Matt Knight’s Take On The 2023 Rock Hall Inductees

I know the Rock & Roll HOF is pretty political, but let’s put that aside for a moment and talk strictly about this years class by merit alone. I’m not going to say “_____ should be in over ______." Also, the fact that only ONE of the top five in the fan vote (George Michael) was inducted kind of proves that the fans don't have much of a say at all when it comes to adding members to the RRHOF.

No. She’s good, she’s not HOF good. Somehow the resurgence of “Running Up That Hill” seems to have made this possible. She was previously nominated 3 times and I didn’t think she should have been in then either.

No. I believe this is a songwriters pick because I think most people “like” her. Do you know anyone personally who LOOOOOOVES Sheryl Crow? Me neither. This should get Alanis Morissette into the conversation for next year.

Yes. 100%. And don’t argue that it’s the ROCK AND ROLL Hall of Fame. She’s not the first hip hop artist and won’t be the last. If they changed the name to MUSIC Hall of Fame, you’d be putting her in. In an ever-changing genre, she reinvented it (again) in the 90’s.

Yes. The question now is...will Andrew Ridgeley be there to celebrate it as "the other guy in Wham?" 125 million albums sold and one of the most recognizable voices of the 80’s.

Yes. How wasn’t he inducted 40 years ago? He has SEVENTY-THREE original studio albums including the latest one which was released this year (May 3rd), with Willie at 90 years old.

Yes. Personally, I’d have gone with Soundgarden (who I don’t love) getting this spot representing the 90's alt rock genre, but good for Rage. Their impact in the business is noted with their music and activism.

Yes. I’ve been advocating for this to happen for as long as I can remember. Google The Spinners Greatest Hits album and look at that track list. It’s banger after banger.

Iron Maiden: To quote a friend of mine, "to bypass Iron Maiden again is a travesty. They are right there with Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Sabbath. Judas Priest (even though they didn’t get a true induction) and Metallica." I coudn't have said it better myself. I think it's just a troll job by the RRHOF to not include this pioneer of metal.

Cyndi Lauper: This was surprising. She finished in second place in the fan vote but will have to wait until next year. I'd have put Cyndi in over the two I mentioned above that I felt shouldn't have gotten in. Her impact in the 80's for female artists can't be disputed and her appeal spread far & wide when she became involved with the WWF (now WWE) and making the first WrestleMania such a huge attraction.