If there’s one thing purists enjoy more than seeing their favorite artists get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it’s complaining about nominees they deem “unworthy.”

Naturally, the Rock Hall was always going to be prime fodder for debate, much the same way fans argue over who deserves enshrinement in various professional sports halls of fame. But Major League Baseball has relied on statistics as metrics to gauge a player’s value, while music is largely subjective. Sales figures and Grammy Awards definitely help an artist's hall of fame case, yet ultimately it comes down to the “influence and significance” of their work.

Early on, it was easy. Nobody was going to argue against icons like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan or Ray Charles earning induction. But with each passing year, the nominees come from a wider range of genres, continually earning the scorn of those who believe the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame should be rock and nothing else.

Pop and hip-hop artists have suffered the brunt of these attacks. Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Tupac Shakur, Madonna, ABBA are just some of the many acts who earned induction despite accusations of not being “rock” enough.

But for all those who look at the nominees list year after year, shaking their fist and complaining that “things aren’t what they used to be,” there comes a harsh reality: It’s only going to happen more. The majority of rock’s classic luminaries have already been inducted.

Certainly, some artists remain sorely overlooked – notably in the metal world – but every year brings with it a new batch of eligible acts, many of whom come from genres other than rock.

Rather than waiting on the fury, we’re jumping right into it. To be clear, these should not be seen as endorsements. Instead, UCR is reading the tea leaves to predict future Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees likely to outrage purists.

Future Rock Roll Nominees That Will Outrage Purists

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