Why Aren’t These Women In The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame?

Once again, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seems to have a woman problem. As in, there aren't nearly enough women in it.

Scroll through its long list of inductees and you will notice that very few of them aren't men. In fact, only 69 of the 888 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are women — that’s just 7.7% over 35 years. For women of color, the numbers are even bleaker.

Those numbers make Whitney Houston, the only woman who will be inducted in 2020, the exception to an outdated tradition. Janet Jackson and Stevie Nicks, who were inducted in 2019, both implored the Rock Hall to induct more women in their speeches. Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Joan Baez was the only woman inductee in 2017. In 2016, no women were inducted and in 2015, Joan Jett was the only woman, along with her male band, the Blackhearts. And way back in 1983, when it first started inducting members, zero women were honored.

Let's be honest: that's offensive as hell. Especially when you consider how many iconic, incredible, and groundbreaking women musicians there have been in the history of rock ‘n’ roll — many of whom have never even been considered with a nomination. Is the nomination committee unaware of these women? Do they need a list? We've got a lot of names.

Ahead are our picks from among the many deserving women who are pioneers in music, eligible according to the current criteria, and who should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as soon as possible.