Which Artists Will Get In?

Few figures of the last 50 years — particularly those not already in the Hall — project rock as readily as Billy Idol; he has the sound, the look, the attitude, the accent, the songs. What he doesn’t necessarily have is a ton of critical respect or an obvious insider edge; his more acclaimed work as frontman of first-wave punks Generation X doesn’t have a huge stateside legacy, and his crossover success as one of the defining stars of MTV’s first decade made him a little too easy to dismiss for rock purists. He’s got a real chance — everyone does this year — but you have to think if it was a particularly good one, he’d probably have been nominated (if not inducted) well earlier.

Odds: 10 to 1

In a just world, they’d have been in decades ago. Going on a combination of innovation, influence and sheer song strength, either Joy Division or New Order on their own would be plenty qualified for induction, combine them and it should be a no-brainer. But Joy Division’s lack of a major commercial profile in the U.S., combined with New Order’s overwhelming synthiness, makes the combo a tough sell to stateside Rock Hall traditionalists — and they’re 0-1 on the ballot so far.

Odds: 8 to 1

Bad Company is perhaps the most conspicuous addition to the ballot this year, as despite the band’s handful of classic rock radio staples — “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Can’t Get Enough,” “Shooting Star” — most rock fans under 50 would be hard-pressed to name a (non-self-titled) album. Still, frontman Paul Rodgers has a good amount of peer respect, and Peter Frampton’s induction last year (in his first nomination) shows there is still some hunger for Rock Hall recognition among the AOR set.

Odds: 8 to 1

Soundgarden has the radio staples, the critical/peer respect, the commercial profile and the (relatively) enduring importance — the one thing it doesn’t have is a compelling answer to the question “Why now?” The grunge greats have been eligible for a decade and half and already nominated twice, and the band has been understandably dormant since the death of frontman Chris Cornell in 2017. Any year it’s inducted will be right on time, but it’s a little hard to see why it’d rise to the top of the voting in 2025.

Odds: 6 to 1

No other artist on this ballot has their legacy as tied to one song as Chubby Checker; though the early rock figure did have a second No. 1 hit in “Pony Time,” most voters will know him first and foremost for “The Twist.” Still, if you’re going to be only known for one song, may as well be the song that was (until this decade) the biggest Hot 100 hit of all time, a beyond-iconic single in rock and pop history. Might not be enough to get him over the top in his first nomination — after several decades of eligibility — but he could certainly end up being a sentimental favorite among voters.

Odds: 5 to 1

A southern-rock act who can appeal to rock traditionalists without seeming too old-fashioned, the Black Crowes was one of the biggest ’90s bands who had absolutely nothing to do with grunge, with several of the biggest and best-loved rock radio hits of the early decade. The band faded from the mainstream pretty quickly after, and had been inactive for most of the last 15 years — but a well-received 2024 comeback album (Happiness Bastards) may give the Brothers Robinson a nice wave of momentum, and a recent spot on the FireAid lineup shows they still have some considerable industry pull.

Odds: 4 to 1

Hard to judge the case of the legendary Mexican rock band, as no rock en español act has ever been inducted to the Rock Hall. Its case will certainly be a rallying cause for many Rock Hall members, particularly if it becomes a popular movement online — but the group’s unfamiliarity to many other members may be a pretty big stumbling block for its induction, particularly on first nomination.

Odds: 4 to 1

The British soul singer, eligible for 30 years but only nominated for the first time this year, doesn’t necessarily have the most obvious Rock Hall case — he’s a little lacking in the classic albums department, he’s mostly famous for covers of other artists and of course he’s been dead for over a decade. But Cocker seems a strong candidate to rally whatever Boomer contingent remains of the Rock Hall, with a singular voice, multiple enduring radio hits and a permanent sentimental hold on multiple generations, due to his “With a Little Help From My Friends” rendition providing the theme to the most popular ’60s nostalgia show of the ’80s and ’90s, The Wonder Years.

Odds: 3 to 1

It’s Lauper’s second nomination, having previously been denied in 2023, and it feels like she’ll probably get in eventually — she’s a beloved figure, with continued cultural impact due to her work in theater and in activism, with a handful of the most beloved songs of the early-MTV era. But the fact that those early-MTV hits make up the great majority of her musical legacy — and that while her attitude is quintessentially rock, her songs skewed far more pop — means that she also might not ever be a clear shoo-in.

Odds: 3 to 1

It’s Mariah Carey’s second year in a row on the ballot, and getting right back on after missing out on induction in 2024 probably bodes well for her — perhaps indicating that she has the base Rock Hall support, she just needs to convince some of the more traditional members that she belongs under the “rock” umbrella. If Whitney Houston, George Michael and Janet Jackson could prove convincing enough, it seems all but sure that Carey will in time as well, perhaps as soon as this year.

Odds: 2 to 1

Phish have no major hits, few crossover moments and close to zero profile among most rock critics — but never count out a band that’s maintained one of the most devout followings in rock for well over 30 years now, and can still sell out arenas (and the Sphere!) It took Dave Matthew Band — a band with similar cult fandom and live endurance, plus several extremely recognizable radio hits — a couple tries to get in, so perhaps Phish might not be one-and-in either. But they’ll have the fan support, they’ve had good post-Sphere momentum, and in a year without many obvious shoo-ins, they could get some love from members who simply respect their singular place in the rock landscape.

Odds: 3 to 2

Hip-hop acts are always a little tricky to gauge in terms of their Rock Hall candidacy, and OutKast perhaps more than some due to its relatively short run before Andre 3000 and Big Boi splintered into solo careers. But during their dozen-year run — particularly the ’00s half of it — the duo was as rock-fan-approved as anyone in rap, while several of its hits remain among the century’s most popular and acclaimed. (Not to mention the Grammys loved OutKast so much they’re still nominating Andre 3000 for album of the year.)

Odds: Even money

The only thing keeping The White Stripes — one of the most popular and acclaimed rock acts of the 21st century, and one whose frontman has been a continuous flame-keeper for the genre in the decades since the duo’s dissolution — from being a safe bet here was that it seemed like a safe bet already in 2023, when Jack and Meg White were first nominated and first denied. Perhaps the pair will have better luck in a wonky 2025 class; if not, maybe it was never such a wise wager after all.

Odds: Even money

Like The White Stripes, Oasis seemed a likely inductee upon its first nomination in 2024, but were not let past the Hall’s velvet rope right away. The Brothers Gallagher should have better chances in 2025, following the announcement of their band’s long-awaited reunion tour — which was met with near-Taylor/Beyoncé-level demand — and possibly their first new music in over 15 years to go along with it. There might not be a single true shoo-in among this 2025 class, but Oasis is likely the closest.

Odds: 1 to 2