Who Should Have Gotten In?

The eight artists who were voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the performers category probably haven’t gotten much accomplished today. They’ve been too busy receiving well-wishes from friends and supporters.

The nine artists who were passed over in the voting have also likely been hearing from friends and supporters, but the conversations have been along the lines of “you were robbed” or, perhaps, “don’t worry, you’ll get in eventually.”

As you probably know by now, this year’s inductees in the performers category are Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Wu-Tang Clan and one solo artist who received the honor posthumously: Luther Vandross.

The artists who were passed over are The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, P!nk and Shakira, and, here too, one solo artist who vied for the honor posthumously, Jeff Buckley.

The 2026 induction ceremony will take place Nov. 14 in Los Angeles, to be aired on ABC and Disney+ in December.

This was the third year in a row that Carey was passed over and the second year in a row that The Black Crowes came up short. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’ll never make it. Idol was passed over in last year’s voting before making it this time. Three of this year’s inductees – Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis – had been passed over twice previously.

Carey also stands out because of her phenomenal track record, which includes 19 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. P!nk has had four No. 1 hits and three No. 1 albums on those same charts. Hill has had one of each. The Black Crowes and New Edition have each had one No. 1 album; Shakira and INXS have each had one No. 1 single.

You could also consider these artists’ track records at awards shows. Hill has won eight Grammys. Carey has won five; Shakira, four; P!nk, three; and Etheridge, two. Etheridge also won an Oscar for “I Need to Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary about climate change.

Or you could take into account that New Edition won the fan vote but failed to make the Class of 2026.

You can make your call based on whatever criteria you choose. But let us know what you think. Vote!