Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1986, Part Three - The Inductees

In 1986, the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame inducted ten artists as performers into the Hall. Using the same list of eligible artists that they had available to them at the time, here are the ten artists I would have chosen, presented in alphabetical order:


Aretha Franklin - The Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin has one of the greatest singing voices in the history of music, let alone rock n roll and used it to create some of the most dynamic and powerful songs of the rock n roll era.

Buddy Holly - One of the most important figures in the transition from R&B to rock n roll, Buddy Holly could have had a career on par with Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash if not for his tragic death on "the day the music died".

Chuck Berry - One of the most innovative guitarists in all of rock n roll, Chuck Berry inspired almost everyone who followed with his blistering guitar riffs and rapid-fire lyrics. Berry was one of the first great stars of rock n roll and was years ahead of his time artistically.

Elvis Presley - The King of Rock N Roll, Elvis Presley is a rock star of almost unparalleled success. One of the most influential figures in rock history and one of the best selling artists as well, Elvis essentially changed the world with his music, bringing about a change not only in entertainment but in society itself.

James Brown - It's said that there isn't a single note from a James Brown song that hasn't been covered or sampled by another artist since it was recorded. This is a testament to how revolutionary Brown's music was as he didn't merely hop from genre to genre during his eclectic career, he essentially created genre after genre with his innovative R&B, soul and funk music.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Along with Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the most influential artists of the early days of rock n roll and one of the most influential piano rocker of all-time.

Johnny Cash - Most of his career is classified as country music, but there's no denying the influence that Cash's music has made on rock n roll and all genres of music as well. Cash remains one of the most prolific and unique artists of the 20th century and wrote many of the most significant songs of the early days of rock n roll.

Little Richard - An early entry in the rock n roll wild man category, Little Richard was a groundbreaking artist who played piano like his hands were on fire and performed in an explosive and flamboyant style that had never been seen before.

Muddy Waters - Muddy Waters was perhaps the most important blues musician to the early days of rock n roll as his shifting blues lyrics and guitar work helped to inspire many of the first R&B and rock bands in the late 50's and early 60's. Waters is also one of the greatest songwriters of his generation and has a long track record to prove it.

Ray Charles - Ray Charles created and merged several styles of music that remain popular to this day, merging elements of gospel, country and the blues to create R&B from damn near scratch and inspiring generations of artists.



Next: 1987 - Fifteen artists from the pre-British Invasion era earn their place in the hall as the largest slate of inductees ever enters the Hall.