As usual, this year’s inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes some long-overdue names, some worthy newer contenders and a few head scratchers.
Here’s a ranking of the eight 2026 nominees, from the “I can’t believe they aren’t already in the Rock Hall” class to, well, Phil Collins.
Joy Division/New Order
Given that their peers the Cure were inducted in 2019 and Depeche Mode a year later, this one’s long overdue.
Childhood friends Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook formed what would become Joy Division after seeing the Sex Pistols live in Manchester. They later hired vocalist Ian Curtis and drummer Stephen Morris and created a pair of dark albums that quickly became cornerstones of goth rock.
But Curtis suffered from severe epileptic seizures, both on stage and off. His wife was also threatening to divorce him. On the eve of the band’s first North American tour, Curtis died by suicide at the age of 23.
Shattered by the tragedy, the three surviving band members soldiered on as New Order and added Morris’ girlfriend Gillian Gilbert on keyboards. While it took them a few years to find their own sound, once they did the band really took off. In an era when disco was still a dirty word, the foursome fully embraced dance music. Their 1983 single “Blue Monday” went on to become the biggest-selling 12-inch record of all time.
New Order’s run of albums in the ’80s — “Power, Corruption and Lies,” “Low-Life,” “Brotherhood” and “Technique” — all stand as classics from the era. And their compilation “Substance” is one of the greatest greatest hits albums of all time.
Sade
Led by lead singer Sade Adu, this foursome emerged during the era of so-called sophisticated pop acts alongside the Style Council and Everything but the Girl. Their worldwide 1984 smash “Smooth Operator” suggested Sade was destined to become a one-hit wonder. Instead, the group created their own little world and issued a total of six albums (and six tours) for a global audience entranced by Adu’s voice and the band’s lush sounds.
Given that Sade’s most recent album, “Soldier of Love,” was released in 2010, the band is long overdue in delivering their seventh record, which they started working on in 2018. With any luck, they’ll use this honor as a launching pad for the new music fans have spent years waiting to hear.
Iron Maiden
Like Sade, Iron Maiden have always played by their own rules and, in the process, became one of the greatest bands in heavy metal. In 2023, England’s Royal Mail honored the band with postal stamps and cards. Two years later, the Royal Mint issued an Iron Maiden coin to mark the band’s 50th anniversary. In 2025, Pollstar estimated that Iron Maiden’s concerts since 1982 have generated more than $1 billion.
While the band has had a handful of lead singers, Bruce Dickinson remains the voice fans demand. He joined in 1981, quit the band for six years in the ’90s and returned to the fold in 1999. In the decades since, they’ve continued to record and tour heavily, using a custom jet to transport the band, crew and stage from city to city. (Dickinson himself flew the plane until 2022.)
Luther Vandross
The late soul singer is another act who has long since belonged in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s kind of amazing this was the first time he was nominated, some 19 years after he was first eligible.
The New York native first established himself as an in-demand backup vocalist in the ’70s, working with everyone from Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway to David Bowie and Todd Rundgren. His solo career kicked off in 1981 with the multi-platinum album and single “Never Too Much.” He found his biggest success on R&B radio, but landed in the Hot 100 a handful of times, including duets with Dionne Warwick (“How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye”), Gregory Hines (“There’s Nothing Better Than Love”), Janet Jackson and members of New Edition (“The Best Things in Life Are Free”) and Mariah Carey (“Endless Love”).
Vandross had diabetes and, in 2003, he had a severe stroke that affected his ability to speak and required him to use a wheelchair. Two years later, he died from a heart attack at the age of 54.
Despite his early death, Vandross influenced an entire generation of musicians, including Boyz II Men, John Legend, Usher and D’Angelo. Stokley Williams, lead singer of St. Paul’s Mint Condition, said he “studied Luther for such a long time because he was the epitome of perfect tone.”
Wu-Tang Clan
Founded on “Eastern philosophy picked up from kung fu movies, Five-Percent Nation teachings picked up on the New York streets and comic books,” Wu-Tang Clan not only revitalized East Coast hip hop, they became one of the most-loved groups in the genre’s history.
In addition to their own acclaimed albums, the nine members have found success as a solo acts as well, including Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. In 2024, the became the first hip hop act to perform a residency in Las Vegas. They’re currently on what they’re calling their final tour together, which includes a Sept. 1 stop at the new Mystic Lake Amphitheater in Shakopee.
Oasis
One of the greatest concerts I’ve ever seen was Oasis at First Avenue in 1995, while one of the worst concerts I’ve seen was Oasis at Target Center in 2008. They were already huge stars in their home country when they hit First Avenue and played the room like they were headlining an arena. But by 2008, any spark they once had was long gone.
Led by famously feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, Oasis exploded out of Manchester in 1994 with their fantastic debut album “Definitely Maybe” and a clutch of memorable singles (and b-sides). The following year, they broke even bigger with “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory” and its now-ubiquitous single “Wonderwall.”
Do they belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though? Maybe, maybe not. Their third album “Be Here Now” was bloated, dull and fueled by ego and cocaine. And there’s perhaps a decent album’s worth of material found on the three records that followed. The less said about their swan song, “Dig Out Your Soul,” the better.
Oasis did reunite for a massively successful world tour in 2024. Maybe that’s good enough. (And, really, the Britpop artist who truly deserves a place in the Rock Hall is Blur/Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, who has built a spectacular and artistically adventurous career.)
Billy Idol
Billy Idol got his start in the punk band Generation X, but his career didn’t take off until he went solo in 1982 with the singles “Dancing with Myself” and “White Wedding.” His bleach blond hair, tattoos and permanent sneer made him the perfect fit for the then-new MTV, which helped turn Idol into one of the biggest stars of the era.
Yeah, Billy Idol was a lot of fun, but he had already peaked by the time he released his cover of “To Be a Lover” in 1986. One of his other big hits, “Mony Mony,” was also a cover. And his 1993 album “Cyberpunk” was a such a flop, it took him a dozen years to follow it up. In the decades since, he’s only put out two more records, neither of which was able to capture the spirit of his hitmaking days.
Phil Collins
A young Phil Collins had his first encounter with fame when he appeared as an uncredited extra in the Beatles’ film “A Hard Day’s Night.” Later, he helped not only save Genesis but gave the band their biggest successes. And, yeah, “In the Air Tonight” is a monster of a song.
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Is that enough to make him the 29th person to be inducted into the Rock Hall twice? No, no it’s not.
Collins did take over as lead singer of Genesis after Peter Gabriel departed, but he turned the band into a bland, middle-of-the-road pop group who were eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He built his solo career on melodramatic slop (“One More Night,” “Another Day in Paradise”) and novelty songs (“Sussudio,” “A Groovy Kind of Love”).
The aforementioned Noel Gallagher said it best: “Just because you sell lots of records, it doesn’t mean to say you’re any good. Look at Phil Collins.”
The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will take place Nov. 14 in Los Angeles and will air in December on ABC and Disney+.
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