Tier rankings!

Tier list rankings!

I'll be ranking the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees by tiers, for this I'll be giving the artists who were inducted as performers a tier letter based on influence, innovation & originality.

Tier list:

S = Founders, Pioneers, Legends & Icons 

A = No Brainers & Best of the Rest 

B = Solid Choices & Sure Picks 

C = Close Calls & Borderline 

D = Marginal, WTF & Forgotten 

1986 

Chuck Berry: S 

James Brown: S 

Ray Charles: S 

Sam Cooke: S

Fats Domino: S

The Everly Brothers: A 

Buddy Holly: S

Jerry Lee Lewis: A 

Little Richard: S 

Elvis Presley: S 

A first class full of pioneers & creators who changed the entire landscape of rock & roll with it's spirit, evolution, attitude & diversity proving there's more to the term than loud guitars, screaming banshees & pounding drums. 

 1987 

The Coasters: B

Eddie Cochran: A 

Bo Diddley: S 

Aretha Franklin: S 

Marvin Gaye: S 

Bill Haley: A 

B.B. King: A

Clyde McPhatter: B 

Ricky Nelson: A 

Roy Orbison: A 

Carl Perkins: A 

Smokey Robinson: A 

Big Joe Turner: A

Muddy Waters: S 

Jackie Wilson: A 

Only a second year & it's still historically remarkable although there's two who although aren't bad yet didn't completely changed anything regarding the rock & roll landscape. 

1988 

The Beach Boys: S

The Beatles: S 

The Drifters: A 

Bob Dylan: S 

The Supremes: S 

There's no need explaining about these most important trailblazers of popular music in it's third induction year especially one from United Kingdom & another from Minnesota.

What they did to change a whole concept of what rock & roll can be as an artform couldn't be replicated again while also shaped counterculture, performing arts & music industry entirely sparking movements related to those topics. 

Due to this, all of them earn their honors & deserved to be in the RRHOF quite like those previous two classes.

1989 

Dion: B 

Otis Redding: S 

The Rolling Stones: S 

The Temptations: A 

Stevie Wonder: S 

Having The Stones & Stevie Wonder being headliners takes the icing on a cake with their classic albums transcended sesmic effect on the course of rock & roll. 

Otis Redding & The Temptations have songs that stood the test of time, couldn't say the same for Dion although he did have influence on others. 

1990 

Hank Ballard: B

Bobby Darin: C 

The Four Seasons: B 

The Four Tops: A 

The Kinks: A 

The Platters: A 

Simon & Garfunkel: A 

The Who: S 

The Who alongside The Kinks in a same class was top notch as both inspired so many individuals to start their own bands. The rest are most hits than some misses. 

1991 

Lavern Baker: C 

The Byrds: S 

John Lee Hooker: A 

The Impressions: B 

Wilson Pickett: A

Jimmy Reed: B

Ike & Tina Turner: A 

The Byrds being one of the top acts in the 60's alone makes this induction worthwhile. Most of the honorees are pretty stellar except Lavern Baker. 

1992

Bobby "Blue" Bland: B 

Booker T. & The M.G's: A 

Johnny Cash: S 

The Isley Brothers: A

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: S 

Sam & Dave: A 

The Yardbirds: A 

Jimi Hendrix & Johnny Cash were stalwarts for their craft & their work being celebrated for it's true significance. Others are just as remembered for their incredible legacy. 

1993 

Ruth Brown: A 

Cream: A 

Creedence Clearwater Revival: A 

The Doors: A 

Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers: C 

Etta James: A 

Van Morrison: A

Sly & The Family Stone: A 

All except Frankie Lymon are truly artists who served as inspirations for everyone's career paths in the field. 

1994

The Animals: B

The Band: A

Duane Eddy: B

Grateful Dead: A

Elton John: A 

John Lennon: S 

Bob Marley: S 

Rod Stewart: A 

Now 1994 is filled with historic moments: John Lennon being the first Beatle to receive a solo induction & Bob Marley was the first reggae performer honored. Others as The Band, Elton John, Grateful Dead & Rod Stewart had very spectacular careers & discographies. 

1995

The Allman Brothers Band: A 

Al Green: A 

Janis Joplin: A 

Led Zeppelin: S 

Martha & The Vandellas: B 

Neil Young: S 

Frank Zappa: A 

An incredible year with Led Zeppelin & Neil Young being top contenders while Janis Joplin, Al Green, Frank Zappa, The Allmans, Martha & The Vandellas rounding out the list. 

1996 

David Bowie: S 

Gladys Knight & The Pips: B 

Jefferson Airplane: A 

Little Willie John: B 

Pink Floyd: S 

The Shirelles: A

The Velvet Underground: S 

Honorees Pink Floyd, David Bowie & The Velvet Underground should've been inducted when they first became eligible given their sheer level of inspiration everywhere, yet glad it didn't took them too long. The rest aren't slouches. 

1997 

The Bee Gees: A 

Buffalo Springfield: B

Crosby, Stills & Nash: B 

The Jackson 5: A 

Joni Mitchell: S 

Parliament - Funkadelic: A 

The (Young) Rascals: C 

This marks the first time a ceremony was held in it's home city. Joni Mitchell, P - Funk, The Bee Gees & Jackson 5 have discographies that'll continue to discover by generations to come. 

1998 

Eagles: A 

Fleetwood Mac: A 

The Mamas & Papas: C 

Lloyd Price: C 

Santana: A 

Gene Vincent: A 

In what way putting Eagles, Fleetwood Mac & Santana would be a interesting concept. All three put out music that would transcend generations. The Mamas & Papas might have some remarkable tunes yet not enough to solidify their case & Lloyd Price was the same problem except it's only two. 

1999 

Billy Joel: A 

Curtis Mayfield: A 

Paul McCartney: A

Del Shannon: C

Dusty Springfield: B 

Bruce Springsteen: S 

The Staple Singers: B 

A year with Bruce Springsteen, Curtis Mayfield, Billy Joel & Dusty Springfield as selected picks is pretty dope while being joined by Paul McCartney as a second Beatle to earn a solo honor. 

2000 

Eric Clapton: A 

Earth, Wind & Fire: A 

Lovin' Spoonful: D 

The Moonglows: C

Bonnie Raitt: B 

James Taylor: B 

Eric Clapton became the only one to be a 3x RRHOF inductee while EWF & James Taylor have songs that became touchstones to the general public. As for others, it's a swing or miss. 

2001 

Aerosmith: A 

Solomon Burke: B 

The Flamingos: C 

Michael Jackson: S 

Queen: A 

Paul Simon: A 

Steely Dan: A 

Ritchie Valens: C 

A class which features Michael Jackson & Queen is a cherry on top while Aerosmith, Steely Dan & Paul Simon solidify their cases. Solomon Burke is a decent pick for inclusion while other two are 50/50. 

2002 

Isaac Hayes: B 

Brenda Lee: C 

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: A 

Gene Pitney: C 

Ramones: S 

Talking Heads: A 

Ramones & Talking Heads in a same year? Definitely, they were among the bands who shaped their genres while countless modern indie & alternative artists cited them for their own music. Tom Petty was a songwriter whose music touched people's lives. The rest? No complaints. 

2003 

AC/DC: A 

The Clash: S 

Elvis Costello & The Attractions: A 

The Police: A 

Righteous Brothers: C 

The Clash, The Police, Elvis Costello & AC/DC being selected for the honor for their significant contributions is more than deserved. The Righteous Brothers certainly made tunes for the ages yet that's what they're only known for. 

2004 

Jackson Browne: B 

The Dells: C 

George Harrison: B 

Prince: S 

Bob Seger: B 

Traffic: B 

ZZ Top: B 

Outside of Prince, the class itself was 50/50 at the least yet it ended up produced one of the best all star jams in the Hall's history. 

2005 

Buddy Guy: B

The O'Jays: B 

The Pretenders: B 

Percy Sledge: D 

U2: S 

Having U2 headlined the class alone is a big deal with them being considered among the most acclaimed bands since The Beatles. Following them are The Pretenders, Buddy Guy & The O'Jays whom are artists with solid discographies. Don't know how Percy Sledge got in due to the fact he only had one hit with lack of influence & sesmic impact. 

2006 

Black Sabbath: A 

Blondie: A 

Miles Davis: S 

Lynyrd Skynyrd: A 

Sex Pistols: A 

One of the cases in the Hall playing catch up, yet it ended up being a memorable induction with Miles Davis, Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols, Blondie & Lynyrd Skynyrd being defenders in their own genres. 

2007 

Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five: A 

R.E.M: A 

The Ronettes: B 

Patti Smith: A 

Van Halen: A 

Probably the smallest class with only 5 artists yet most of them have tremendous resumes. 

2008 

The Dave Clark Five: C 

Leonard Cohen: A 

Madonna: S 

John Mellencamp: B 

The Ventures: C 

Madonna deserved this by bringing MTV into the forefront along with other stars in the 80's. Leonard Cohen lacked popularity yet gained prominence when his song Hallelujah became a landmark in pop culture. 

2009 

Jeff Beck: B 

Little Anthony & The Impreials: B 

Metallica: A

Run - DMC: A 

Bobby Womack: B 

Run DMC & Metallica, two respective groups in their sounds being honored around the same time. Others are ok yet not enough substance in their music. 

2010 

ABBA: A 

Jimmy Cliff: C

Genesis: B 

The Hollies: D 

The Stooges: A 

Only The Stooges stood out in this class. ABBA & Genesis almost went close. Jimmy Cliff is mid at best while The Hollies' honor is just another attempt on multiple inductions.

2011 

Alice Cooper: B 

Neil Diamond: B 

Dr. John: C 

Darlene Love: D 

Tom Waits: A 

Very unremarkable year outside of Tom Waits. Alice Cooper & Neil Diamond are decent picks while Dr. John on his impact was pretty lackluster. Darlene Love? Don't know why she got in as performer. 

2012 

Beastie Boys: A

Donovan: B 

GNR: A 

Laura Nyro: D 

RHCP: A 

The Small Faces/Faces: B 

Beastie Boys, GNR & RHCP are groups that most artists nowadays look up too. The other three performers not so much especially Laura Nyro. 

2013 

Heart: B

Albert King: A

Randy Newman: B 

Public Enemy: A 

Rush: B 

Donna Summer: A 

Public Enemy takes over the year while Albert King & Donna Summer each got their long overdue posthumous accolades. Rush went in after almost 15 years of eligibility. 

2014

Peter Gabriel: B

Hall & Oates: B 

Kiss: B 

Nirvana: S 

Linda Ronstadt: B 

Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam: C 

No exact thoughts about 2014 other than Nirvana earned their place in music history. Others aren't too bad although Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam had a career that's half memorable & underrated. 

2015 

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: D 

Green Day: A 

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: C 

Lou Reed: A 

SRV & Double Trouble: B 

Bill Withers: B 

Lou Reed & Green Day are performers whose contributions to the punk genre remains intact. SRV earns the honor due to his iconic skills on the art of guitar. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band only got in because of nostalgia. Joan Jett should've been in with The Runaways & Bill Withers was worthy, yet not all the way there on top. 

2016 

Cheap Trick: B 

Chicago: C 

Deep Purple: B 

N.W.A: A 

Steve Miller: D 

An example of classic rock taken over, even worse there's no women included this year. How the event took place is 50/50. Although the honors of N.W.A & Deep Purple had finally happened. 

2017 

Joan Baez: B

ELO: C 

Journey: D 

Pearl Jam: A 

Tupac: A 

Yes: B 

Nothing to say other than big congrats on Tupac & Pearl Jam for their sesmic shift on modern music. The rest is just crapshoot. 

2018 

Bon Jovi: D 

The Cars: B 

Dire Straits: C 

The Moody Blues: C

Nina Simone: A 

This has got to be the worst class in the Hall's history. There's only one highly regarded woman of R&R in performer category who've passed away long before finally recognized by the foundation. Two, you have classic rock taking over with four bands which most are borderline & marginal. And three is how the ceremony played out. Yeah we hardly remember anything noteworthy about it. 

2019 

The Cure: A 

Def Leppard: C 

Janet Jackson: A 

Stevie Nicks: D 

Radiohead: A 

Roxy Music: A 

The Zombies: C 

Radiohead, Janet Jackson, The Cure & Roxy Music makes this class more remarkable with their extensive output of albums being marked as classics. Def Leppard & The Zombies couldn't be on that method while Stevie Nicks should've been inducted once. 

2020 

Depeche Mode: A 

The Doobie Brothers: C 

Whitney Houston: A 

Nine Inch Nails: A 

The Notorious B.I.G: A 

T. Rex: B 

A very unique class which ended up being boring due to covid. Pretty much almost everyone were considered as stone picks for the honor. 

2021 

Foo Fighters: B 

The Go - Go's: B 

Jay - Z: A

Carole King: B 

Todd Rundgren: B

Tina Turner: A 

Well this marks a return of live music at ceremonies, also fortunately all these selections are safe with Jay-Z having the most impact. 

2022 

Pat Benatar: C 

Duran Duran: B 

Eminem: A 

Eurythmics: B 

Dolly Parton: A 

Lionel Richie: C 

Carly Simon: C 

Remember when inductions are supposed to be about quality & less about popularity, this is a complete opposite. The honors of Eminem & Dolly Parton are unquestionable whie Eurythmics & Duran Duran are pretty solid. The other 3 might not stand out very well. 

2023 

Kate Bush: A 

Sheryl Crow: C 

Missy Elliott: A 

George Michael: B

Willie Nelson: A  

RATM: B 

The Spinners: B 

What a fixture class with Kate Bush, Missy Elliott & Willie Nelson. The rest are just sure picks though not mind blown except Sheryl Crow, another borderline honoree. 

2024 

Mary J. Blige: A 

Cher: C 

Dave Matthews Band: C

Foreigner: D 

Peter Frampton: C 

Kool & The Gang: B 

Ozzy Osbourne: B 

A Tribe Called Quest: A 

A very weak class besides Tribe & Blige getting their call to victory. Most are misses than hits even though Ozzy & Kool have somewhat remarkable credentials. Plus way too many members which cheapens the award. 

2025 

Bad Company: D

Chubby Checker: C

Joe Cocker: C 

Cyndi Lauper: B 

OutKast: A 

Soundgarden: B 

The White Stripes: A 

A solid yet not spectacular class. OutKast, The White Stripes & Soundgarden carried this one alone so far with their work & tremendous credentials. The others, it's a swing or miss. 

What a list I made on this.