John Sykes Pulls Back the Curtain on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Voting Process

The Most Controversial Omissions From The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established in 1983 and began inducting artists three years later. From the beginning, the process of who gets nominated and who gets inducted have been subjected to heavy criticism. The nomination process is controlled by a small group of individuals, many of whom are not musicians themselves; “big names” are favored for induction over lesser known but more influential artists; and entire genres or er…

John Sykes Pulls Back the Curtain on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Voting Process

To hear John Sykes tell it, the meeting each year where the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee gathers to vote on that year’s induction class is nearly as entertaining as the induction ceremony itself. “I always like to call the nominating committee meeting a cross between a discussion between music professionals and WWE [World Wrestling Entertainment],” says Sykes, who has been chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation fo…

Howard Is Shocked the Black Crowes, Phish, and Mariah Carey Weren't Inducted Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2025 class of inductees: Soundgarden, OutKast, Cyndi Lauper, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, and the White Stripes. While Howard had voted for many of those acts and artists to receive the unrivaled distinction, he and co-host Robin Quivers were shocked to learn that Phish, Mariah Carey, and the Black Crowes did not make the cut. The jam band Phish was one of the most peculiar omissions, …