Bream: New Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominations are short on women and artists of color

The list of 2025 nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday reads like it was compiled by the unwoke Who Did We Overlook Committee.

The eight first-time nominees — Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Maná, Outkast and Phish — have all been eligible for years. Remember, an artist’s first record had to be released 25 years ago — 2000, in this case — to be eligible.

Mariah Carey, Oasis, Soundgarden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Idol and the White Stripes have been previous finalists.

Hard to believe that Checker isn’t already in. He’s been eligible since the Rock Hall started in 1985. Maybe the hall poohbahs didn’t think a two-hit wonder who had a huge cultural impact on young people in the early ‘60s is worthy. Or why wasn’t he inducted in one of those special categories like Chet Atkins, Chaka Khan and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis?

Hard to believe only two women were nominated this year. Actually three, including Meg White as half of the White Stripes.

No love, though, for the Bangles, Bjork, B-52’s, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Runaways, Salt N Pepa, Queen Latifah, Diana Ross, Alanis Morissette, Lauryn Hill, Melissa Etheridge, TLC and Destiny’s Child (hello Beyoncé!). They were all eligible.

Keeping with its non-DEI approach, the hall nominated only four acts of color — Outkast, Carey, Checker and Maná — out of the 14 finalists.

The nominees are chosen by a select committee of previous inductees and music biz bigshots. There are usually about 30 people on this panel, with their names revealed in the induction ceremonies program.

About 1,200 experts — inductees, musicians, scholars, industry executives and critics, including me — cast ballots. Voters usually get to choose up to five of the finalists. There are no write-ins. There is a fan vote that factors into the final tally.

The new inductees will be announced in April, with a ceremony to be scheduled in the fall in Los Angeles.

Here is my first blush assessment, rating the candidates as yes, no or maybe. My final decision will come later.

Bad Company. It’s catchup on the ‘70s rockers. What no Boston, Styx, Jethro Tull, Iron Maiden? Oh, I could go on. Paul Rodgers is one of the great rock singers, a staple on classic-rock radio. Maybe.

The Black Crowes. A band of sometimes bickering brothers. Loved their mix of soul with Southern rock. An often exciting live band but not important. No.

Mariah Carey. What a voice. What a parade of hits. I’m not her biggest fan, maybe because she so rarely performed in the Twin Cities or even toured much at all. Yes.

Chubby Checker. C’mon “The Twist”? “Pony Time”? I thought he was already in. Yes.

Joe Cocker. The late British soul man was one of the greatest song interpreters of the 20th century, delivering definitive versions of tunes by the Beatles, Randy Newman, Billy Preston, the Box Tops and others. Yes.

Billy Idol. An underrated 1980s MTV star whose enduring rockers “Rebel Yell,” “White Wedding” and “Dancing with Myself” still resonate as does his ballad “Eyes Without a Face.” An invigorating live performer, he gets extra points for that marvelously spikey hair. Yes.

Joy Division/New Order. This duo nomination for one British band that evolved into the other is curious and perhaps a bit problematic. Should the groups have been nominated separately? The short-lived Joy Division was certainly one of England’s most noteworthy postpunk bands, but New Order has had a longer run with its electronic dance music. Maybe.

Cyndi Lauper. Kooky, colorful and significant, she was a great advocate for women, “others” and underdogs. Her string of hits including “Time After Time” and farewell performance in December in Minneapolis sold me. Yes.

Maná. To be honest, I’m not overly familiar with these Mexican rockers, who are the first-ever nominees who performed primarily in Spanish. Since the early ‘80s, they’ve sold lots of albums and won lots of awards, including a lifetime Latin Grammy. Is this a surprise DEI nomination on a slate that is not very inclusive? Maybe.

Oasis. They had two monstrous hits, “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova,” and huge popularity, especially in their native England. But the bickering Gallagher brothers unplugged too soon. This is definitely Maybe.

Outkast. Their Southern-seasoned hip-hop stew embraced so many sonic ingredients as well as positive messages. Much love for their Grammy-winning masterwork “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” Heck yeah, I’m going to vote for them. Yes.

Phish. They are a trippy cultural phenomenon, thanks to their marathon live shows (many of which I’ve attended). But, unlike some other jam bands, their recordings don’t measure up. No.

Soundgarden. The Rock Hall doesn’t want to forget ‘90s grunge. Or do they? This is a third nomination for this Seattle band, whose Chris Cornell’s voice was one of the most vital and distinctive of the era. No.

The White Stripes. Garage rock is underrepresented in the Rock Hall. Let’s hear it for Minneapolis’ own Replacements! (They deserve to be in the hall of fame.) Garage rock was thrillingly artful in the hands of Jack and Meg White. Yes.