Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1988, Part Three - The Inductees

The Hall Of Fame only inducted five performing artists in 1988 and the "Class Of 1988" accounts for four of the new inductees into my hall, meaning there's only one slot available for an artist who was previously passed over.

The following "Class Of 1988" were inducted in their first year of eligibility:


Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan is perhaps the most important figure in American music in the last century. As a singer, songwriter or musician he easily ranks among the all-time greats in all three categories. His influence on popular music can be seen over and over again through the last 45 years. After all, whenever a new artist comes along that has a certain style to them, they're not called "the next Donovan" are they?

Stevie Wonder - The best performer from the legendary Motown Records, Stevie Wonder got his start singing at a very young age and managed to keep his career going strong for more than forty years. The best period of his career spanned from the late 60's through the 70's when his music ventured out beyond the limits of pure pop music and into soul, funk, R&B and even into classic rock at times.

The Beach Boys - The best surf rock band in rock n roll, The Beach Boys might not have made my Hall if not for their mid-career expansion into more artistic avenues, producing many of their best songs such as "Good Vibrations", "God Only Knows" and the Pet Sounds album, which inspired a generation of musicians to become more experimental with their music.

The Beatles - Widely regarded as the greatest band in all of rock n roll, The Beatles started out making the most brilliant pop music of the 60's before gaining inspiration from The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan and lots and lots of drugs and producing a string of albums whose artistry has never been matched, including "Rubber Soul", "Revolver", "Sgt. Pepper's", "The White Album" and "Abbey Road". The band broke up after less than a decade together but may go down as the top performers in their art.


The following artist has been inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1988:

Gladys Knight And The Pips - Another fantastic Motown artist, Gladys Knight And The Pips were among the greatest bands of the 60's with hits such as "Midnight Train To Georgia" and their cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".