are those "whose music predated rock and roll but had an impact on the evolution of rock and roll and inspired rock's leading artists."[2] Unlike the performers category, these inductees are selected by a committee. The full process is not transparent and it is unclear who comprises this selection committee.[2]
Year | Name |
---|---|
1986 | Jimmie Rodgers |
1986 | Jimmy Yancey |
1986 | Robert Johnson |
1987 | Louis Jordan |
1987 | T-Bone Walker |
1987 | Hank Williams |
1988 | Woody Guthrie |
1988 | Lead Belly |
1988 | Les Paul |
1989 | The Ink Spots[A] |
1989 | Bessie Smith |
1989 | The Soul Stirrers[B] |
1990 | Louis Armstrong |
1990 | Charlie Christian |
1990 | Ma Rainey |
1991 | Howlin' Wolf |
1992 | Elmore James |
1992 | Professor Longhair |
1993 | Dinah Washington |
1994 | Willie Dixon |
1995 | The Orioles[C] |
1996 | Pete Seeger |
1997 | Mahalia Jackson |
1997 | Bill Monroe |
1998 | Jelly Roll Morton |
1999 | Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys[D] |
1999 | Charles Brown |
2000 | Nat King Cole |
2000 | Billie Holiday |
2009 | Wanda Jackson |
2012 | Freddie King |
^ A. Inducted members: Bill Kenny, Charlie Fuqua, Deek Watson, and Orville "Hoppy" Jones.[95]
^ B. Inducted members: Roy Crain Sr., R.H. Harris, Jesse Farley, T.L. Bruster, James Medlock, Paul Foster, Johnnie Taylor, and Bob King.[96]
^ C. Inducted members: Sonny Til, Tommy Gaither, George Nelson, Johnny Reed and Alexander Sharp.[97]
^ D. Inducted members: Bob Wills, Tommy Duncan, Johnny Gimble, Joe "Jody" Holley, Tiny Moore, Herb Remington, Eldon Shamblin and Al Stricklin.[98]
The following were inducted for "Lifetime Achievement in the Non-Performer Category."[2]
Year | Name |
---|---|
1986 | John Hammond |
1991 | Nesuhi Ertegun |
2004 | Jann Wenner |
2005 | Frank Barsalona |
2005 | Seymour Stein |
2006 | Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss |
The non-performer category honors "songwriters, producers, disc jockeys, record executives, journalists and other industry professionals who have had a major influence on the development of rock and roll."[2] Several of the inductees in this category were in fact prominent performers as well. The inductees in this category are selected by the same committee that chooses the early influences. The full process is not transparent and it is unclear who comprises this selection committee.[2] This category has been criticized for inducting those that have "been coming to the dinner for years and paying for their tickets" and not revealing their full criteria.[99] In 2008, this category was renamed the "Ahmet Ertegün Award".[100]
Year | Name |
---|---|
1986 | Alan Freed |
1986 | Sam Phillips |
1987 | Leonard Chess |
1987 | Ahmet Ertegun |
1987 | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller |
1987 | Jerry Wexler |
1988 | Berry Gordy, Jr. |
1989 | Phil Spector |
1990 | Gerry Goffin and Carole King |
1990 | Holland-Dozier-Holland |
1991 | Dave Bartholomew |
1991 | Ralph Bass |
1992 | Leo Fender |
1992 | Bill Graham |
1992 | Doc Pomus |
1993 | Dick Clark |
1993 | Milt Gabler |
1994 | Johnny Otis |
1995 | Paul Ackerman |
1996 | Tom Donahue |
1997 | Syd Nathan |
1998 | Allen Toussaint |
1999 | George Martin |
2000 | Clive Davis |
2001 | Chris Blackwell |
2002 | Jim Stewart |
2003 | Mo Ostin |
2008 | Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff |
2010 | David Geffen |
2010 | Otis Blackwell |
2010 | Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich |
2010 | Mort Shuman |
2010 | Jesse Stone |
2010 | Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil |
2011 | Jac Holzman |
2011 | Art Rupe |
2012 | Don Kirshner |
This category, which replaced sidemen, "honors those musicians, producers and others who have spent their careers out of the spotlight working with major artists on various parts of their recording and live careers."
Year | Name |
---|---|
2012 | Cosimo Matassa |
2012 | Tom Dowd |
2012 | Glyn Johns |
First established in 2000, the sidemen category "honors those musicians who have spent their careers out of the spotlight, performing as backup musicians for major artists on recording sessions and in concert." A separate committee, composed mainly of producers, chooses the inductees.[2] In 2010, the category was renamed to "Award for Musical Excellence". According to Joel Peresman, the president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, "This award gives us flexibility to dive into some things and recognize some people who might not ordinarily get recognized."[101]
Year | Name | Instrument |
---|---|---|
2000 | Hal Blaine | Drums[102] |
2000 | King Curtis | Saxophone[103] |
2000 | James Jamerson | Bass guitar[104] |
2000 | Scotty Moore | Guitar[105] |
2000 | Earl Palmer | Drums[106] |
2001 | James Burton | Guitar[107] |
2001 | Johnnie Johnson | Piano[108] |
2002 | Chet Atkins | Guitar[109] |
2003 | Benny Benjamin | Drums[110] |
2003 | Floyd Cramer | Piano[111] |
2003 | Steve Douglas | Saxophone[112] |
2008 | Little Walter | Harmonica[113] |
2009 | Bill Black | Bass guitar[114] |
2009 | D. J. Fontana | Drums[115] |
2009 | Spooner Oldham | Keyboard[116] |
2011 | Leon Russell | Keyboard[117] |
As of 2012, only eighteen performers have been inducted twice or more; eleven have been recognized as a solo artist and with a band and seven have been inducted with two separate bands. Eric Clapton is the only one to be inducted three times, as a solo artist and with The Yardbirds and Cream.[118] Clyde McPhatter was the first to ever be inducted twice and is one of three artists to be inducted first as a solo artist, then as a member of a band (Neil Young and Rod Stewart are the others). Stephen Stills is the only artist to be inducted twice in the same year. Crosby, Stills & Nash, inducted in 1997, is the only band to see all of its inducted members be inducted with other acts: David Crosby with The Byrds in 1991; Stephen Stills with Buffalo Springfield in 1997; Graham Nash with The Hollies in 2010.
Name | First | Year | Second | Year | Third | Year | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eric Clapton | The Yardbirds | 1992 | Cream | 1993 | Solo career | 2000 | |
Jeff Beck | The Yardbirds | 1992 | Solo career | 2009 | |||
Johnny Carter | The Flamingos | 2001 | The Dells | 2004 | |||
David Crosby | The Byrds | 1991 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | 1997 | |||
George Harrison | The Beatles | 1988 | Solo career | 2004 | |||
Michael Jackson | The Jackson Five | 1997 | Solo career | 2001 | |||
John Lennon | The Beatles | 1988 | Solo career | 1994 | |||
Curtis Mayfield | The Impressions | 1991 | Solo career | 1999 | |||
Paul McCartney | The Beatles | 1988 | Solo career | 1999 | |||
Clyde McPhatter | Solo career | 1987 | The Drifters | 1988 | |||
Graham Nash | Crosby, Stills & Nash | 1997 | The Hollies | 2010 | |||
Jimmy Page | The Yardbirds | 1992 | Led Zeppelin | 1995 | |||
Paul Simon | Simon and Garfunkel | 1990 | Solo career | 2001 | |||
Rod Stewart | Solo career | 1994 | The Faces | 2012 | |||
Stephen Stills | Buffalo Springfield | 1997 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | 1997 | |||
Sammy Strain | The O'Jays | 2005 | Little Anthony & The Imperials | 2009 | |||
Ronnie Wood | The Rolling Stones | 1989 | The Faces | 2012 | |||
Neil Young | Solo career | 1995 | Buffalo Springfield | 1997 |