It’s a debate as old as time itself (or since 1983) — who should be inducted into the Rock + Roll Hall of Fame in that particular year.

Every single year everyone from diehard music aficionados to the passing music fan get into heated debates over who deserves to be inducted, does a band actually qualify for the “rock ‘n’ roll” hall of fame, and why oh why didn’t (insert band here) not even get considered.

This year the nominees include:

• Def Leppard
• DEVO
• Janet Jackson
• John Prine
• Kraftwek
• LL Cool J
• MC5
• Radiohead
• Rage Against the Machine
• Roxy Music
• Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
• Stevie Nicks
• The Zombies Todd Rundgren

So, our staff got together to talk about who they think should get inducted this year, and who should not — whether it be ever, or for this class.

Who Should Be Inducted…

LL Cool J

Here are a few things LL did before your favorite rapper: worked with different producers on each project to avoid sounding dated or repetitive, put out the first rap ballad (“I Need Love”), released “street” bangers and “One For The Ladies” singles simultaneously, embraced the alpha male with a soft side persona, pioneered rappers acting in movies and TV shows and addressed beef with other rappers on major label releases.

Combined with the fact that he was the first artist signed to the seminal Def Jam Records, the first decade of his career is basically a non-stop highlight reel (check out his “All World” greatest hits collection released in 1996), crushed every MC that ever challenged him and has drawn the blueprint for nearly every successful solo male rapper of the last thirty years and it’s a no-brainer that Ladies Love Cool James deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame.

-Angelo Gingerelli

Radiohead:

What else can be said about Radiohead that hasn’t already been written about in books, blogs, and zines from the 90s? Since releasing their smash hit “Creep” way back in 1992, Radiohead has altered the world of music. That might sound like an overstatement, but it’s so rare for an artist to create a cultural conversation with the release of every single album – and continue to create conversations over the course of three decades.

After being dubbed “Nirvana lite” (who just made it into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, by the way) with their first record, Radiohead turn a sharp turn away from grunge into the soft, heartfelt melodies of The Bends. Then they took another sharp turn with OK Computer, a record that not only propelled them to global fame but literally transformed the way musicians approached production, guitar music, and concept albums. And they never stopped transforming, reinventing, and breaking new ground. Remember when they let the consumer decide the price of In Rainbows? That one move shattered the record industry from top to bottom, granting fans more power and paving the way for mp3s, streaming, and the price of music. These guys deserve recognition for their seminal discography alone, never mind their incredible feats in restructuring industries.

-Kat Manos

Def Leppard

Guitar-driven rock from the ’80s (and ’70s as well) gets a lot of undeserved crap from Rock Hall voters. Bands like Bon Jovi, Kiss, and Black Sabbath — despite having commercial, cultural and musical impact and relevance — were held out from deserved Rock Hall inductions for years. Undoubtedly, the same thing will happen to Def Leppard this year. Let’s look at why this is ABSURD.

First off, this is the band’s first time on the ballot. Yes, you read that right. THE. FIRST. TIME. Listen, I get the fact the big hair, spandex, and make-up covered hair metal of the ’80s is not held in high regard. But this isn’t same late ’80s retread of a band that jumped on the sinking ship on the genre from 1989-1991. This was the band. They were the grand daddys of the genre along with Motley Crue and Bon Jovi. The fact this band had records out before I was born (and I am not young), and is just getting recognized is absurd.

Second, do we really need to talk about how many records they’ve sold? Do we need to talk about how long Pyromania was battling with Thriller for top of the billboard charts? Or how many records the band has sold? Or how many millions of tickets they’ve sold in concert. Or how, despite not producing the most relevant music in the world these days, still can bring in big audiences?

If you’re holding current relevance against them — please reference about 50% of the bands inducted into this hall of fame every single year. And those bands haven’t had half the success, or broke half the ground that Def Leppard did.

-Bill Bodkin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14iHRpk9qvQ

Janet Jackson

There are purists out there who feel that The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should be for ROCK! (and also roll, space permitting of course.) I remember hearing esteemed music journalist Eddie Trunk lamenting the passing of Deep Purple’s Jon Lord without that band having been inducted despite the hall having “managed to crowbar Madonna in there.” I understand. My one eyebrow remains figuratively cocked until Judas Priest takes the stage in Cleveland. Even my mother remarked that Janet is “more of a pop act” upon hearing of her induction. I’m guessing my mom doesn’t remember the guitars being as prominent in Rhythm Nation’s “Black Cat” as I do.

Maybe she shrugged off her cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Got ‘til It’s Gone.” I might have felt the same way until I took a second look and realized that the dominance of Janet Jackson’s career is undeniable. Once seen as a little sister act cranking out “bubblegum soul,” Janet grew up and came to prominence with 1986’s Control and never looked back: since then, every album she has made has been certified #1 and/or platinum.

From the time I was in the 3rd grade until I walked off the stage when I graduated college in 2001, Janet Jackson had 18 straight #1 singles. In those years, she transformed herself from the baby of the bunch to a mega star and kept changing with the times. She embraced the rise of hip hop during the 80s and became confident in her status as a sex symbol as seen of the now-famous janet. album cover. She tackled controversial topics like depression and domestic violence, and even saw 2001’s All for You banned in some countries for referencing same-sex relationships. The definition of “Rock n’ Roll” may be subjective but there is no doubt that Ms. Jackson is nasty and that Janet checks off all the boxes for the hall of fame.

-Matthew Widdis

Rage Against the Machine

Rage redefined what music was. In a time of sellouts and corporate music machines, Rage was the backhanded slap to to the rock community, which had been (and still is) trending towards an a more marketable and less controversial form of the genre. Zach De La Rocha’s aggressive delivery of culturally relevant and cutting lyrics blurred the line between rap and rock. Tom Morello has inspired a entire new generation of guitar players with his unique combination of pitch shifting and wah. Their sound endures to this day, and their message continues to speak truth in a way that rock hasn’t spoken since the late 60’s.

-Lucas P. Jones

The Cure

Frontman, lyricist, and main songwriter Robert Smith started The Cure in tandem with the post-punk artists emerging from the fog of a disturbed punk world and even flashier disco one. Then, seemingly overnight, the band transformed into new wave stars. Then they became goth icons. Then they became alternative frontrunners for people bored with grunge. Then they became pop idols. Then they became music legends.

Without even taking the time to delve into the true brilliance of records like The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, or Disintegration, let us consider one fact: The Cure have released 13 studio albums since 1979. They’ve gone on 29 world tours since the same year. And they haven’t stopped reinventing themselves to this day.

Just when everyone was convinced they were brooding and self-involved, they released the romantic “Close to Me.” When they were pegged as wanton and dark vampires, they released the upbeat “Just Like Heaven.” When people started calling them goth, they released the joyfully silly “Lovecats.” It’s entirely possible for The Cure to play a three hour live show and still leave out a few of their hits. I know this because I’ve seen it myself. Get them in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, STAT.

-Kat Manos

Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk’s contributions to music as a whole are simply immeasurable. If you’re a fan of any sort of experimental music, art rock, ambient, pop, synthwave, etc, you owe Kraftwerk a debt of gratitude. Their unique brand of self-described “robot pop” paved the way for generations of musicians from post-punk to club music, influencing artists such as Depeche Mode, Joy Division, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Not a traditional group by any stretch of the imagination, and they have been said to be tied with The Beatles in terms of rock history importance.

-Andrew Howie

Devo

Silly hats and “Whip It” getting heavy airplay on early MTV is what many of us remember Devo for best. Most of us are more likely to recognize the film and TV scores that founding member Mark Mothersbaugh has given us over the past 30 years. But the hall of fame has more than a few inductions whose determining factor was their contribution to the history and culture of rock and roll and this is the bill that Devo fits.

Devo mixed social satire with performance art and experimental techniques to produce a unique artistic experience and help usher in what would go on to become known as New Wave and electronica. They even took their name from the dystopian concept of “de-evolution” and were inspired to form the band in earnest after they feared it had come true following the Kent State shootings of 1970.

Their unique sound and stage presence quickly caught the eyes and ears of David Bowie and Neil Young. Shortly after, they had appeared on Saturday Night Live, recorded with producer Brian Eno, and contributed to the soundtracks of Heavy Metal and Neil Young’s Human Highway. Upon their first breakup in 1987, Devo likely didn’t look like much more than a one trick pony to a record executive but, to their peers, they were pioneers.

-Matthew Widdis

Who Should Not Be Inducted This Year…

Def Leppard

Def Leppard is one of the best bands to come out of the 80’s, and they personal comprise at least 15 percent of my daily playlist. But they need some more time before they get to the hall. While their music is catchy, their melodies are slick, and their drums are thunderous, they haven’t contributed as much to rock ‘n’ roll as a culture as Rage has. They should get in, eventually. But right now, they just kind of … exist.

-Lucas P. Jones

LL Cool J

Did you know that LL Cool J became the first rapper ever to receive a Kennedy Center Honor only last year? Me neither. I only know that because Google told me. While it’s quite clear that LL Cool J has established a bit of a legacy in the hip hop community since first appearing on the scene in the mid-80s, we’ve reached that point in time where LL has actually spent more time as a Hollywood actor than a rapper. His filmography is actually twice the size of his discography.

I have nothing against musical artists who also act, but LL strikes me as someone on this list of nominees who could wait a couple more years before receiving his official induction. Naysayers have questions his nomination at all, considering his lack of palpable contribution to the world of rock ‘n’ roll specifically – which certainly is an argument with merit. I think we can pass on this artist for now, if only because there are better options and he was passed over for this same honor already in 2013.

-Kat Manos

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson has had a great career. From the Mid-80’s to the Mid-90’s she released three huge albums (Control, Rhythm Nation 1814, Janet), about a dozen memorable singles and several iconic music videos.  While there’s no debating she’s one of the best R&B/Pop divas of her era, she wasn’t ever dominant enough to warrant Hall of Fame status.

In the 80’s she was overshadowed by Madonna and Whitney Houston, in the 90’s artists like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion were bigger critically and commercially and by the turn of the century artists that Jackson clearly influenced like Brittany Spears and Alicia Keys had pretty much taken the spotlight away from her.

The Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame should be reserved for genre-defining artists that were clearly the best of their era and while Janet Jackson has had a great run, it’s hard to put someone in the Hall of Fame that wasn’t even the biggest star in their immediate family.

-Angelo Gingerelli

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KCvVsNstjE

Stevie Nicks

This seems bizarre if not outright blasphemous.  Stevie Nicks is one of the most revered women in rock n’ roll history. I won’t argue that this is not for good reason. I won’t argue that she isn’t an icon. I won’t even argue that she doesn’t belong in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She most certainly does and that is why she was inducted over 20 years ago.  Separate from Fleetwood Mac, Stevie brought the same undeniable essence to her solo persona. But the impact, the numbers, and the legacy just aren’t as great.  

Collaborations with Tom Petty and Don Henley were hits along with the unforgettable “On the Edge of Seventeen” but, once we get to 80s mainstays like “Stand Back” and “Talk to Me,” they become more generic to the era and she soon after turned more towards “adult contemporary” (which may or may not have a hall of fame.)  Stevie Nicks is and should be a celebrated name for her entire body of work but, once separated from the songs she wrote, played, and sang with Fleetwood Mac, the remainder seems less spectacular.

-Matthew Widdis