Who Could Join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame This Year?

The nominees for inclusion in the 2026 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are out. 17 performers are up for a chance to enter the hallowed halls of Cleveland, Ohio. Ten of them are first-time nominees.

Phil Collins is listed as a solo performer. He’s already in the hall as a member of Genesis, who were inducted in 2010. Other first-time nods go to Ms. Lauryn Hill, INXS, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan. Seven nominees have been on the longlist before but failed to make the final cut, like Mariah Carey, Oasis, and Iron Maiden. Frankly, it’s weird that none of them are already members. Oasis are coming off that record-breaking reunion tour, while Carey is still a major star and a massive influence on the new generations of female pop and R&B singers. Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Sade are all up for induction at the second or third attempts. Sade’s not in?!

Here are the nominees:

Jeff Buckley
Phil Collins
Melissa Etheridge
Lauryn Hill
INXS
New Edition
Pink
Shakira
Luther Vandross
Wu-Tang Clan
The Black Crowes
Mariah Carey
Billy Idol
Iron Maiden
Joy Division/New Order
Oasis

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has long faced criticisms over its awards process. A panel of voters normally chooses between six and eight performers to be inducted from the nominations, and they’ve frequently been dinged for biases along lines of race, gender, and genre. Women are hugely underrepresented, and women of colour even more so. It took about seven rounds of nominating for Chaka Khan to get in, which is ridiculous. They seem to dislike metal music, rap, and prog, and most things not in English. As with any awards body dedicated to celebrating ‘greatness’, it’s always more revealing as to who isn’t in it than who is.

Certainly, I think most of the 2026 nominees would be worthy inclusions. Vandross should have been in years ago. The same with Maiden, Oasis, and Carey. Surely the Wu-Tang Clan have nothing to prove? Melissa Etheridge is also a hugely important part of the ’90s music scene and paving the way for a generation of queer artists. Pink… okay, maybe that one’s not as urgent, unless they want her to fly across the skies of Ohio on wires like it’s one of her concerts (Pink. Get doon.)

Who would you choose for your top eight wins in 2026?