View source for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

{{Short description|Music museum in Cleveland, Ohio, US}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{for|the inductees|list of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
| logo = RockHall logo.svg
| image = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Joy of Museums 1.jpg
| caption = The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|41|30|31|N|81|41|44|W|region:US-OH_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}}}
| mapframe-width= 250
| mapframe-marker-color= #DD2126
| established = {{start date and age|1983|4|20}} <br /> Dedicated September 1, 1995
| location = {{nowrap|1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard}}<br />(East 9th Street at [[Lake Erie]])<br />[[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]], U.S. 44114
| visitors = 543,000 (2016)<ref>{{cite web| year=2016| title=2015–16 Annual Report| url=https://www.rockhall.com/file/3576/download?token=DzkG2Z7k| website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum| access-date=February 27, 2019| page=14| format=PDF| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227154435/https://www.rockhall.com/file/3576/download?token=DzkG2Z7k| archive-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>
| president= [[Greg S. Harris|Greg Harris]]
| publictransit = {{rail-interchange|cleveland}} {{stn|East 9th–North Coast}}
| website = {{URL|rockhall.com}}
}}
The '''Rock and Roll Hall of Fame''' ('''RRHOF'''), also simply referred to as the '''Rock Hall''', is a [[museum]] and [[hall of fame]] located in [[downtown Cleveland]], Ohio, United States, on the shore of [[Lake Erie]]. The museum documents the history of [[rock music]] and the artists, producers, engineers, and other personnel who have influenced its development.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established on April 20, 1983, by [[Ahmet Ertegun]], founder and chairman of [[Atlantic Records]]. After a long search for the right city, Cleveland was chosen in 1986 as the Hall of Fame's permanent home. Architect [[I. M. Pei]] designed the new museum, and it was dedicated on September 1, 1995.

== Foundation ==
The RRHOF Foundation was established in 1983 by Ahmet Ertegun,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=History |first1=CSU Center for Public |last2=Humanities |first2=Digital |title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum - Why is the Rock Hall in Cleveland? |url=https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/704 |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Cleveland Historical |language=en-US}}</ref> who assembled a team that included publisher of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine [[Jann Wenner]], record executives [[Seymour Stein]], [[Bob Krasnow]], and Noreen Woods, and attorneys [[Allen Grubman]] and Suzan Evans. 

The Foundation began inducting artists in 1986, but the Hall of Fame still had no home. The search committee considered several cities, including [[Philadelphia]] (home to rock pioneer [[Bill Haley]] and ''[[American Bandstand]]''); [[Memphis, Tennessee]] (home of [[Sun Studio]]s and [[Stax Records]]); [[Detroit]] (home of [[Motown Records]]); [[Cincinnati, Ohio]] (home of [[King Records (United States)|King Records]]); New York City; and Cleveland.<ref name="Tribune 86">{{cite news| last=Swindell| first=Howard| date=May 8, 1986| title=Rock 'N' Roll Finds Home in Cleveland| url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-05-06-8602010888-story.html| newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]| access-date=February 17, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217082953/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-05-06-8602010888-story.html| archive-date=February 17, 2019}}</ref>

Cleveland lobbied for the museum, with civic leaders in Cleveland pledging $65 million in public money to fund the construction, and citing that [[WKNR|WJW]] disc jockey [[Alan Freed]] both coined the term "[[rock and roll]]" and heavily promoted the new genre, and that Cleveland was the location of Freed's [[Moondog Coronation Ball]], which is often credited as the first major rock and roll concert. Freed was also a member of the hall of fame's inaugural class of inductees in 1986.<ref>{{cite web| date=April 8, 2016| title=A Look Back at the First Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 1986| url=https://www.wksu.org/post/look-back-first-rock-and-roll-hall-fame-induction-ceremony-1986#stream/0| work=[[WKSU]] News| last=Bhatia| first=Kabia| access-date=August 22, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409120552/https://www.wksu.org/post/look-back-first-rock-and-roll-hall-fame-induction-ceremony-1986#stream/0| archive-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref> In addition, Cleveland cited radio station [[WMMS]], which played a key role in breaking several major acts in the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s, including [[David Bowie]], who began his first U.S. tour in the city, [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Roxy Music]], and [[Rush (band)|Rush]], among many others.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://rockhall.com/exhibits/wmms--a-cleveland-legend-turns-40/| title=Exhibits| website=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame| access-date=August 23, 2018| archive-date=June 29, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629123746/http://rockhall.com/exhibits/wmms--a-cleveland-legend-turns-40/| url-status=dead}}</ref>

During early discussions on where to build the Hall of Fame and Museum, the Foundation's board considered a site along the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland. Ultimately, the chosen location was along East Ninth Street in downtown by Lake Erie, east of [[Cleveland Stadium]]. At one point in the planning phase, when a financing gap existed, planners proposed locating the Rock Hall in the then-vacant May Company Building but finally decided to commission architect I. M. Pei to design a new building. Initial CEO [[Larry R. Thompson]] facilitated I. M. Pei in designs for the site. Pei came up with the idea of a tower with a glass pyramid protruding from it. Pei initially planned the tower to be {{convert|200|ft|m}} high, but was forced to reduce it to {{convert|162|ft|m}} due to the structure's proximity to [[Burke Lakefront Airport]]. The building's base is approximately {{convert|150,000|sqft|m2}}.

== Building ==
The [[groundbreaking]] ceremony for the building took place on June 7, 1993, with [[Pete Townshend]], [[Chuck Berry]], and [[Billy Joel]] in attendance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kosich |first1=John |title=30 years ago, ground was broken for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/30-years-ago-ground-was-broken-for-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame |website=News 5 Cleveland WEWS |access-date=13 March 2024 |language=en |date=7 June 2023}}</ref>

The museum was dedicated on September 1, 1995, with the ribbon being cut by an ensemble that included [[Yoko Ono]] and [[Little Richard]], before a crowd of more than 10,000 people. The following night, an all-star concert was held at Cleveland Stadium<ref>{{cite web |last1=Norman |first1=Michael |title=A firsthand account of the 1995 'Concert for the Hall of Fame,' with complete setlist |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2015/09/a_firsthand_account_of_the_199.html |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |date=September 2015 |access-date=June 11, 2019}}</ref> and featured Chuck Berry, [[Bob Dylan]], [[Al Green]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Iggy Pop]], [[John Fogerty]], [[John Mellencamp]], and many others.<ref name="HOF Timeline">{{cite web| title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Timeline: 1995–2010| url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2010/08/rock_and_roll_hall_of_fame_and_3.html| newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]| date=August 29, 2010| location=Cleveland| access-date=March 1, 2013}}</ref>

In addition to the Hall of Fame inductees, the museum documents the entire history of rock and roll, regardless of induction status. Hall of Fame inductees are honored in a special exhibit located in a wing that juts out over Lake Erie.<ref name="HOF Timeline"/> The exhibit space and inaugural exhibits were designed by [[Bruce Burdick]]'s San Francisco design firm The Burdick Group.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harrington |first1=Richard |title=Rock Carves a Brand New Niche in America |newspaper=Washington Post |date=September 2, 1995 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/09/02/rock-carves-a-brand-new-niche-in-america/024865ee-767d-4f24-a9a1-d9558a1691bd/}}</ref>

Since 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has selected new inductees. The formal induction ceremony has been held in New York City 28 times (1986–1992, 1994–1996, 1998–2008, 2010–2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2023); four times in Los Angeles (1993, 2013, 2022, and 2025); and seven times in the hall of fame's home in Cleveland (1997, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024).

The 2009 and 2012 induction weeks were made possible by a [[public–private partnership]] between the City of Cleveland; the State of [[Ohio]]; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; and local foundations, corporations, civic organizations, and individuals. Collectively, these entities invested $5.8 million in 2009 and $7.9 million in 2012 to produce a week of events, including free concerts, a gospel celebration, exhibition openings, free admission to the museum, and induction ceremonies at Public Hall.<ref>{{cite news| last=Soeder| first=John| title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is going strong, 15 years after opening| url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2010/08/rock_and_roll_hall_of_fame_and_4.html| newspaper=The Plain Dealer| access-date=March 4, 2013}}</ref>

Millions viewed the television broadcast of the Cleveland inductions, and tens of thousands traveled to Ohio during induction week to participate in the events. The economic impact of the 2009 induction week activities was more than $13 million, and it provided an additional $20 million in media exposure for the region. The 2012 induction week yielded similar results.<ref>{{cite news| last=Soeder| first=John| title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions, done 'the Cleveland way,' are a hit| url=http://www.cleveland.com/rockhall/index.ssf/2012/04/rock_and_roll_hall_of_fame_ind_17.html| newspaper=The Plain Dealer| access-date=March 4, 2013}}</ref>

In 2020, the Rock Hall announced plans to renovate and expand its footprint by a third. The architecture firm PAU, founded by Vishaan Chakrabarti, will lead the project.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Small |first=Zachary |date=2020-12-18 |title=Rock Hall of Fame Reveals Plan for Expansion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/arts/design/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-expansion.html |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===Layout===
{{wide image|North Coast.jpg|550px|The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (left) sits on the [[Lake Erie]] shore next to the [[Great Lakes Science Center]] (right) in Cleveland's [[North Coast Harbor]].|350px|right}}
The building contains seven levels. On the lower level is the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall, the museum's main gallery, which includes exhibits on the roots of rock and roll ([[Gospel music|gospel]], [[blues]], [[rhythm & blues]] and [[folk music|folk]], [[Country music|country]], and [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]]). It also features exhibits on cities that have had a major impact on rock and roll: [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Detroit]], [[London]], [[Liverpool]], [[San Francisco]], [[Los Angeles]], [[New York City|New York]], and [[Seattle]]. There are exhibits about [[soul music]], the Fifties, [[Sun Records]], [[hip hop music]], Cleveland's rock and roll legacy, the music of the Midwest, rock and roll radio and dee-jays, and the many protests against rock and roll. This gallery also has exhibits that focus on individual artists, including [[the Beatles]], [[the Rolling Stones]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], and others. Finally, the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall includes a theatre that features films on various subjects such as [[American Bandstand]].<ref>{{cite news| title=A look inside the redesign of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum: Interactive Graphic| url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2012/03/a_look_inside_the_redesign_of.html| newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]| access-date=March 4, 2013}}</ref>

The first floor of the museum is the entrance level. It includes a café, a stage that the museum uses for various special performances and events throughout the year, and a section called "Backstage Stories". The second floor includes several interactive kiosks that feature programs on [[one-hit wonders]] and the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. This level also includes a gallery with artifact-filled exhibits about [[Les Paul]], Alan Freed, [[Sam Phillips]], and the evolution of audio technology.<ref>{{cite journal| last=Swank| first=Niki| title=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: the heart of rock and roll| url=http://www.bxmagazine.com/article.asp?ID=1274| journal=Builders Exchange Magazine| access-date=March 4, 2013| archive-date=October 16, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016184608/http://www.bxmagazine.com/article.asp%3FID%3D1274| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Visitors enter the Hall of Fame section of the museum on the third floor. This section includes "The Power of Rock Experience", which includes one of [[Jonathan Demme]]'s final works, a film shown in the Connor Theater. The film includes musical highlights from some of the Hall's induction ceremonies.<ref>{{cite news| last=Smith |first=Troy L. |title=Rock Hall premieres its spellbinding 'The Power of Rock Experience' |url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/06/the_power_of_rock_experience_g.html |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |access-date=September 10, 2017 |date=June 29, 2017}}</ref> Visitors exit the Hall of Fame section on the fourth floor. That level features the Foster Theater, a state-of-the-art 3-D theater that is used for special events and programs.<ref>{{cite web| last=McGregor| first=Ellen| title=First Major redesign of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum nears completion| url=http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/first-major-redesign-of-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-and-museum-nears-completion| work=[[WEWS-TV|WEWS News]]| access-date=March 4, 2013| date=June 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223062710/http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/first-major-redesign-of-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-and-museum-nears-completion| archive-date=February 23, 2015| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=Redesigned Rock Hall opens exhibit on The Beatles| url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43326599| work=[[NBC News]]| agency=[[Associated Press]]| date=June 8, 2011| access-date=August 22, 2020}}</ref>

Finally, the top two levels of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame feature large, temporary exhibits. Over the years, numerous exhibits have been installed on these two levels, including exhibits about [[Elvis Presley]], [[hip-hop]], [[the Supremes]], [[the Who]], [[U2]], [[John Lennon]], [[the Clash]], the [[Grateful Dead]], Bruce Springsteen, ''Women Who Rock'', and the [[Rolling Stones]].

===Architecture===
[[File:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.jpg|thumb|The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, showing [[Lake Erie]] in the foreground]]
Designed by [[I. M. Pei]] and structurally engineered by [[Leslie E. Robertson]] Associates, the building rises above the shores of [[Lake Erie]]. It is a combination of geometric forms and cantilevered spaces that are anchored by a 162-foot tower. The tower supports a dual-triangular-shaped glass "tent" that extends (at its base) onto a 65,000-square-foot plaza that provides a main entry facade.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wright|first=Nathalie|date=October 19, 2021|title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum|url=https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/OH-01-035-0095|website=sah-archipedia.org}}</ref>

The building houses more than 55,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well as administrative offices, a store, and a café.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 19, 2021|title=Exhibit Guide|url=https://www.rockhall.com/exhibit-guide|website=rockhall.com}}</ref>

"In designing this building," Pei said, "it was my intention to echo the energy of rock and roll. I have consciously used an architectural vocabulary that is bold and new, and I hope the building will become a dramatic landmark for the city of [[Cleveland]] and for fans of [[rock and roll]] around the world."<ref>{{cite web| title=The House That Steel Built: A Showcase of Interesting and Aesthetic Projects| url=http://www.lera.com/files/rock%26roll_AISC.pdf| website=American Institute of Steel Construction| access-date=March 4, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615041331/http://www.lera.com/files/rock%26roll_AISC.pdf| archive-date=June 15, 2013| url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== New York City Annex ===
[[File:Rock-roll-annex-76-Mercer.jpg|thumb|The museum's New York City Annex (2008–2010) on [[Mercer Street (Manhattan)|Mercer Street]] in [[SoHo, Manhattan|Soho]]]]
In 2006, the RRHOF partnered with three entertainment production companies to create a branch museum in New York City.<ref name="Sisario">{{cite news |last=Sisario |first=Ben |date=November 20, 2008 |title=A Piece of Cleveland with a New York Accent |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/arts/music/21rock.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=C5}}</ref> On November 18, 2008, the '''Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC''' opened in [[Manhattan]]'s [[SoHo, Manhattan|SoHo]] district.<ref name="Sisario"/> Located at 76 [[Mercer Street (Manhattan)|Mercer Street]] just west of [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]], the Annex occupied an underground space of {{convert|25,000|sqft|m2}}.<ref name="Sisario"/> The branch museum operated in much the same way as its Cleveland parent, featuring archetypal display pieces like [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]'s coat from ''[[Purple Rain (film)|Purple Rain]]'', [[David Byrne]]'s "big suit" from ''[[Stop Making Sense]]'', and [[Elvis Presley]]'s motorcycle jacket and Bible.<ref name="Sisario"/> But from its start, the Annex also had a distinct [[New York area]] focus that made plenty of space for big items like the phone booth from [[CBGB]], layered thick with band stickers over the decades; Bruce Springsteen's own [[1957 Chevrolet]]; a special gallery reserved for the city's musicians; and an intricate {{convert|26|ft|m|adj=on}} scale model of Manhattan highlighting sites of rock history.<ref name="Sisario"/>

Jann Wenner served as chairman of the board of the Annex.<ref name="Soeder">{{cite web |url=https://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/2008/12/jann_wenner_says_remarks_about_1.html |title=Jann Wenner says remarks about wishing Rock Hall were in New York were 'misconstrued' |last=Soeder |first=John |date=December 5, 2008 |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |access-date=November 3, 2019 }}</ref> At its opening night gala, he inadvertently created a controversy after he told a reporter, "One of the small sad things is we didn't do it in New York in the first place."<ref name="Soeder"/> He later expressed regret for his remark, which he said had been misconstrued and clarified that "I am absolutely delighted that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is in Cleveland."<ref name="Soeder"/>

The Annex closed on January 3, 2010, its quick demise reportedly due to the  [[2008 financial crisis]] and a subsequent downturn in the city's tourism.<ref name="Durkin">{{cite news |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/new-york-city-rock-roll-hall-fame-annex-closes-doors-year-opening-article-1.457194 |title=New York City's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex closes its doors just a year after opening |last=Durkin |first=Erin |date=January 3, 2010 |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] }}</ref> The museum's final major exhibition was about [[John Lennon]] and his years in New York City.<ref name="Durkin"/>

==Exhibits and features==
Since 1997, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has featured numerous temporary exhibits that range in size from major exhibits that fill the top two floors of the museum to smaller exhibits that are often installed in the main exhibition hall on the lower level.

The museum's first major exhibit opened on May 10, 1997. It was called ''I Want to Take You Higher: The Psychedelic Era, 1965–1969'' and included memorabilia from numerous artists including [[John Lennon]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[John Sebastian]], [[Jefferson Airplane]], and [[Janis Joplin]], as well as items related to the 1967 [[Monterey Pop Festival]] and 1969's [[Woodstock]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9705/06/rock.hall.fame/index.html| title=Rock-and-Roll Hall pays tribute to 'psychedelic' era| date=May 6, 1997| work=[[CNN]]| access-date=August 22, 2020| archive-date=May 21, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521041924/http://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9705/06/rock.hall.fame/index.html| url-status=dead}}</ref>

That exhibit was followed by ''Elvis Is in the Building'', which ran from August 8, 1998, to September 5, 1999. This year-long tribute was the first exhibit devoted to a single artist: Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll" and the first inductee into the RRHOF in 1986. [[Graceland]] supplied a significant selection of representative artifacts for this special tribute that spanned Presley's life and career.<ref>Keeter, Larry G. ''Elvis Is In the Building'', "Elvis International Forum," Summer 2000, pp.{{nbsp}}28–29.</ref> Next, the museum curated ''Roots, Rhymes and Rage: The Hip-Hop Story'',<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mtv.com/news/972006/hip-hop-exhibit-features-run-dmc-tupac-shakur-artifacts/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816140523/http://www.mtv.com/news/972006/hip-hop-exhibit-features-run-dmc-tupac-shakur-artifacts/| url-status=dead| archive-date=August 16, 2019| title=Hip-Hop Exhibit Features Run-D.M.C., Tupac Shakur Artifacts| date=June 13, 2000| last=Hawthorne| first=Daniel| website=[[MTV]]}}</ref> which was the first major museum exhibit to focus on hip-hop. It ran from November 11, 1999, to August 6, 2000. It was followed by ''Rock Style'', an exhibit that focused on both rock and roll and fashion. It featured clothing from [[Buddy Holly]] to [[Alice Cooper]], [[Ray Charles]] to [[David Bowie]], and [[Smokey Robinson]] to [[Sly Stone]]. After it closed in Cleveland, ''Rock Style'' traveled to other museums in the U.S.

Other temporary exhibits have included ''Lennon: His Life and Work'', which ran from October 20, 2000, to January 1, 2003, followed by ''In the Name of Love: Two Decades of [[U2]]'' and ''Reflections: The [[Mary Wilson (singer)|Mary Wilson]] Supreme Legacy Collection''. A major exhibition titled ''Louder than Words: Rock, Power, Politics'' was on display during the [[2016 Republican National Convention]] in Cleveland.<ref>{{cite news| last=Smith| first=Troy| title=Rock Hall announces 'Rock, Power and Politics' exhibit to coincide with Republican National Convention| url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/12/rock_halls_rock_power_and_poli.html| date=December 10, 2015| newspaper=The Plain Dealer| location=Cleveland| access-date=October 19, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/08/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fames-rock-on-tv-exhibit-headed-to-chicago.html| title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 'Rock on TV' exhibit headed to Chicago| first=Troy| last=Smith| date=August 14, 2019| newspaper=The Plain Dealer}}</ref>

Other large temporary exhibits have focused on [[the Clash]] (''Revolution Rock: The Story of the Clash''), [[the Doors]] (''Break on Through: The Lasting Legacy of the Doors''), [[the Who]]'s ''[[Tommy (The Who album)|Tommy]]'' (''Tommy: The Amazing Journey''), and [[Bruce Springsteen]] (''From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen''). Another thematic temporary exhibit focused on the role of women in rock and roll (''Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power''). Many of these exhibits travel to other museums after closing in Cleveland. A major temporary exhibit in 2017 told the story and impact of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite news| last=Smith| first=Troy| title=Rock Hall exhibit lays out Rolling Stone magazine's remarkable impact| url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/05/rock_halls_new_rolling_stone_e.html| date=May 4, 2017| newspaper=The Plain Dealer| access-date=October 19, 2019}}</ref>

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also curates many smaller temporary exhibits. Over the years, these exhibits have focused on such topics as the [[Vans Warped Tour]], [[the Concert for Bangladesh]], Woodstock's 40th and 50th anniversaries, [[Austin City Limits]], the [[Monterey International Pop Festival]], [[Roy Orbison]], Motown's 50th anniversary, [[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]], [[Marty Stuart]], [[Paul Simon]], [[Graham Nash]], [[John Mellencamp]], and [[Geddy Lee]]'s basses.

The museum also devotes exhibits to photography and artwork related to rock and roll. Among the photographers whose work has been featured at the Hall of Fame are [[George Kalinsky]], [[Alfred Wertheimer]], Tommy Edwards, Kevin Mazur, Janet Macoska, [[Lynn Goldsmith]], [[Linda McCartney]], [[Mike McCartney]], Robert Alford,<ref>{{cite news| last=Yarborough| first=Chuck| title="Just Can't Get Enough: The Photography of Robert Alford" opens Sept. 19 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum| url=http://www.cleveland.com/music/index.ssf/2012/09/just_cant_get_enough_the_photo.html| newspaper=The Plain Dealer| access-date=June 21, 2013}}</ref> and George Shuba. The museum also featured the artwork of Philip Burke in one of its temporary exhibits, and a later exhibit featured Herb Ritts.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://library.rockhall.com/exhibition_history| title=Libibrary and Archives| website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame}}</ref>

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum produces numerous public programs, including concerts, interviews, lectures, film screenings, and other events that help tell the story of rock and roll.
Every February, the museum celebrates [[Black History Month]] by hosting concerts, film screenings, and lectures that illustrate the important role African-Americans have played in the history of rock and roll.<ref>{{cite news| last=Niesel| first=Jeff| title=Rock Hall Announces Events for Black History Month| url=https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2015/01/27/rock-hall-announces-events-for-black-history-month| newspaper=Cleveland Scene| date=January 27, 2015| access-date=August 22, 2020}}</ref> 

Another program is the Hall of Fame Series. This series began in April 1996 and features interviews with Hall of Fame inductees in rare and intimate settings, most often in the Museum's Foster Theater. The interviews are usually followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience and, often, a performance by the inductee. 

A similar program is the Legends Series, whose only real difference from the Hall of Fame Series program is that it features artists who have not yet been inducted into the Hall of Fame. [[Peter Hook]] of [[Joy Division]], [[Spinderella]] of [[Salt n Pepa]], [[Tommy James]], and [[the Chi-Lites]] are among the artists who have participated in the Legends Series.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's most acclaimed program{{according to whom|date=February 2025}} is the annual American Music Masters series. Each year, the museum celebrates one of the Hall's inductees with a week-long series of programs that includes interviews, film screenings, and, often, a special exhibit. The celebration ends with an all-star concert held at a Cleveland theater. The concerts include a diverse mix of artists—from Hall of Fame inductees to contemporary musicians.

The American Music Masters series began in 1996 with ''Hard Travelin': The Life and Legacy of Pete Seeger''. Since then, the programs have honored the following inductees: [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]] (1997), [[Robert Johnson]] (1998), [[Louis Jordan]] (1999), [[Muddy Waters]] (2000), [[Bessie Smith]] (2001), [[Hank Williams]] (2002), Buddy Holly (2003), [[Lead Belly]] (2004), [[Sam Cooke]] (2005), Roy Orbison (2006), [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] (2007), [[Les Paul]] (2008),<ref>{{cite magazine| last=D.X.| first=Ferris| title=Slash, Billy Gibbons Jam for Les Paul at Rock Hall's American Music Master's Concert| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/slash-billy-gibbons-jam-for-les-paul-at-rock-halls-american-music-masters-concert-20081117| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]| date=November 17, 2008| access-date=March 5, 2013}}</ref> Janis Joplin (2009),<ref>{{cite news| last=DeMarco| first=Laura| title=Rock Hall to honor Janis Joplin in American Music Masters series| url=http://www.cleveland.com/music/index.ssf/2009/08/rock_hall_to_honor_janis_jopli.html| newspaper=The Plain Dealer| access-date=March 5, 2013}}</ref> [[Fats Domino]] and [[Dave Bartholomew]] (2010), [[Aretha Franklin]] (2011),<ref>{{cite news| last=Soeder| first=John| title=Aretha Franklin Honored in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame American Music Masters Tribute| url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2011/11/aretha_franklin_honored_in_roc.html| newspaper=The Plain Dealer| access-date=March 2, 2013}}</ref> [[Chuck Berry]] (2012),<ref>{{cite magazine| last=Doyle| first=Patrick| title=Chuck Berry Praises Obama, Laments Fading Health| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/chuck-berry-praises-obama-laments-fading-voice-20121027| magazine=Rolling Stone| date=October 27, 2012| access-date=March 2, 2013}}</ref> [[The Everly Brothers]] (2014), and [[Johnny Cash]] (2017).<ref name="rhonors">{{cite news |last1=Yarborough |first1=Chuck |title=Rock Hall Honors: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame reimagines Music Masters with the honoree as the star performer |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/01/rock-hall-honors-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-reimagines-music-masters-with-the-honoree-is-the-star-performer.html |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |access-date=October 20, 2019 |language=en |date=January 13, 2019}}</ref> In 2019, the concert series's format was retooled, and the event was renamed the Rock Hall Honors, in which the honored performer is joined in concert by guests of their choice.<ref name="rhonors"/> The first Rock Hall Honors concert, featuring [[Mavis Staples]], was performed in Cleveland in September 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yarborough |first1=Chuck |title=Rock Hall Honors celebrates Hall of Famer Mavis Staples in revamped Music Masters program |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/08/rock-hall-honors-celebrates-hall-of-famer-mavis-staples-in-revamped-music-masters-program.html |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |access-date=October 20, 2019 |language=en |date=August 1, 2019}}</ref>

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame won the [[2020 Webby Award|2020 Webby People's Voice Award for Cultural Institution]] in the category Web.<ref name="Kastrenakes">{{cite journal |last1=Kastrenakes |first1=Jacob |author2=Jay Peters |title=Here are all the winners of the 2020 Webby Awards |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/20/21263445/2020-webby-awards-winners-lil-nas-x-nasa-jon-krasinski |journal=[[The Verge]] |access-date=August 22, 2020 |language=en |date=May 20, 2020}}</ref>

=== List of "The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" ===
{{anchor|The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll}}
Hall of Fame museum curator James Henke, along with "the museum's curatorial staff and numerous rock critics and music experts", created an unordered list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.rockhall.com/site/faq/| title=FAQ| website=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum| access-date=March 24, 2015| archive-date=March 22, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322185411/http://rockhall.com/site/faq/| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0150472.html| title=500 Songs That Shaped Rock| website=Infoplease.com| date=February 11, 2017| access-date=October 24, 2016}}</ref> The list is part of a permanent exhibit at the museum, and was envisioned as part of the museum from its opening in 1995.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.artcom.com/Museums/nv/mr/44114-10.htm| website=Artcom Museums Tour| title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum| access-date=August 22, 2020}}</ref> It contains songs recorded from the [[Stagger Lee (song)|1920s]] through the 1990s. The oldest song on the list is "[[Wabash Cannonball]]" (in particular [[Roy Acuff]]'s 1936 version), written {{Circa|1882}} and credited to J. A. Roff.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Loewe |first=Jim |date=June 23, 2013 |title=Wabash Cannonball |url=https://historynewsnetwork.org/blog/152354#sdfootnote1sym |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=History News Network}}</ref><ref name="655 Songs" /> Since then, however, an additional 160 songs have been added, and the list is now simply referred to as "The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". The most recent songs on the list are [[Gnarls Barkley]]'s "[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]" and [[My Chemical Romance]]'s "[[Welcome to the Black Parade]]", which were both released in 2006. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are the most represented on the 660-song list, with eight songs each.<ref name="655 Songs">{{cite web |url=http://rockhall.com/exhibits/one-hit-wonders-songs-that-shaped-rock-and-roll/ |title=Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll |publisher=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628094517/http://rockhall.com/exhibits/one-hit-wonders-songs-that-shaped-rock-and-roll/ |archive-date=June 28, 2011 |access-date=January 6, 2017}}</ref>

===25th anniversary concert===
{{Main|25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts}}
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame celebrated its 25th anniversary with a concert series over two days on October 29 and 30, 2009, at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York. The celebration included performances by [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[U2]], [[Patti Smith]], [[Bruce Springsteen]] and [[the E Street Band]], [[Simon & Garfunkel]], [[Dion DiMucci]], [[Metallica]], [[James Taylor]], [[Bonnie Raitt]], [[Fergie (singer)|Fergie]], [[Mick Jagger]], [[Lou Reed]], [[Ray Davies]], [[Ozzy Osbourne]], [[Paul Simon]], [[Jeff Beck]], [[Buddy Guy]], [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[Little Anthony & the Imperials]], and [[Crosby, Stills and Nash]]. The first night ran almost six hours, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band closing the concert with special guests [[John Fogerty]], [[Darlene Love]], [[Tom Morello]], [[Sam Moore]], [[Jackson Browne]], [[Peter Wolf]], and [[Billy Joel]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/10/rock_and_roll_hall_of_fame_ann.html| title=Billy Joel is surprise guest at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert| first=Jay| last=Lustig| date=October 30, 2009| newspaper=[[The Star-Ledger]]| location=Newark}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Henry Ray |last=Abrams |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/10/jagger_springsteen_black_eyed.html |title=Jagger, Springsteen, Black Eyed Peas jam with U2 at rock hall concert |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |access-date=June 12, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Henry Ray |last=Abrams |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/11/songs_for_hbos_rock_and_roll_h.html |title=Songs for HBO's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame special announced |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |access-date=June 12, 2011}}</ref>

==Inductees==
{{See also|List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees}}
[[File:Eric-Clapton 1975.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|English guitarist, singer, and songwriter [[Eric Clapton]] is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.]]
[[File:The_Beatles_members_at_New_York_City_in_1964.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|English rock group [[The Beatles]] were inducted in 1988, and all four members were later inducted as solo artists.]]
Artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at an annual induction ceremony. Over the years, the majority of the ceremonies have been held at the [[Waldorf-Astoria Hotel]] in New York City. However, on January 12, 1993, the ceremony was held in Los Angeles and was held there again in 2013. On May 6, 1997, about a year and a half after the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the ceremony was held in Cleveland. It returned to Cleveland in 2009 and again in 2012. Current plans call for the ceremony to be in Cleveland every three years.

Generally, the number of inductees each year ranges from about a half-dozen to a dozen. Virtually all living inductees have attended the ceremonies, and they are usually presented with their Hall of Fame award by an artist who was influenced by that inductee's music. Both the presenter and the inductee speak at the ceremonies, which also include numerous musical performances by both the inductees and the presenters. {{as of|2021|2}}, there were 338 inductees.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inductees A to Z |url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/a-z |website=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |access-date=February 21, 2021}}</ref>

The first group of inductees, inducted on January 23, 1986, included [[Elvis Presley]],<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/music/rock-hall/list-of-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductees/95-125896462| title=Who's inducted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? See the full list| publisher=[[WKYC]] News}}</ref> [[James Brown]], [[Little Richard]], [[Fats Domino]], [[Ray Charles]], [[Chuck Berry]],<ref>{{cite episode| url=https://www.npr.org/2020/01/14/796012607/women-make-up-less-than-8-of-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductees| title=Women Make Up Less Than 8% Of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees| date=January 14, 2020| series=[[Morning Edition]]| network=[[NPR]]}}</ref> [[Sam Cooke]], the [[Everly Brothers]], [[Buddy Holly]], and [[Jerry Lee Lewis]]. [[Robert Johnson]], [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]], and [[Jimmy Yancey]] were inducted as Early Influences; [[John Hammond (producer)|John Hammond]] received the Lifetime Achievement Award; and [[Alan Freed]] and [[Sam Phillips]] were inducted as Non-Performers.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/music/rock-hall/should-mtv-original-vjs-be-inducted-into-rock-hall-you-can-sign-a-petition/95-63a4a20e-5093-48e5-98ce-3c2ebf64fa5a| title=Should MTV's original VJs be inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? You can sign a petition| work=WKYC News}}</ref>

===Performers===
A nominating committee composed of rock and roll historians selects names for the "Performers" category (singers, vocal groups, bands, and instrumentalists of all kinds), which are then voted on by roughly 500 experts across the world. Those selected to vote include academics, journalists, producers, and others with music industry experience. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll. [[Block approval voting]] is used, with those nominees who receive the most votes being inducted, subject to a minimum of 50% approval. Around five to seven performers are inducted each year.<!--It is *not* impossible for 5 to 7 nominees to each receive 50 percent or more of a vote, as the number of nominees is not specified, and voters can select multiple nominees. There were seven inductees in this category in 2004, and eight in 2001. --><ref>{{cite web| url=http://rockhall.com/inductees/induction-process/| title=Induction Process| website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame| access-date=August 23, 2018}}</ref>

In 2012, six additional groups—[[the Miracles]], [[the Famous Flames]], [[the Comets]], [[the Blue Caps]], [[the Midnighters]], and [[the Crickets]]—were inducted as performers by a special committee due to the controversial exclusions when their lead singer was inducted. "There was a lot of discussion about this," said Terry Stewart, a member of the nominating committee. "There had always been conversations about why the groups weren't included when the lead singers were inducted. Very honestly, nobody could really answer that question – it was so long ago ... We decided we'd sit down as an organization and look at that. This is the result."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2012/02/crickets_famous_flames_comets.html| title=Crickets, Famous Flames, Comets, Miracles, Midnighters and Blue Caps added to Rock Hall induction ceremony| last=Soeder| first=John| newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]| date=February 9, 2012| access-date=February 26, 2012}}</ref>

===Early Influences===
Early Influences includes artists from earlier eras—primarily [[country music|country]], [[folk music|folk]], [[jazz]], and [[blues]]—whose music inspired and influenced rock and roll artists. Other notable artists that have been inducted as Early Influences include [[Bill Kenny (singer)|Bill Kenny]] & [[The Ink Spots]], country musicians [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]] and [[Hank Williams]], blues musician [[Howlin' Wolf]], and jazz musicians [[Jelly Roll Morton]] and [[Louis Armstrong]]. After [[Nat King Cole]] and [[Billie Holiday]] in 2000, no one was inducted in this category until 2009, when rockabilly singer [[Wanda Jackson]] was selected. Unlike earlier inductees in this category, Jackson's career almost entirely took place after the traditional 1955 start of the "rock era".

===Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement===
Formerly the "Non-Performers" award, this category encompasses those who primarily work behind the scenes in the music industry, including record label executives, songwriters, record producers, disc jockeys, [[tour promoter|concert promoter]]s, and [[Journalism|music journalists]]. Following the death of the Hall of Fame's co-founder [[Ahmet Ertegun]], this award was renamed in his honor in 2008.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/late-ertegun-honoured-with-new-hall-of-fame-award_1062079| title=Late Ertegun Honoured With New Hall Of Fame Award| date=March 11, 2008| journal=[[Contactmusic.com]]| archive-date=April 25, 2010| access-date=December 15, 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425003602/http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/late-ertegun-honoured-with-new-hall-of-fame-award_1062079| url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Award for Musical Excellence===
Formerly the "Sidemen" award, this category was introduced in 2000 and honors veteran [[session musician|session]] and concert players who are selected by a committee composed primarily of producers. The category was dormant from 2004 through 2007 and re-activated in 2008. This honor was renamed the "Award for Musical Excellence" in 2010. According to Joel Peresman, the president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, "This award gives us flexibility to dive into some things and recognize some people who might not ordinarily get recognized."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2010/12/neil_diamond_alice_cooper_dr_j.html |title=Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Darlene Love and Tom Waits headed into Rock Hall |date=December 15, 2010 |access-date=December 20, 2010 |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |last=Soeder |first=John}}</ref>

==Library and archives==
[[File: RocknRollHall 2015 LHCollins 600.jpg|thumb|The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2015]]
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Library and Archives is the world's most comprehensive repository of materials related to the history of rock and roll. The library and archives are located in a new building on the Metro Campus of [[Cuyahoga Community College]] in Cleveland's [[Campus District]].

The library and archives' mission is to collect, preserve, and provide access to these materials. The library and archives operates on two levels: people may come into the library to read books and magazines, listen to music and other recordings, and watch videos and films. More serious scholars, historians, and journalists may also make an appointment for access to the archival collections under the supervision of the staff archivists.

The library is composed of books, academic dissertations, and other references. It also includes popular magazines, scholarly journals, and trade publications; commercial audio and video recordings; and research databases.

The archival collections include music-business records from record executives, artist managers, labels, historic venues, recording studios, specialists in stage design and lighting, and long-running concert tours. The collections also contain important individual items, such as personal letters penned by [[Aretha Franklin]] and [[Madonna]], handwritten working lyrics by [[Jimi Hendrix]] and [[LL Cool J]], papers from music journalists such as [[Sue Cassidy Clark]], and rare concert recordings from [[CBGB]] in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite magazine| title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Opens Archives to the Public| date=January 18, 2012| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-opens-archives-to-the-public-20120118| magazine=Rolling Stone| access-date=March 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| last=Graff| first=Gary| title=Rock Hall Opening Library and Archives This Week| url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/511232/rock-hall-opening-library-and-archives-collection-this-week| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| date=January 17, 2012| access-date=August 22, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Soeder| first=John| title=Rock Hall Library and Archives set to open Tuesday| url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2012/01/rock_hall_library_and_archives.html| newspaper=The Plain Dealer| date=January 15, 2012| access-date=March 1, 2013}}</ref>

==Criticism and controversy==
{{Criticism section|date=August 2025}}
A frequent criticism of the hall of fame is that the nomination process is controlled by a small number of individuals who are not themselves musicians, such as founders Jann Wenner and Suzan Evans, and writer [[Dave Marsh]], reflecting their personal tastes rather than public opinion as a whole. A former member of the nominations board once commented that "at one point Suzan Evans lamented the choices being made because there weren't enough big names that would sell tickets to the dinner. That was quickly remedied by dropping one of the [[doo-wop]] groups being considered in favor of a 'name' artist ... I saw how certain pioneering artists of the '50s and early '60s were shunned because there needed to be more name power on the list, resulting in '70s superstars getting in before the people who made it possible for them. Some of those pioneers still aren't in today."<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/fox-411-hey-madonna-girls-already-knew-how-to-commit-violence Fox 411: Hey Madonna: Girls Already Knew How to Commit Violence|Fox News]</ref><ref name="Friedman">{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1966,00.html |title=Rock Hall of Fame Fallout: 'There Is Resentment Building Up' |access-date=April 4, 2001 |last=Friedman |first=Roger |date=April 4, 2001 |work=Fox News |archive-date=January 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115080549/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1966,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Sister Rosetta Tharpe]] is often regarded as [[Honorific nicknames in popular music|the godmother of rock and roll]], but was not chosen for induction until 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xf8k7 |title=The Godmother of Rock & Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe |work=[[BBC Four]] |date=May 24, 2011 |access-date=March 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode| url=https://www.pbs.org/black-culture/shows/list/rock-and-roll-rosetta-tharpe/| title=Godmother of Rock and Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe| network=PBS| series=Black Culture Connection| access-date=March 18, 2017| archive-date=February 8, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208060554/https://www.pbs.org/black-culture/shows/list/rock-and-roll-rosetta-tharpe/| url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Velvet Underground]] drummer [[Maureen Tucker]] has dismissed the hall of fame as the "Hall of Lame" despite the band being inducted a few years prior to the remark.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://olivier.landemaine.free.fr/dougyule/dystory.html| title=Doug Yule - Story| website=Olivier.landemaine.free.fr| last=Yule| first=Jennifer| date=October 26, 2008}}</ref>

There was also criticism of the opacity in the selection process. Janet Morrissey of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote:

<blockquote>With fame and money at stake, it's no surprise that a lot of backstage lobbying goes on. Why any particular act is chosen in any particular year is a mystery to performers as well as outsiders, and committee members say they want to keep it that way.<ref name="New York Times">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/business/in-rock-hall-of-fame-vote-a-battle-of-industry-egos.html| title=Battle of the Bands (and Egos) for the Rock Hall of Fame| last=Morrissey| first=Janet| date=December 3, 2011| access-date=December 5, 2011| newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref></blockquote>

The chairman of the nominating committee, [[Jon Landau]], confirmed: "We've done a good job of keeping the proceedings nontransparent. It all dies in the room."<ref name="New York Times"/>

According to [[Fox News]], petitions with tens of thousands of signatures have also been ignored, and some groups that were signed with certain labels or companies or were affiliated with various committee members have even been put up for nomination with no discussion at all.<ref name="Friedman"/> The committee has also been accused of largely ignoring certain genres.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/12/getting-progressive-the-rock-hall-voted-in-genesis-whos-still-missing.html| title=Getting progressive: The Rock Hall votes in Genesis. Is Yes or Procol Harum next?| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| date=December 29, 2009| access-date=January 20, 2010| last=Boehm| first=Mike|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101154746/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/12/getting-progressive-the-rock-hall-voted-in-genesis-whos-still-missing.html|archive-date=January 1, 2010}}</ref> According to author [[Brett Milano]] in 2007, "entire genres get passed over, particularly [[progressive rock]], '60s [[Top 40]], New Orleans [[funk]] and a whole lot of [[black music]]".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-03-11-rock-hall-main_N.htm| title=Dispute rocks the hall| date=March 12, 2007| access-date=January 20, 2010| newspaper=[[USA Today]]| last=Gundersen| first=Edna|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125224232/https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-03-11-rock-hall-main_N.htm|archive-date=January 25, 2012}}</ref> At the time of Milano's comment, [[Pink Floyd]] were the only progressive rock band in the hall, although bands such as [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]], [[Rush (band)|Rush]], [[Yes (band)|Yes]], and [[the Moody Blues]] have since been inducted. In 2022, [[Steven Hyden]], a music critic for ''[[Uproxx]]'' and a hall voter, wrote that he believed the hall had been ignoring [[alternative rock]] and [[indie rock]] artists.<ref name="hyden1">{{cite web |last1=Hyden |first1=Steven |title=The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's Weird Bias Against Alt And Indie Rock |url=https://uproxx.com/indie/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-bias-against-alt-indie-rock/ |website=Uproxx |access-date=29 April 2024 |date=5 May 2022}}</ref> Hyden said that none of the 13 influential American bands from the 1980s profiled in [[Michael Azerrad]]'s 2001 book ''[[Our Band Could Be Your Life]]'' had been inducted, and wrote "How in the hell can you tell the story of rock 'n' roll without including a single one of them?"<ref name="hyden1"/><ref name="hyden2">{{cite web |last1=Hyden |first1=Steven |title=Ask A Music Critic: Will Oasis Be Voted Into The Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame? |url=https://uproxx.com/indie/oasis-rock-n-roll-hall-of-fame-ask-a-music-critic/ |website=Uproxx |access-date=29 April 2024 |date=14 February 2024}}</ref> 

Some critics have pointed out a bias in favor of American and British acts, while [[Canadian rock]] bands, such as [[the Guess Who]], are often ignored, with [[Neil Young]], [[Joni Mitchell]], [[Leonard Cohen]], Rush, and [[the Band]] being the only Canadian acts in the hall.<ref>{{cite news|title=Guess Who won't make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=October 25, 2021 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-guess-who-wont-make-it-into-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/|last1=Wheeler |first1=Brad }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Winnipeg group wants The Guess Who in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|date=January 7, 2021 |publisher=CTV News|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/the-soundtrack-of-a-generation-group-wants-the-guess-who-in-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame/|first=Charles| last=Lefebvre|access-date=August 16, 2022}}</ref> Mexican journalist Miguel Gálvez noted that no artist that performed exclusively in Spanish had ever been inducted into the hall, and advocated for the induction of artists from Latin America, including the Argentine rock band [[Soda Stereo]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gálvez |first1=Miguel |title=If Rock Is a Universal Language, Why Is Spanish Excluded From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? A Case for Soda Stereo's Induction |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/soda-stereo-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-induction-1235766959/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=18 September 2024 |date=5 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Meek |first1=Andy |title=Soda Stereo Looks Back on 40 Years — And Reveals That an Unreleased Song Is Coming |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/soda-stereo-new-song-anniversary-1235732307/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=18 September 2024 |date=17 July 2024}}</ref>

Another criticism is that too many artists are inducted. In one fifteen-year span, ninety-seven artists were inducted, averaging between six and seven inductees per year.<ref name="Bream"/> A minimum of 50% of the vote is needed to be inducted, although the final percentages are not announced and a certain number of inductees (five in 2011) is set before the ballots are shipped.<ref name="Bream">{{cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/457/story/931216.html |title=Three strikes, they're in |access-date=January 17, 2007 |last=Friedman |first=Roger |date=January 12, 2007 |newspaper=[[Star Tribune]] |location=Minneapolis}}{{dead link |date=March 2023 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.startribune.com/457/story/931216.html <!-- As of 2023-03-20 all web.archive.org copies are redirects, not content, and star-tribune.com refuses to provide correct results for phrase "three strikes they're in" --> }}</ref>  The committee usually nominates a small number of artists (twelve in 2010) from an increasing number of different genres. Several voters, including [[Joel Selvin]], himself a former member of the nominating committee, did not submit their ballots in 2007 because they did not feel that any of the candidates were truly worthy.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/14/DDBITBMBD.DTL |title=View: Rock and Roll Hall offers lackluster candidates |access-date=December 7, 2007 |last=Selvin |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Selvin |date=November 14, 2007 |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411025835/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/14/DDBITBMBD.DTL|archive-date=April 11, 2008}}</ref>

Members of the British [[punk rock]] band the [[Sex Pistols]], inducted in 2006, refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum "a piss stain" and "urine in wine".<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302091236/http://www.thefilthandthefury.co.uk/ |url=http://www.thefilthandthefury.co.uk/ |title=Official announcement from the Sex Pistols regarding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |date=February 24, 2006 |archive-date=March 2, 2008 |website=Sex Pistols – The Filth and the Fury}}</ref> In 2018, when British rock band [[Dire Straits]] were inducted, bandleader [[Mark Knopfler]] did not attend the ceremony and offered no official explanation, leaving bassist [[John Illsley]] to say: "He just didn't feel like coming, it's as simple as that. It just didn't appeal to him, and I appealed to him on several occasions."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/15/mark-knopfler-skips-dire-straits-rock-hall-of-fame-induction| title=Sultan of snub: Mark Knopfler skips Dire Straits' rock hall of fame induction| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| location=London| date=April 15, 2018| agency=[[Associated Press]]| access-date=August 22, 2020}}</ref> In response to [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]]' nomination for the Class of 2024, [[Liam Gallagher]] disparaged the hall on [[X (website)|X]], declaring that "there's something very fishy about those awards", "it's all a load of bollox {{sic}}", and referring to its members as "bumbaclarts".<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/liam-gallagher-oasis-roll-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nomination-reaction-1234966803/ |title=Liam Gallagher Slams Rock Hall of Fame After Oasis Nomination: "There's Something Very Fishy About Those Awards" |journal=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]] |first=Althea |last=Legaspi |date=February 12, 2024 |access-date=March 15, 2024}}</ref>

In [[BBC Radio 6 Music]]'s Annual [[John Peel]] Lecture in 2013, singer [[Charlotte Church]] accused the museum of [[gender bias]], stating, "Out of 295 acts and artists in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, 259 are entirely male, meaning that [[Tina Weymouth]]'s part in [[Talking Heads]] makes them one of the 36 female acts."<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2013/10/15/church| title=Transcript: Paul Resnikoff, 'I'm Charlotte Church. And This Is How Women Are Routinely Demoralized by the Music Industry...,'| journal=Digital Media News| date=October 15, 2013| access-date=August 22, 2020| archive-date=March 21, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321121152/http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2013/10/15/church| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b0175jw5| journal=BBC Radio 6 Music| title=The John Peel Lecture: Charlotte Church| date=October 15, 2013}}</ref> In 2014, the percentage of female inductees was 8.5%.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.scrollkit.com/s/GGR9Eju| title=Misogyny in Rock| first=Yuridia| last=Chapa| date=May 2, 2014| website=Scrollkit.com| access-date=August 22, 2020| archive-date=September 18, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918114932/https://www.scrollkit.com/s/GGR9Eju| url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Courtney Love]] made similar criticisms of the hall in 2023, highlighting the length of time it had taken to induct artists such as [[Kate Bush]], [[Nina Simone]], [[Carole King]], [[Linda Ronstadt]], and "most egregiously", [[Tina Turner]] as a solo artist, as well as the failure to induct [[Chaka Khan]] despite seven nominations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/17/why-are-women-so-marginalised-by-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame |title=Why are women so marginalised by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? |first=Courtney |last=Love |work=The Guardian |date=March 17, 2023 | access-date=April 29, 2024}}</ref> Following [[Donna Summer]]'s death in 2012, [[Elton John]] had criticized the hall for failing to induct her during her lifetime, calling it "a total disgrace, especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/music/a382316/elton-john-donna-summer-should-be-in-hall-of-fame/ |title=Elton John: 'Donna Summer should be in Hall of Fame' |first=Robert |last=Copsey |website=[[Digital Spy]] |date=May 18, 2012 | access-date=March 27, 2023}}</ref>

[[Steve Miller (musician)|Steve Miller]], a 2016 inductee, directed a litany of complaints at the hall, both during his induction speech and especially in interviews after it. His criticisms included that there is a general lack of female inductees, there is not enough support by the hall for music education, and inductees are treated poorly at the award ceremony.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/64693-steve-miller-rips-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame/ |title=Steve Miller Rips the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |journal=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |first=Evan |last=Minsker |date=April 9, 2016 |access-date=August 22, 2020}}</ref> At the same ceremony, [[Cheap Trick]] guitarist [[Rick Nielsen]] commented on the hall's ticket policy for inductees and their families as unnecessarily expensive, a sentiment echoed by Miller.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjSyo4kUq5M&ab_channel=CheapTrick  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/DjSyo4kUq5M| archive-date=December 11, 2021|title=Cheap Trick - RnR Hall of Fame Acceptance Speeches - full, uncut |author=Cheap Trick |website=YouTube |date=May 3, 2016 |access-date=July 22, 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umI7MkgwS7M&ab_channel=ArtisanNewsService  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/umI7MkgwS7M| archive-date=December 11, 2021|title=Steve Miller Goes Off On Rock Hall After Induction, Cheap Trick During Speech |author=ArtisanNewsService |website=YouTube |date=April 9, 2016 |access-date=July 21, 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2018, [[Bruce Dickinson]] of [[Iron Maiden]] called the hall "an utter and complete load of bollocks ... run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock 'n' roll if it hit them in the face".<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/iron-maidens-bruce-dickinson-brands-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-an-utter-and-complete-load-of-bollocks-2393652| title=Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson brands Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 'an utter and complete load of bollocks'| website=[[NME]]| first=Rhian| last=Daly| date=October 25, 2018| access-date=August 22, 2020}}</ref> Dickinson has also expressed an overall distaste for the hall's entity, arguing that "if you put [music] in a museum, then it's dead". Iron Maiden had been eligible for induction since 2004.<ref>{{Cite journal| url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-hall-of-fame-2020-forecast/| title=Rock Hall Of Fame 2020 Forecast: Who's Newly Eligible, Who Gets In| last=Irwin| first=Corey| date=April 18, 2019| journal=[[Townsquare Media|Ultimate Classic Rock]]}}</ref> Hard rock and heavy metal website ''[[Blabbermouth.net]]'' observed how it had taken 15 years for [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] to be inducted (eligible since 1999; inducted in 2014) and 23 years for [[Deep Purple]] (eligible since 1993; inducted in 2016). Regarding his band's non-induction into the hall, [[Judas Priest]] bassist [[Ian Hill]] stated in a 2019 interview, "I don't think they like heavy metal music in general."<ref name="blabbermouth january 2019">{{cite web| url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ian-hill-on-judas-priests-exclusion-from-rock-hall-i-dont-think-they-like-heavy-metal-music-in-general/| title=Ian Hill On Judas Priest's Exclusion From Rock Hall: 'I Don't Think They Like Heavy Metal Music In General'| website=[[Blabbermouth.net]]| date=January 27, 2019| access-date=September 25, 2019}}</ref>

Fans of the [[Dave Matthews Band]] criticized the 2020 inductions because the band was not part of the class, despite them topping the fan vote.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/01/16/rock-hall-fame-dave-matthews-band-fans-slam-2020-induction-snub/4488124002/| title='Dave Matthews Band got robbed,' fans say of 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction| first=Hannah| last=Yasharoff| newspaper=USA Today|date=January 16, 2020}}</ref> The band was inducted in 2024.

===The Dave Clark Five===
On March 14, 2007, two days after that year's induction ceremony, Roger Friedman of [[Fox News]] published an article that claimed [[the Dave Clark Five]] should have been the fifth inductee, as they had more votes than inductee [[Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five]]. The article went on to say that Jann Wenner availed himself of a technicality on the day votes were due in. In reality, the Dave Clark Five received six more votes than Grandmaster Flash, but Wenner thought "we couldn't go another year without a rap act".<ref name="Friedman2">{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258664,00.html#2 |title=Rock Hall Voting Scandal: Rock Group Actually Won |access-date=April 6, 2007 |last=Friedman |first=Roger |date=March 14, 2007 |work=Fox News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070620171832/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258664,00.html#2|archive-date=June 20, 2007}}</ref>

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation responded: "There is a format and rules and procedure. There is a specific time when the votes have to be in, and then they are counted. The bands with the top five votes got in."<ref name="Heaton">{{cite news |url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1174136163185340.xml&coll=2 |title=Rock Hall denies vote fix report |access-date=April 6, 2007 |last=Heaton |first=Michael |date=March 17, 2007 |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129223135/http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fentertainment%2F1174136163185340.xml&coll=2 |archive-date=November 29, 2007}}</ref> The Dave Clark Five were subsequently nominated again and then inducted the following year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/13/rockhall.inductees.ap/index.html |title=Madonna leads list of Rock Hall inductees |access-date=January 2, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |date=December 13, 2007 |work=CNN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224161029/http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/13/rockhall.inductees.ap/index.html |archive-date=December 24, 2007}}</ref>

===The Monkees===
In a [[Facebook]] post, Monkees member [[Michael Nesmith]] stated that he did not know if the Monkees belonged in the Hall of Fame because he could see the impact of the Monkees only from the inside and went on to say: "I can see the HOF (Hall of Fame) is a private enterprise. It seems to operate as a business, and the inductees are there by some action of the owners of the Enterprise. The inductees appear to be chosen at the owner's pleasure. This seems proper to me. It is their business in any case. It does not seem to me that the HOF carries a public mandate, nor should it be compelled to conform to one."<ref>{{cite web |last=Nesmith |first=Michael |title='Should The Monkees be included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?', you ask. |url=https://www.facebook.com/michaelnesmith/posts/400891016595629 |publisher=Facebook |access-date=May 13, 2012 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>{{primary-inline|date=February 2025}}

Some magazines and news outlets—such as ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine| last=McCombs| first=Joseph| title=Hey, Hey Let Them In: 10 Reasons The Monkees Should Be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame| url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/04/19/the-monkees-should-be-in-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-times-10-part-treatise/#their-chart-success| magazine=Time| access-date=May 20, 2012| date=April 19, 2012}}</ref> [[NPR]] radio,<ref>{{cite news| last=Hirsh| first=Marc |title=NOW Can We Induct the Monkees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?| url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2012/03/01/147736081/now-can-we-induct-the-monkees-into-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame |work=Pop Culture Happy Hour | publisher=NPR| date=March 2012| access-date=May 20, 2012}}</ref> ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'',<ref>{{cite news| title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The top 5 biggest omissions| url=https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2010/1215/Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame-The-top-5-biggest-omissions/The-Monkees| newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor| first=Jacob| last=Turcotte|date=December 15, 2010|access-date=May 20, 2012}}</ref> ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]'' magazine,<ref>{{cite magazine| last=Marder| first=Phill| title=No Monkee business allowed in the Rock Hall of Fame?| url=http://www.goldminemag.com/blogs/no-monkee-business-allowed-in-the-rock-hall-of-fame| magazine=Goldmine| access-date=May 20, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| last=Marder| first=Phill| title=10 more bands snubbed by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame| url=http://www.goldminemag.com/blogs/10-more-bands-snubbed-by-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame| magazine=Goldmine| access-date=May 20, 2012}}</ref> [[Yahoo! Music]],<ref>{{cite web| last=Hoskyns| first=Barney| title=Why Aren't the Monkees in the Rock and Roll of Fame?| url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/rocks-backpages/why-aren-t-monkees-rock-roll-fame-125232196.html| website=Yahoo! Music|date=November 11, 2011| access-date=May 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021204935/http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/rocks-backpages/why-aren-t-monkees-rock-roll-fame-125232196.html|archive-date=October 21, 2012}}</ref> and [[MSNBC]]—have argued that the Monkees belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sclafani |first=Tony |title=Hey hey, it's the fans who want the Monkees in the Rock Hall |url=http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/13/11182790-hey-hey-its-the-fans-who-want-the-monkees-in-the-rock-hall |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512022857/http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/13/11182790-hey-hey-its-the-fans-who-want-the-monkees-in-the-rock-hall?lite |archive-date=May 12, 2012 |access-date=May 20, 2012 |publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

===Dolly Parton===
Country singer-songwriter [[Dolly Parton]] was announced as a nominee for the 2022 Hall of Fame ballot in February 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Del Barco |first1=Mandalit |title=Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie among the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/02/02/1077606888/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees-2022 |website=NPR |access-date=May 4, 2022 |language=en |date=February 2, 2022}}</ref> Parton requested to be removed from the ballot in March 2022, after the ballots had been sent to voters. In a statement, Parton wrote: "Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don't feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out."<ref name="p4kparton">{{cite web |last1=Hussey |first1=Allison |title=Dolly Parton Declines 2022 Rock Hall Nomination |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/dolly-parton-declines-2022-rock-hall-nomination/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=March 14, 2022 |date=March 14, 2022}}</ref> The hall replied days later that she would remain on the ballot, in part because the ballots for the 2022 class had already been sent to voters.<ref name="usaparton">{{cite web |last1=Della Cava |first1=Marco |title=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame won't pull Dolly Parton from ballot: 'We are in awe of Dolly' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/03/17/dolly-parton-remains-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-ballot/7076229001/ |website=USA TODAY |access-date=March 17, 2022}}</ref> 

Although Parton had asked to be removed from the ballot because she did not think of herself as a rock artist, the hall responded that "From its inception, rock and roll has had deep roots in rhythm & blues and country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture. Dolly Parton's music impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed. Her nomination to be considered for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame followed the same process as all other artists who have been considered."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Willman |first1=Chris |title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Responds to Dolly Parton, Says She's Still on Ballot |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/rock-roll-hall-fame-responds-dolly-parton-ballot-1235208069/ |website=Variety |access-date=March 17, 2022 |date=March 17, 2022}}</ref> In April 2022, Parton told ''[[Morning Edition]]'' that she would accept her induction if she were selected.<ref name="nprparton">{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Rachel |title='Dreams do still come true' in a new novel by Dolly Parton and James Patterson |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/04/29/1095444447/dolly-parton-james-patterson-novel |website=NPR |date=April 29, 2022 |access-date=April 29, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Parton was announced as a 2022 inductee on May 4.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Minsker |first1=Evan |title=Dolly Parton and Eminem Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/dolly-parton-and-eminem-inducted-into-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fames-class-of-2022/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=May 4, 2022 |date=May 4, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Rock music}}
* [[List of 200 Definitive Albums in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]
* [[List of music museums]]
* [[List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Rock and Roll Hall of Fame navbox}}
{{Cleveland}}
{{Rock music}}
{{Musicawards}}
{{I. M. Pei}}

{{authority control}}

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[[Category:Rock music museums]]
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