This life doesn’t come with many guarantees. Death and taxes are foremost among them, but you can also count on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame‘s annual list of nominees — and with it, the inevitable outcry from music fans who feel their favorites got snubbed.
The 2025 slate of nominees includes several rock veterans who are getting their due for the first time, including Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Billy Idol. They sit alongside some next-generation rock acts such as the Black Crowes, Oasis, Soundgarden, Phish and the White Stripes. The list is rounded out by pop stars Cyndi Lauper and Mariah Carey, post-punk legends Joy Division/New Order, Mexican pop-rock legends Mana and blockbuster hip-hop duo Outkast.
The UCR staff takes stock of these nominees, discussing this year’s surprises, snubs and our personal top choices for induction. Read on to see our responses.
1. Who is this year’s most surprising nominee?
Bryan Rolli: I didn’t expect to see Mana on this year’s list, but they’re certainly worthy. They’re the bestselling Latin American band of all time with over 25 million records sold, and they’ve got four Grammys and eight Latin Grammys under their belts — not to mention more than 16 million monthly Spotify listeners at the time of this writing. It’s a subtle but welcome nod to rock’s global cultural impact, since many rock fans are often guilty of viewing the genre through a Eurocentric lens.
Nick DeRiso: Chubby Checker. Organizers already introduced a new category specifically tailored for one-hit wonders, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Singles. “The Twist,” Checker’s once-ubiquitous 1960 chart-topper, was a shoo-in. But now he’s become a general nominee, despite boasting a hit resume that basically only includes variants on the same song (“Let’s Twist Again,” “Slow Twistin’,” “Twist It Up,” etc.) It’s certainly a Hall of Fame twist.
Allison Rapp: There’s a part of me that’s surprised to see Phish on this list, but I’m pretty sure that’s because the name Phish just does not enter my conscious brain on any sort of regular basis — I respect them, but I simply don’t understand their language. Speaking of that, I can’t say I was expecting Mana to be on the list. I’m glad though – Latin American music and its wider influence on rock and pop culture shouldn’t be overlooked.
Michael Gallucci: With the popularity of Latin music growing significantly every year, I can understand why the Rock Hall would want to extend its boundaries and nominate Mana. The Grammys gave Latin music its own awards ceremony years ago. But as big as this band is among Latin rock fans, their influence hasn’t reached beyond their genre. This is a reach for the Hall of Fame.
Matthew Wilkening: I fully support the Rock Hall branching out into other genres, but every nominee should still have some degree of the rebellious rock ‘n’ roll spirit in them. Public Enemy, Madonna and Willie Nelson all have it. Mariah Carey most certainly does not.
2. Who is the biggest snub?
Rolli: Fine, twist my arm and get me to rant about Iron Maiden again. It’s an embarrassment and a travesty that the Rock Hall has continued to snub one of the most enduringly popular and influential heavy metal acts in history. It would have been especially nice for them to get another nomination, and induction, while drummer Nicko McBrain is still healthy enough to play a few songs with the band. In the wake of his retirement from touring, there’s no telling how much longer he’ll be fit to do so. Hopefully a while, and hopefully the Rock Hall will right this wrong sooner than later.
DeRiso: After a two-year run of country inductees (2022’s Dolly Parton and 2023’s Willie Nelson), the Rock Hall has now gone two more years without one.
Rapp: I don’t know that this is necessarily a snub so much as a disappointment, but I wish Sinead O’Connor had been given a second chance. (I’m also not loving that only two of this year’s 14 nominees are women.) She was nominated in 2024, the year after her death at 56 years old, and I thought that might boost her odds. To be clear: I don’t think you need to die in order to get into the Rock Hall, quite the opposite in fact, but I was hoping we’d come to a point where her influence and spirit, one of equity and freedom, would be recognized.
Gallucci: They just forgot about Warren Zevon again, right? Sigh.
Wilkening: Iron Maiden, Iron Maiden, Iron Maiden. You cannot tell the story of heavy metal without mentioning Iron Maiden. So they need to be in, even if they won’t show up and even though they’ve openly mocked your organization. The Zevon thing is even more perplexing because he seems like the kind of artist the voters love. Lastly, it’s weird that they seem to have given up on nominating country legends.
3. Who are you happiest to see get nominated?
Rolli: It’s great to see Billy Idol on the list. From his voice to his showmanship to his catalog of hits, he’s the consummate rock star in every sense of the word. And as one of the first artists to blend punk, rock and pop to astonishing success, he inadvertently set the stage for future generations of pop-punk stars like Green Day and Blink-182.
DeRiso: Joy Division/New Order. Eligible since 2004, this merged lineup has only been nominated once – appearing on the ballot in 2023, then disappearing last year. I figured they were gone for good after an unimpressive fan vote where Joy Division/New Order ended up in ninth place. Probably because Joy Division was always more popular in the U.K. Still, theirs is a very worthy candidacy.
Rapp: The Gallagher brothers can disagree with me all they want, but I’m happy to see Oasis in the mix again. I spent a pretty penny on tickets to their reunion tour later this year, so this is the opinion of a biased fan — and more specifically, of an American woman who was not even alive when they started making music — but it’s painfully clear to me that this band still has a great amount of power in the world of rock music.
Gallucci: Hopefully, with their repeat appearance, Joy Division/New Order will finally get the nod this year.
Wilkening: Billy Idol, whose image and star power seem to make some people forget that he’s a really great songwriter. Cyndi Lauper is a very close second.
4. Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Mana, Outkast and Phish are all first-time nominees. Who among them would you like to see get inducted first?
Rolli: Unsurprisingly, I’m going with Idol again. At 69, he’s still out there pounding the pavement and keeping the rock ‘n’ roll flame burning. The establishment can be painfully slow to come around to certain artists, but Idol absolutely deserves the honor, and it would be nice for him to receive it while he’s still got enough vitality (Vital Idol, you might say) to make the most of the opportunity.
DeRiso: Bad Company would continue a line of mainstream rock band inductees that the Hall has touched on lately, including Steve Miller Band (2016), Journey (2017), the Doobie Brothers (2020), Pat Benatar (2022) and Foreigner (2024), among others. These aren’t necessarily critical darlings, but they nevertheless represent a bulwark against those who complain about the Rock Hall not honoring enough “rock” stars.
Rapp: Billy Idol is deserving, I think. But I’d also be pleased to see Joe Cocker get in. Talk about iconic voices in rock ’n’ roll.
Gallucci: The Black Crowes, but honestly there are repeat nominees I’d like to see get inducted first.
Wilkening: A Black Crowes induction would be the cherry on top of what has been a fantastic reunion, but if we only get one vote mine goes to Idol.
5. Of the previously nominated artists, who do you think is the most overdue?
Rolli: Soundgarden, no doubt. After a decade-plus of eligibility and two previous nominations, it’s baffling to me that they still haven’t made it into the Hall. Their album sales and cultural relevance are indisputable, not to mention Chris Cornell‘s unparalleled vocal talent and star power. Nirvana was inducted in 2014, and Pearl Jam in 2017. What’s the holdup here?
DeRiso: Soundgarden. Pearl Jam’s induction in 2017 flung the door wide open for grunge acts. In fact, Soundgarden probably should have been gone in first.
Rapp: It would be overkill for me to continue waxing poetic about Oasis here in this answer, so instead I will champion Cyndi Lauper. I’m thinking specifically about Chappell Roan’s recent performance of “Pink Pony Club” at the Grammys, an elaborate display full of glitter, costumes and color, supporting a song whose essential message is about being yourself. Who does that remind you of? Girls have always just wanted to have fun. Lauper paved the way for much of that to be possible today and I think she deserves a Rock Hall spot.
Gallucci: Joy Division/New Order. It’s rare for a band to be one of the best in their field, lose a member, remake themselves as a different band and become even more influential.
Wilkening: Soundgarden. Partly because it gets us closer to inducting Melvins.
6. Overall thoughts on this year’s nominees?
Rolli: I hope Oasis and the Black Crowes both make the cut and Ray and Dave Davies split the induction duties.
DeRiso: The surprising resurrection of the Black Crowes would be made complete by induction, while the White Stripes help push the Rock Hall into its long-awaited next era.
Rapp: The Buffalo Bills were choked out of this year’s Super Bowl. The least the Rock Hall could do for me is get Oasis in.
Gallucci: 2025 looks much like the past several years of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees: a big pop star or two, a hip-hop artist, someone from way back in the day, a handful of “newer” artists to prove rock music didn’t die in the ’80s, one oddball choice and a couple of vintage artists to quiet fans who complain about the Rock Hall’s expanded direction. Yawn.
Wilkening: There’s clearly a formula to these nominations, with a certain number of slots set aside for each genre. I don’t understand why they cut country music out of that equation. It seems like some very worthy artists will be inducted this year, but it’s certainly not the most exciting or daring class.
7. Who do you predict will make it into the Rock Hall this year?
Rolli: Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Mariah Carey, Oasis, Soundgarden and the White Stripes.
DeRiso: Induction classes tend to have a fan-service approach these days, with an eye toward checking certain boxes for the audiences viewing at home. In keeping, I’d expect the class to include a rock act (Black Crowes), a pop act (Cyndi Lauper), an R&B act (Mariah Carey), a hip-hop act (Outkast) and a buzzy twist (Oasis). There might be room for Joe Cocker too, as a nod to legacy artists.
Rapp: Billy Idol, Phish, Soundgarden, Cyndi Lauper, Oasis and Mana.
Gallucci: Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Oasis, Outkast and the White Stripes.
Wilkening: Wish list: Billy Idol, Cyndi Lauper, the Black Crowes, Joy Division/New Order, Outkast and Soundgarden. Actual prediction: Idol, Lauper, Outkast, Bad Company, Mana and Mariah Carey.
145 Artists Not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Many have shared their thoughts on possible induction.
Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff
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