This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame saw the inductions of legends such as Ozzy Osborne, Jimmy Buffett, Cher, Foreigner and others. These artists have been eligible to be inducted for many years. For fans of these artists, they believe it has been too long of a wait to be inducted. 

As noted on FutureRockLegends.com, to be eligible to be inducted, it must be 25 years after the artist’s first record (LP, EP, single). Take Ozzy as an example, his first record, “Blizzard of Oz,” debuted on Sept. of 1980 in the U.K. and March of 1981 in the U.S according to kshe95.com, a website dedicated to chronicling the history of music records. 

If my math is correct, Ozzy waited 44 years after his debut album was released to finally be inducted, and 19 years past eligibility. After all of these numbers and math thrown at you, it begs the question on who should be inducted next year that have been waiting patiently for their turn at rock and roll immortality. 

Here are some notable names of artists and groups who are still eligible to be inducted next year. 

Iron Maiden. They debuted the same year as Ozzy and have been noted as one of the founding bands of heavy metal. Having sold over 130 million copies of their music across the world and receiving over 600 certificates and awards according to chartmasters.org, so it is a no-brainer that they have deserved to be in the hall since 2005. There is no rock and roll without Iron Maiden.

Huey Lewis and the News. This group has had notable music in the film industry, such as “Back to the Future” and “American Psycho”. Nominated for multiple VMA awards and winners of five American Music Awards, they had a tight grip over music lovers back in the 80’s. They have waited long enough to be inducted.

Here is a rapid fire segment for you. Wu Tang Clan, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg all have yet to be inducted. Though it is called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you do not have to produce rock and roll. Other rap and hip hop artists have been inducted before. Tupac Shakur, Run D.M.C, N.W.A (note – Dr. Dre is a part of this group, but has not been inducted as a solo artist). No matter the genre of music, these artists have changed the world of music for the better and deserve to be inducted sooner rather than later.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of groups and artists waiting patiently to be inducted. Only a select few make it every year. So this argument will be made every year for a lifetime. But know this, As quoted by Aristotle, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
To see the full list of this years and past inductees, visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s website at rockhall.com.