The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was established in 1983 to, as the website says, “recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution, development, and perpetuation of rock and roll.” As the site says, “to be eligible for induction as an artist (as a performer, composer, or musician)…the artist must have released a record, in the generally accepted sense of that phrase, at least 25 years prior to the year of induction and have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence.” Among considerations are the artist’s influence on other artists, length and depth of career, body of work, and innovation and superiority in style and technique.
Here is an alphabetical listing of all inductees from 1986 to 2019. Click on the act’s name to go to the DMDB music maker encyclopedia entry. Click on “hall bio” to go to the act’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page.
- Abba (2010) - hall bio -
- AC/DC (2003) - hall bio -
- Paul Ackerman (1995) - hall bio -
- Lou Adler (2013) - hall bio -
- Aerosmith (2001) - hall bio -
- The Allman Brothers Band (1995) - hall bio -
- Herb Alpert (2006) - hall bio -
- The Animals (1994) - hall bio -
- Louis Armstrong (1990) - hall bio -
- Chet Atkins (2002) - hall bio -
- Irving Azoff (2020)
- Joan Baez (2017) - hall bio -
- LaVern Baker (1991) - hall bio -
- Hank Ballard (1990) - hall bio -
- The Band (1994) - hall bio -
- Jeff Barry (2010) - hall bio -
- Frank Barsalona (2005) - hall bio -
- Dave Bartholomew (1991) - hall bio -
- Ralph Bass (1991) - hall bio -
- The Beach Boys (1988) - hall bio -
- Beastie Boys (2012) - hall bio -
- The Beatles (1988) - hall bio -
- Jeff Beck (2009) - hall bio -
- The Bee Gees (1997) - hall bio -
- Bennie Benjamin (2003) - hall bio -
- Bert Berns (2016) - hall bio -
- Chuck Berry (1986) - hall bio -
- Black Sabbath (2006) - hall bio -
- Bill Black (2009) - hall bio -
- Chris Blackwell (2001) - hall bio -
- Otis Blackwell (2010) - hall bio -
- Hal Blaine (2000) - hall bio -
- Bobby “Blue” Bland (1992) - hall bio -
- Blondie (2006) - hall bio -
- Bon Jovi (2018) - hall bio -
- Booker T. & the MG’s (1992) - hall bio -
- David Bowie (1996) - hall bio -
- Charles Brown (1999) - hall bio -
- James Brown (1986) - hall bio -
- Ruth Brown (1993) - hall bio -
- Jackson Browne (2004) - hall bio -
- Buffalo Springfield (1997) - hall bio -
- Solomon Burke (2001) - hall bio -
- James Burton (2001) - hall bio -
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (2015) - hall bio -
- The Byrds (1991) - hall bio -
- The Cars (2018) - hall bio -
- Johnny Cash (1992) - hall bio -
- Ray Charles (1986) - hall bio -
- Cheap Trick (2016) - hall bio -
- Leonard Chess (1987) - hall bio -
- Chicago (2016) - hall bio -
- Charlie Christian (1990) - hall bio -
- Eric Clapton (2000) - hall bio -
- The Dave Clark Five (2008) - hall bio -
- Dick Clark (1993) - hall bio -
- The Clash (2003) - hall bio -
- Jimmy Cliff (2010) - hall bio -
- The Coasters (1987) - hall bio -
- Eddie Cochran (1987) - hall bio -
- Leonard Cohen (2008) - hall bio -
- Nat “King” Cole (2000) - hall bio -
- Sam Cooke (1986) - hall bio -
- Alice Cooper (2011) - hall bio -
- Elvis Costello & the Attractions (2003) - hall bio -
- Floyd Cramer (2003) - hall bio -
- Cream (1993) - hall bio -
- Creedence Clearwater Revival (1993) - hall bio -
- Crosby, Stills & Nash (1997) - hall bio -
- The Cure (2019) - hall bio -
- King Curtis (2000) - hall bio -
- Bobby Darin (1990) - hall bio -
- Clive Davis (2000) - hall bio -
- Miles Davis (2006) - hall bio -
- Deep Purple (2016) - hall bio -
- Def Leppard (2019) - hall bio -
- The Dells (2004) - hall bio -
- Depeche Mode (2020)
- Neil Diamond (2011) - hall bio -
- Bo Diddley (1987) - hall bio -
- Dion (1989) - hall bio -
- Dire Straits (2018) - hall bio -
- Willie Dixon (1994) - hall bio -
- Fats Domino (1986) - hall bio -
- Tom Donahue (1996) - hall bio -
- Donovan (2012) - hall bio -
- The Doobie Brothers (2020)
- The Doors (1993) - hall bio -
- Steve Douglas (2003) - hall bio -
- Tom Dowd (2012) - hall bio -
- Lamont Dozier (1990) - hall bio -
- Dr. John (2011) - hall bio -
- The Drifters (1988) - hall bio -
- Bob Dylan (1988) - hall bio -
- Eagles (1998) - hall bio -
- Earth, Wind & Fire (2000) - hall bio -
- Duane Eddy (1994) - hall bio -
- Electric Light Orchestra (2017) - hall bio -
- Brian Epstein (2014) - hall bio -
- Ahmet Ertegun (1987) - hall bio -
- Nesuhi Ertegun (1991) - hall bio -
- The Everly Brothers (1986) - hall bio -
- The Faces (2012) - hall bio -
- Leo Fender (1992) - hall bio -
- The Five Royales (2015) - hall bio -
- The Flamingos (2001) - hall bio -
- Fleetwood Mac (1998) - hall bio -
- DJ Fontana (2009) - hall bio -
- The Four Seasons (1990) - hall bio -
- Four Tops (1990) - hall bio -
- Aretha Franklin (1987) - hall bio -
- Alan Freed 1986) - hall bio -
- Milt Gabler (1993) - hall bio -
- Peter Gabriel (2014) - hall bio -
- Kenneth Gamble (2008) - hall bio -
- Marvin Gaye (1987) - hall bio -
- David Geffen (2010) - hall bio -
- Genesis (2010) - hall bio -
- Gerry Goffin (1990) - hall bio -
- Berry Gordy Jr. (1988) - hall bio -
- Bill Graham (1992) - hall bio -
- Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (2007) - hall bio -
- Grateful Dead (1994) - hall bio -
- Al Green (1995) - hall bio -
- Green Day (2015) - hall bio -
- Ellie Greenwich (2010) - hall bio -
- Guns N’ Roses (2012) - hall bio -
- Woody Guthrie (1988) - hall bio -
- Buddy Guy (2005) - hall bio -
- Bill Haley & the Comets (1987) - hall bio -
- Daryl Hall & John Oates (2014) - hall bio -
- John H. Hammond (1986) - hall bio -
- George Harrison (2004) - hall bio -
- Isaac Hayes (2002) - hall bio -
- Heart (2013) - hall bio -
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1992) - hall bio -
- Billie Holiday (2000) - hall bio -
- Brian Holland (1990) - hall bio -
- Eddie Holland (1990) - hall bio -
- The Hollies (2010) - hall bio -
- Buddy Holly (1986) - hall bio - (& the Crickets, 2012) - hall bio -
- Jac Holzman (2011) - hall bio -
- John Lee Hooker (1991) - hall bio -
- Whitney Houston (2020)
- Howlin’ Wolf (1991) - hall bio -
- Leon Huff (2008) - hall bio -
- The Impressions (1991) - hall bio -
- The Ink Spots (1989) - hall bio -
- The Isley Brothers (1992) - hall bio -
- The Jackson 5 (1997) - hall bio -
- Janet Jackson (2019) - hall bio -
- Mahalia Jackson (1997) - hall bio -
- Michael Jackson (2001) - hall bio -
- Wanda Jackson (2009) - hall bio -
- Little Walter Jacobs (2008) - hall bio -
- James Jamerson (2000) - hall bio -
- Elmore James (1992) - hall bio -
- Etta James (1993) - hall bio -
- Jefferson Airplane (1996) - hall bio -
- Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (2015) - hall bio -
- Billy Joel (1999) - hall bio -
- Elton John (1994) - hall bio -
- Little Willie John (1996) - hall bio -
- Glyn Johns (2012) - hall bio -
- Johnnie Johnson (2001) - hall bio -
- Robert Johnson (1986) - hall bio -
- Quincy Jones (2013) - hall bio -
- Janis Joplin (1995) - hall bio -
- Louis Jordan (1987) - hall bio -
- Journey (2017) - hall bio -
- Albert King (2013) - hall bio -
- B.B. King (1987) - hall bio -
- Carole King (1990) - hall bio -
- Freddie King (2012) - hall bio -
- The Kinks (1990) - hall bio -
- Don Kirshner (2012) - hall bio -
- Kiss (2014) - hall bio -
- Gladys Knight & the Pips (1996) - hall bio -
- Jon Landau (2020)
- Leadbelly (1988) - hall bio -
- Led Zeppelin (1995) - hall bio -
- Brenda Lee (2002) - hall bio -
- Jerry Leiber (1987) - hall bio -
- John Lennon (1994) - hall bio -
- Jerry Lee Lewis (1986) - hall bio -
- Little Anthony & the Imperials (2009) - hall bio -
- Little Richard (1986) - hall bio -
- Darlene Love (2011) - hall bio -
- Lovin’ Spoonful (2000) - hall bio -
- Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers (1993) - hall bio -
- Lynyrd Skynyrd (2006) - hall bio -
- Madonna (2008) - hall bio -
- The Mamas & the Papas (1998) - hall bio -
- Barry Mann (2010) - hall bio -
- Bob Marley (1994) - hall bio -
- George Martin (1999) - hall bio -
- Cosimo Matassa (2012) - hall bio -
- Curtis Mayfield (1999) - hall bio -
- Paul McCartney (1999) - hall bio -
- Clyde McPhatter (1987) - hall bio -
- John Mellencamp (2008) - hall bio -
- Metallica (2009) - hall bio -
- Steve Miller (2016) - hall bio -
- The Miracles (2012) - hall bio -
- Joni Mitchell (1997) - hall bio -
- Bill Monroe (1997) - hall bio -
- The Moody Blues (2018) - hall bio -
- The Moonglows (2000) - hall bio -
- Scotty Moore (2000) - hall bio -
- Van Morrison (1993) - hall bio -
- Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton (1998) - hall bio -
- Jerry Moss (2006) - hall bio -
- Syd Nathan (1997) - hall bio -
- Ricky Nelson (1987) - hall bio -
- Randy Newman (2013) - hall bio -
- Stevie Nicks (2019) - hall bio -
- Nine Inch Nails (2020)
- The Notorious B.I.G. (2020)
- N.W.A. (2016) - hall bio -
- Laura Nyro (2012) - hall bio -
- The O’Jays (2005) - hall bio -
- Andrew Loog Oldham (2014) - hall bio -
- Spooner Oldham (2009) - hall bio -
- Roy Orbison (1987) - hall bio -
- The Orioles (1995) - hall bio -
- Mo Ostin (2003) - hall bio -
- Johnny Otis (1994) - hall bio -
- Earl Palmer (2000) - hall bio -
- Parliament/Funkadelic (1997) - hall bio -
- Les Paul (1988) - hall bio -
- Pearl Jam (2017) - hall bio -
- Carl Perkins (1987) - hall bio -
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (2002) - hall bio -
- Sam Phillips (1986) - hall bio -
- Wilson Pickett (1991) - hall bio -
- Pink Floyd (1996) - hall bio -
- Gene Pitney (2002) - hall bio -
- The Platters (1990) - hall bio -
- The Police (2003) - hall bio -
- Doc Pomus (1992) - hall bio -
- Elvis Presley (1986) - hall bio -
- Pretenders (2005) - hall bio -
- Lloyd Price (1998) - hall bio -
- Prince (2004) - hall bio -
- Professor Longhair (1992) - hall bio -
- Public Enemy (2013) - hall bio -
- Radiohead (2019) - hall bio -
- Ma Rainey (1990) - hall bio -
- Bonnie Raitt (2000) - hall bio -
- Ramones (2002) - hall bio -
- The (Young) Rascals (1997) - hall bio -
- Red Hot Chili Peppers (2012) - hall bio -
- Otis Redding (1989) - hall bio -
- Jimmy Reed (1991) - hall bio -
- Lou Reed (2015) - hall bio -
- Martha & the Vandellas (1995) - hall bio -
- R.E.M. (2007) - hall bio -
- The Righteous Brothers (2003) - hall bio -
- Smokey Robinson (1987) - hall bio -
- Jimmie Rodgers (1986) - hall bio -
- Nile Rodgers (2017) - hall bio -
- The Rolling Stones (1989) - hall bio -
- The Ronettes (2007) - hall bio -
- Linda Ronstadt (2014) - hall bio -
- Roxy Music (2019) - hall bio -
- Run-D.M.C. (2009) - hall bio -
- Art Rupe (2011) - hall bio -
- Rush (2013) - hall bio -
- Leon Russell (2011) - hall bio -
- Sam & Dave (1992) - hall bio -
- Santana (1998) - hall bio -
- Pete Seeger (1996) - hall bio -
- Bob Seger (2004) - hall bio -
- Sex Pistols (2006) - hall bio -
- Tupac Shakur (2017) - hall bio -
- Del Shannon (1999) - hall bio -
- The Shirelles (1996) - hall bio -
- Mort Shuman (2010) - hall bio -
- Simon & Garfunkel (1990) - hall bio -
- Paul Simon (2001) - hall bio -
- Nina Simone (2018) - hall bio -
- Percy Sledge (2005) - hall bio -
- Sly & the Family Stone (1993) - hall bio -
- The Small Faces (2012) - hall bio -
- Bessie Smith (1989) - hall bio -
- Patti Smith (2007) - hall bio -
- The Soul Stirrers (1989) - hall bio -
- Phil Spector (1989) - hall bio -
- Dusty Springfield (1999) - hall bio -
- Bruce Springsteen (1999) - hall bio - (& the E Street Band, 2014) - hall bio -
- The Staple Singers (1999) - hall bio -
- Ringo Starr (2015) - hall bio -
- Steely Dan (2001) - hall bio -
- Seymour Stein (2005) - hall bio -
- Cat Stevens (2014) - hall bio -
- Jim Stewart (2002) - hall bio -
- Rod Stewart (1994) - hall bio -
- Mike Stoller (1997) - hall bio -
- Jesse Stone (2010) - hall bio -
- The Stooges (2010) - hall bio -
- Donna Summer (2013) - hall bio -
- The Supremes (1988) - hall bio -
- Talking Heads (2002) - hall bio -
- James Taylor (2000) - hall bio -
- The Temptations (1989) - hall bio -
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe (2018) - hall bio -
- Allen Toussaint (1998) - hall bio -
- Traffic (2004) - hall bio -
- T-Rex (2020)
- Big Joe Turner (1987) - hall bio -
- Ike & Tina Turner (1991) - hall bio -
- Ritchie Valens (2001) - hall bio -
- Van Halen (2007) - hall bio -
- Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble (2015) - hall bio -
- Velvet Underground (1996) - hall bio -
- The Ventures (2008) - hall bio -
- Gene Vincent (1998) - hall bio -
- Tom Waits (2011) - hall bio -
- T-Bone Walker (1987) - hall bio -
- Dinah Washington (1993) - hall bio -
- Muddy Waters (1987) - hall bio -
- Cynthia Weil (2010) - hall bio -
- Jann Wenner (2004) - hall bio -
- Jerry Wexler (1987) - hall bio -
- The Who (1990) - hall bio -
- Hank Williams (1987) - hall bio -
- Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys (1999) - hall bio -
- Jackie Wilson (1987) - hall bio -
- Bill Withers (2015) - hall bio -
- Bobby Womack (2009) - hall bio -
- Stevie Wonder (1989) - hall bio -
- Jimmy Yancey (1986) - hall bio -
- The Yardbirds (1992) - hall bio -
- Yes (2017) - hall bio -
- Neil Young (1995) - hall bio -
- Frank Zappa (1995) - hall bio -
- The Zombies (2019) - hall bio -
- ZZ Top (2004) - hall bio -
Resources/Related Links:
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame official website
- DMDB blog: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees ranked
- DMDB blog: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Hopefuls – Top 100
- DMDB website: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame/NARM’s Definitive Albums
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll
- DMDB blog: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened its doors: September 2, 1995
- DMDB blog: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first class: January 23, 1986
