The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum is located in Cleveland, Ohio, on the shore of Lake Erie. In 1983, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was formed to celebrate the history and cultural significance of rock music and honors’ the contributions of those who have played an important role in the rock and roll music. Several cities sought the museum, but Cleveland won the competition. In addition to enormous fan support, Cleveland also was the home of Alan Freed. Freed was the radio disc jockey credited with inventing the term “Rock and Roll.” The museum opened on September 2, 1995.
The museum honors all aspects of Rock and Roll, broken down into one of four categories: Performers, Musical Excellence, Early Influences, and Ahmet Ertegun Award (non-performers). To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a person must be affiliated in some way with Rock and Roll. He or she does not have to be a singer or a musician. If the person is a performer, he or she is not eligible for induction until twenty-five years after his or her first album was released. The first inductees into the Hall of Fame were Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley.
Below is a breakdown by decade of all inductees, many of which are included in the various charts appearing here at Top40Weekly.
If you are interested to learn more about the Museum or want to plan a visit, here’s a link.
https://www.rockhall.com/visit
TABLE OF CONTENTS-INDUCTEES BY DECADE (1980s to Present)
1980s
- Aretha Franklin
- B.B. King
- Big Joe Turner
- Bill Haley
- Bo Diddley
- Bob Dylan
- Buddy Holly
- Carl Perkins
- Chuck Berry
- Clyde McPhatter
- Dion
- Eddie Cochran
- Elvis Presley
- Fats Domino
- Jackie Wilson
- James Brown
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Little Richard
- Marvin Gaye
- Muddy Waters
- Otis Redding
- Ray Charles
- Ricky Nelson
- Roy Orbison
- Sam Cooke
- Smokey Robinson
- Stevie Wonder
- The Beach Boys
- The Beatles
- The Coasters
- The Drifters
- The Everly Brothers
- The Rolling Stones
- The Supremes
- The Temptations
1990s
- Santana
- Simon & Garfunkel
- Sly and the Family Stone
- The (Young) Rascals
- The Allman Brothers Band
- The Animals
- The Band
- The Byrds
- The Doors
- The Four Seasons
- The Four Tops
- The Grateful Dead
- The Impressions
- The Isley Brothers
- The Jackson 5
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- The Kinks
- The Mamas & the Papas
- The Platters
- The Shirelles
- The Staple Singers
- The Velvet Underground
- The Who
- The Yardbirds
- Van Morrison
- Wilson Pickett
- Ike & Tina Turner
- Janis Joplin
- Jefferson Airplane
- Jimmy Reed
- John Lee Hooker
- John Lennon
- Johnny Cash
- Joni Mitchell
- LaVern Baker
- Led Zeppelin
- Little Willie John
- Lloyd Price
- Martha and the Vandellas
- Neil Young
- Parliament-Funkadelic
- Paul McCartney
- Pink Floyd
- Rod Stewart
- Ruth Brown
- Sam & Dave
- Santana
- Simon & Garfunkel
- Sly and the Family Stone
- The (Young) Rascals
- The Allman Brothers Band
- The Animals
- The Band
- The Byrds
- The Doors
- The Four Seasons
- The Four Tops
- The Grateful Dead
- The Impressions
- The Isley Brothers
- The Jackson 5
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- The Kinks
- The Mamas & the Papas
- The Platters
- The Shirelles
- The Staple Singers
- The Velvet Underground
- The Who
- The Yardbirds
- Van Morrison
- Wilson Pickett
2000s
- AC/DC
- Aerosmith
- Black Sabbath
- Blondie
- Bob Seger
- Bobby Womack
- Bonnie Raitt
- Brenda Lee
- Buddy Guy
- Earth, Wind & Fire
- Elvis Costello & the Attractions
- Eric Clapton
- Gene Pitney
- George Harrison
- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
- Isaac Hayes
- Jackson Browne
- James Taylor
- Jeff Beck
- John Mellencamp
- Leonard Cohen
- Little Anthony and the Imperials
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Madonna
- Metallica
- Michael Jackson
- Miles Davis
- Patti Smith
- Paul Simon
- Percy Sledge
- Prince
- Queen
- R.E.M.
- Ramones
- Ritchie Valens
- Run-DMC
- Sex Pistols
- Solomon Burke
- Steely Dan
- Talking Heads
- The Clash
- The Dave Clark Five
- The Dells
- The Flamingos
- The Moonglows
- The O’Jays
- The Police
- The Pretenders
- The Righteous Brothers
- The Ronettes
- The Ventures
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Traffic
- U2
- Van Halen
- ZZ Top
2010s
- ABBA
- Albert King
- Alice Cooper
- Beastie Boys
- Bill Withers
- Bon Jovi
- Cat Stevens
- Cheap Trick
- Chicago
- Darlene Love
- Deep Purple
- Def Leppard
- Dire Straits
- Donna Summer
- Donovan
- Dr. John
- Electric Light Orchestra
- Genesis
- Green Day
- Guns N’ Roses
- Hall & Oates
- Heart
- Janet Jackson
- Jimmy Cliff
- Joan Baez
- Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
- Journey
- Kiss
- Laura Nyro
- Linda Ronstadt
- Lou Reed
- N.W.A
- Neil Diamond
- Nina Simone
- Nirvana
- Pearl Jam
- Peter Gabriel
- Public Enemy
- Radiohead
- Randy Newman
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Roxy Music
- Rush
- Steve Miller
- Stevie Nicks
- Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
- The Blue Caps
- The Cars
- The Comets
- The Crickets
- The Cure
- The Famous Flames
- The Hollies
- The Midnighters
- The Miracles
- The Moody Blues
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
- The Small Faces / Faces
- The Stooges
- The Zombies
- Tom Waits
- Tupac Shakur
- Yes
2020s
- Carole King
- Depeche Mode
- Foo Fighters
- Jay-Z
- Nine Inch Nails
- T. Rex
- The Doobie Brothers
- The Go-Go’s
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Tina Turner
- Todd Rundgren
- Whitney Houston