Rhino/Warner Bros. Records

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you go back to the beginning of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you can see how things may have gotten messed up.

You get through the first 10 years and then acts get clumped together, obvious choices get overlooked and borderline performers slip on through.

It's not an easy system to master. But maybe it's getting better.

Case in point: Several acts on this year's ballot are on our list of the most egregious snubs in Rock Hall history.

We've made longer lists and there were a number of artists we wanted to include (Sorry Soundgarden).

But these are the acts we deem no brainers. They can't be argued. Though, you can yell at us in the comments section.

Don't Edit

Capitol Records

Don't Edit

1. Kraftwerk

Don't Edit

Kraftwerk has four near-perfect and unquestionably essential albums along with at least a dozen groundbreaking tracks to go with them. But Kraftwerk's Rock Hall worthiness is about influence, too. The group has had more impact on what you've heard in popular music over the past decade than just about any other artist in music history.

Rock Hall comparison: Several acts that have been nominated for or inducted into the Hall of Fame were influenced by Kraftwerk (including Donna Summer and even U2). But it's the induction of Blondie that makes you question Kratwerk's absence most. Blondie's biggest hits were influenced by Kraftwerk. It's not an overstatement to say Blondie wouldn't be in the Rock Hall without Kraftwerk's blueprint.

Don't Edit

Grant Pollard

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

2. Radiohead

Don't Edit

It's not surprising that Rock Hall voters don't get Radiohead. Many of them are over the age of 50 and the number of traditional rock acts to vote for is shrinking. But there's no denying the fact that Radiohead is the most influential band of the last 20 years.

Rock Hall comparison: We could compare Radiohead to a more contemporary First ballot Hall of Famer like Green Day. But let's take it back to The Pretenders, which got in on its first try. Chrissie Hynde and company have one (maybe two) essential albums. Radiohead has at least four.

Don't Edit

Mark J. Terrill

Don't Edit

3. Janet Jackson

Don't Edit

The debate about Janet Jackson being in the Rock Hall seems to center on whether or not you believe she's rock and roll (Yes, people are still arguing about that). A lot of the anti-Janet folks wouldn't dare suggest the likes of The Supremes, Madonna or Michael Jackson be excluded. If it's about numbers and impact, it shouldn't be a debate.

Rock Hall comparison: Madonna feels like the obvious choice. But let's dig deeper and look at Linda Ronstadt's induction, which was widely celebrated. Jackson has sold more records, had more hits and helped revolutionize the touring industry as well as MTV. If that doesn't work for you, apply the same comparison to Earth, Wind & Fire, Journey, 2pac, Bog Seger and Tom Petty and you come away with the same thing.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Richard Drew

Don't Edit

4. Carole King

Don't Edit

Carole King is one of the more interesting cases in Rock Hall history. She's already been inducted. But NOT as a performer.

Rock Hall comparison: It's easy to compare King to the likes of Jackson Browne and James Taylor. She holds up quite well. But think about this -- from a performer standpoint the Rock Hall is telling us artists Cat Stevens and Joan Jett had a bigger impact on popular music.

Don't Edit

Christian Palma

Don't Edit

5. Judas Priest

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple are generally considered the three big pioneers of heavy metal. They're all in. So where do you go next? The Nominating Committee knows Judas Priest is the answer. Though, it took way too long to nominate a band that, arguably, has had an even bigger influence on contemporary metal bands.

Rock Hall comparison: The Rock Hall had all but ignored 1980s hair metal until it inducted Bon Jovi last year. Sure, Bon Jovi is a mega-popular act. But ask yourself which band was more important to the history of hard rock: Judas Priest or Bon Jovi? And be honest with your answer.

Don't Edit

Walter Bieri

Don't Edit

6. Roxy Music

Don't Edit

When you look at the development of glam rock, Roxy Music comes right after David Bowie. But the band's candidacy for the Rock Hall goes deeper than that. This is an act that had a hand in the creation and evolution of punk, new wave and electronic music.

Rock Hall comparison: Voters dig a classic-rock fave like The Moody Blues more than an edgier choice like Roxy Music. But while The Moody Blues impact on music fades over time (if it's not gone already), Roxy Music's remains as long as blogs like Pitchfork continue to shape what's trendy.

Don't Edit

Don Schlitten, Abramorama

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

7. John Coltrane

Don't Edit

Just one pure jazz artist has been inducted in the performer category into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That was Miles Davis back in 2006. There are people who will tell you Davis' influenced rock and roll, while John Coltrane didn't break out of his own genre. But look at Coltrane's groundbreaking improvisations and their influence on bands like The Doors and Grateful Dead.

Rock Hall comparison: Apparently the jazz rock of Chicago was sophisticated enough to earn the band induction. More sophisticated than John Coltrane?

Don't Edit

Handout

Don't Edit

8. Gram Parsons

Don't Edit

The fact that Gram Parsons isn't in the Rock Hall feels like one of the bigger crimes in music history. He was left out of The Byrds' induction. Yes, he was only with the band for a year. But he was the driving force behind The Byrds' most enduring album - "Sweetheart of the Rodeo."

Rock Hall comparison: The Rock Hall has been quick to dive very deep into genres like the blues, which is why someone like John Lee Hooker has earned induction. Gram Parsons' influence on country rock was just as significant.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Paul Cox

Don't Edit

9. The Cure

Don't Edit

The Rock Hall spends every year trying to induct a 1980s synthpop band. But lately, they've been nominating the wrong ones. The Cure is the most prolific, influential and enduring act from that period. Artists like Depeche Mode and Eurythmics simply aren't on the same level. Thankfully, The Cure got the nod on this time around. Now can they win the vote?

Rock Hall comparison: I give all credit to Green Day and its impact on the genre of pop-punk. But are we really going to say the band's first-ballot Hall of Fame resume and impact is better than The Cure's? I'd put "The Head in the Door" up against "Dookie" or "American Idiot" any day of the week.

Don't Edit

Handout

Don't Edit

10. MC5

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

If the Rock Hall is all about inducting artists that changed the landscape of rock and roll (which it's supposed to be), then why not the MC5? The Detroit rock band was as essential to the rise of punk and garage rock as anyone.

Rock Hall comparison: We get it. KISS is a big rock band that turned the art of performing into a marketing strategy. But musically, there's a lot to be desired from that hard-rock band when compared to what MC5 accomplished.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

11. The Smiths

Don't Edit

The Smiths feel even bigger now than they did during the 1980s, which may be as good an indication of a Rock Hall-worthy act than anything. One of the most influential British acts since the Beatles, The Smiths' influence is also felt in the last few decades of American indie rock.

Rock Hall comparison: There's no question The Paul Butterfield Blues Band helped bring blues rock to white audiences. But the band (along with other Rock Hall acts) exists in mostly modern obscurity. That's not the case with The Smiths, who were just as important to the Britpop that soared during the 1990s.

Don't Edit

Handout

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

12. T. Rex

Don't Edit

T. Rex has the hits, the masterpiece album and the influence to easily be put near the top of this list. But the Rock Hall has worked its way around Mark Bolan and company, instead nominating artists like The Smiths, New York Dolls and Kate Bush, who consider T. Rex an essential influence.

Rock Hall comparison: When you compare Alice Cooper to T. Rex, the only real thing the former has over the latter is the fact that they're American. Outside of that, it's hard to imagine a band like Alice Cooper existing without the impact of Bolan's style and music.

Don't Edit

Handout

Don't Edit

13. King Crimson

Don't Edit

You could easily make the case that King Crimson should have been the first band from the progressive-rock golden age to be inducted into the Rock Hall with an influence that stretches all the way to some of the more experimental artists of the 21st century (schizoid man).

Rock Hall comparison: There are a few to choose from, but we're going to go with Yes, a band directly influenced by King Crimson, yet nominated several times and inducted before them.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Matthew Cavanaugh

Don't Edit

14. Sonic Youth

Don't Edit

Sonic Youth was the next phase after the likes of The Stooges and Patti Smith. In that, this is the go-to band that laid the groundwork for grunge.

Rock Hall comparison: If you're one of those people who thinks worthy older acts should be inducted before the artists they influenced, then the Rock Hall should have gotten around to Sonic Youth before Nirvana and Pearl Jam's inductions.

Don't Edit

Laurent Gillieron

Don't Edit

15. Chic

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Sorry. Nile Rodgers' induction in a special category a few years ago just wasn't good enough for us? It didn't seem good enough for him either, as he opted not to perform. Chic is a funk band that laid the groundwork for hip-hop.

Rock Hall comparison: We think Donna Summer is Rock Hall worthy even if some still argue against her induction. But we see Chic on equal footing from that era.

Don't Edit

Joel Ryan

Don't Edit

16. Joy Division/New Order

Don't Edit

One act born out of the ashes of the other and both essential to the development of synthpop, post punk and new wave.

Rock Hall comparison: There is precedent for two acts being combined into one for induction purposes. See: Parliament-Funkadelic.

Don't Edit

Lennox McLendon

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

17. Whitney Houston

Don't Edit

Oh, this is where many will cry foul. The Rock Hall has never liked "crooners." But at some point you have to acknowledge a massive impact. Perhaps it makes sense that Chaka Khan get inducted before other pop divas. But Whitney Houston was the queen of that genre and, arguably, the most influential female singer to come along post Aretha Franklin.

Rock Hall comparison: Assuming you subscribe to Houston being a viable candidate in terms of style of music, a comparison to someone like Joan Jett ends in Whitney's favor. Both were important women in music. One sold a ton of records and became a pop culture icon.

Don't Edit

John Gaps

Don't Edit

18. Nine Inch Nails

Don't Edit

With all due respect to other industrial-rock pioneers, Trent Reznor put the genre on the map. But that's a double edged sword, as the Rock Hall has no blueprint in terms of inductees to compare Nine Inch Nails to. Yet, very few artists can claim such a singular impact on a style of music.

Rock Hall comparison: You probably have to approach a band like Nine Inch Nails to hip hop acts. As much as N.W.A. might be a worthy inductee (or not), it's hard to imagine such a short-lived rap outfit is in before Reznor's band.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

AP

Don't Edit

19. Jethro Tull

Don't Edit

The only conceivable reason we can come up with as to why Jethro Tull hasn't even been nominated for induction is that the band is just too weird. That's by no means a valid excuse, especially given how many classic-rock acts the Rock Hall has gone with in recent years. With more than 60 million records sold, Jethro Tull may just be the biggest prog-rock band of all time (at least not named Rush).

Rock Hall comparison: Jethro Tull feels a lot like Chicago in its candidacy given both acts artsy periods. Though, Jethro Tull's body of work feels more worthwhile, especially from an album standpoint.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

20. New York Dolls

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Believe it or not, the New York Dolls have been nominated for induction, which is one of the coolest things the Nominating Committee has done. It's easy to lose count of how many HOF acts the Dolls have influenced, including Guns N' Roses, KISS and the Ramones.

Rock Hall comparison: Finding a balance between success and influence can be hard. But here's an example of where an influencer like New York Dolls should have been inducted before KISS, a band that might not exist without them.

Don't Edit

AP

Don't Edit

21. Iron Maiden

Don't Edit

On the Mount Rushmore of heavy metal sits four triumphant acts -- Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest (sorry Slayer fans). Shockingly, only two of those acts have been inducted into the Rock Hall.

Rock Hall comparison: There are questions of how deep you dive into a genre and weather or not the Rock Hall has gone too far with some of its selections. Still, you're clearly on tier one when talking about Iron Maiden and metal with a mix of influence and success that certainly rivals someone like Deep Purple.

Don't Edit

Jack Plunkett

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

22. The Replacements

Don't Edit

You have to wonder how far we have to go into alternative rock before The Replacements are finally inducted. The band was merging elements of punk rock and radio-friendly rock and roll long before Green Day was accepting its induction in 2015.

Rock Hall comparison: There's really no comparison between Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and The Replacements in terms of influence and quality. Put side by side, it's a bit strange to see the former inducted first.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

23. Mary Wells

Don't Edit

Before many of the Motown acts you're more familiar with became megastars, there was Mary Wells. There's a reason she was called the "Queen of Motown." She was one of the label's first big stars and an important figure in its rise to greatness.

Rock Hall comparison: Forget gender. Compare the resumes of Bobby Darin and Mary Wells and you have a clear example of the problems the Rock Hall has putting women into its museum.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Courtesy of Elektra

Don't Edit

24. Pixies

Don't Edit

Grunge music gets a lot of credit for ushering in the alternative-rock boom of the 1990s. In truth, the most important band in laying the groundwork for that was the Pixies, even if they didn't reach such huge mainstream heights. And if you look at the two most important rock bands of the 30 years -- Nirvana and Radiohead -- they're both descendants of the Pixies.

Don't Edit

Rhino Records

Don't Edit

25. Warren Zevon

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Warren Zevon wasn't the most successful singer-songwriter to come out of the 1970s. But he was one of the most important. His songs were an essential part of Linda Ronstadt's career, while his songwriting style would have a direct influence on other HOF acts like R.E.M. and Elvis Costello.

Rock Hall comparison: Where as a singer-songwriter Donovan is mostly forgotten by contemporary music fans, Zevon's legacy lives on, thanks in large part to his timeless classic "Werewolves of London" and friendship with David Letterman.