RIP Eddie Money

Yeah. But the past few years, he (or some people in the decision making machinery) have apparently been realizing they're going to have to put in some people from genres they've been snubbing, because the barrel of mainstream "rock" acts is starting to run dry, a phenomenon which is going to really explode in the 2020s and beyond.

After the onset of the Napster/iTunes era and the en masse switchover to downloading as opposed to music on disc as the predominant delivery vehicle, the entire edifice of "album rock" pretty much fell apart.

 

Joan Jett, etc

I don’t like the music of any of the artists you named. But I understand their influence. I don’t see much difference between him and Mellencamp. Mellencamp was more Americana, I guess.

 

You could say the same about Janet Jackson, who just got in. Mariah will get in eventually. So will Taylor Swift. I saw her last year with my daughter. The woman is ridiculously talented.

 

Taylor Swift is an incredible songwriter.

 

A fair amount of Janet Jackson's prime-career stuff was recognizable as rock. I've been pounding my brain and I can't think of anything Carey has ever done which could be remotely described as "rock."
A lot of it is good stuff and I like it just fine, but it ain't rock.

 

Eddie Money, Hall of Fame rock name.

 

I always wondered why the Moody Blues never got any love
When they finally were nominated they got in right away
One 60s group who could benefit from what you’re saying is Tommy James and the Shondells

 

Black Cat's a rock song. So is Rhythm Nation, I'd argue. I'm sure there are others, but those two jumped out at me right away.

 

In the next decade or so you'll see a constant stream of "veterans committee " honorees as the 25-year eligibility window for new groups moves forward and the current field gets drier and drier.

For instance, as I mentioned earlier, the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Grand Funk. Tommy James, absolutely.

 

Legend of a Mind by the Moody Blues IS the 60s, man.

 

My fave. And just for the record, he had nine Mainstream Rock top 10s, 3 no. 1s. His music really was an outlier - was still playing rock when the charts were all disco and synths.

 

I stand corrected about Mellencamp, but I still think he is at least a cut below Springsteen and Seger