We have now arrived to the final category of my blog series. This category will focus on Female Pop and R&B artists, mostly of the 1980’s and 1990’s, but with some pre-1980’s artists thrown in for good measure. What exactly is this type of artist? Well, look to artists such as Donna Summer, Madonna, and Janet Jackson and you’ll begin to get the picture of what I’m trying to categorize here. Now while Pop and R&B are technically different genres, both are commonly linked by dance music, as artists of both genres often have work that can be classified as dance music. The other reason I’m linking both together is because artists of both genres are severely neglected by the Hall and both generally lack respect among music critics and fans, with big reasons being sexism and racism. For decades, the narrative in music has been that female artists that don’t either play rock music of some sort (classic rock, metal, punk, alternative, indie, etc.) or are true powerhouse vocalists of soul music (ala Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, etc) are not artists to be taken seriously, and that has been the prevailing view and narrative for a very long time. Even female artists in rap were not taken very seriously for quite some time. But female artists that play pop, R&B, and dance music rooted in 70’s disco have long gotten the shaft from music critics and fans.
That’s what this category is all about. To recognize those artists that didn’t get the respect they deserved for a long time, but who are now starting to get that level of respect and acknowledgment for their contributions to music. Look at popular music today. Has Janet Jackson or Foreigner left more of an imprint? I think we all know the answer. So here, we’re gonna highlight artists of this type that the Hall should focus on to get more representation of this genre/category over the next 15 years. Similar to the hip-hop category, I did break from the standard format I’ve went with, as like hip-hop, there are a number of future first ballot eligible artists that will come forth, thus making for some easy inductions. So, this will be another category that has more than 10 candidates for the Hall to push for. So here is how the Hall should approach this category…..
2020/21/22
Tina Turner:
We’re gonna kick this category off with one of the most iconic females in the history of music, Tina Turner. Tina was first inducted for the 1991 class with her estranged ex-husband/musical partner, Ike Turner. Ike and Tina were one of the great live acts of the 1960’s and 1970’s and produced several classic hit singles. Despite Ike’s issues, particularly his horrific treatment of Tina, the duo was a great musical act, and a HOF level one at that. However, after their break-up in the mid 70’s (both musically and personally), Tina would find much bigger success on the national stage thanks to her 1984 monster hit album, Private Dancer. Tina was always considered to be one of the greatest vocalists as well as live performers in rock and R&B music, going back to her days as part of “Ike and Tina Turner.” But her solo career further cemented her legend and status as an icon in music. Her story of breaking apart from Ike’s abuse to triumph and have even bigger success without him is a truly inspiring and courageous story. She’s been one of the biggest snubs of the HOF for many years. It’s believed that many in the Hall simply feel inducting her with Ike was enough, but that just simply isn’t the case. Tina was one of the biggest megastars in pop music during the 1980’s and is one of most iconic legends in modern music history. She’s a surefire HOF candidate and it’s a crime she’s not yet in the HOF as a solo artist. Tina is the artist that should’ve become the first female artist to be inducted twice into the HOF. The HOF needs to prioritize getting Tina inducted immediately to right one of the biggest wrongs the Hall has done over the last 20 years. There’s plenty of female artists of the pop and R&B genres the Hall should focus on, but of all them Tina, should really be the No. 1 focus.
Whitney Houston:
Female artists of the pop/dance and R&B genres began to dominate the music scene in the 1980’s. And that’s thanks mostly to three truly important figures in music history: Madonna (inducted in 2008), Janet Jackson (inducted in 2019), and Whitney Houston. There were other big female pop/R&B stars in the 80’s, but they don’t compare to those three when it comes to long term success, amount of hit songs, influence on music, and general pop culture iconic stature. Madonna was inducted immediately, but it took Janet over a decade to finally get the nod. Obviously, this is a genre and “particular type of artist” the Hall has not been quick to embrace, and it’s been a struggle. Female-based pop has long had the stigma of being “fluff” music, or “music without substance.” Those perspectives have been established thanks to a male-dominated mindset and longstanding control over the narrative of music history throughout the decades. Thankfully that is starting to change, and women and their importance to music and pop culture is becoming more and more highlighted and acknowledged. It made sense to go for Janet first as she debuted before Whitney, and the argument could be made that she was the more substantial and talented music artist. She helped pioneer multiple genres in R&B (New Jack Swing and Neo-Soul to name a few), was a co-songwriter on many of her hits, as well as co-producer. And her albums were much more ambitious works of art. So, it made sense to go with Janet first. With Janet finally being inducted, it’s now Whitney’s time. Whitney may not have been the musical visionary that Janet was, nor did Whitney pioneer specific genres of music, but what Whitney had that Janet didn’t was her voice. Whitney is simply the greatest singer in popular music of the last 30 years, of any genre, and only falls short to Aretha Franklin as the greatest female singer in R&B history. Whitney played as big a role as Janet and Madonna when it came to pioneering the modern female “Pop/R&B” star. Whitney brought more soul and powerful vocals to the role that Madonna and Janet simply didn’t have. Every great singer of the last 30 years was inspired by Whitney. She’s an icon and megastar that should’ve been inducted immediately upon being eligible, but like Janet, was not. Now with Janet in, Whitney has to be the next focus in the line of female pop/R&B stars that began in the 1980’s.
For the first three years here, the Hall needs to focus on Tina Turner, a star of the 60’s and 70’s, and who finally reached mega stardom in the 1980’s, and then the next of the “Big 3” of 80’s female pop stars, that being Whitney Houston. Both artists should easily be able to get inducted within a 3-year period. Both are big enough stars that if they get put on the ballot, they would likely get the votes to go in right away.
2023/24/25
Cher:
For the next 3-year period, I think we should follow the same pattern as the previous three years, focus on a global icon who was a pioneer for female pop stars (ala Tina Turner) and then the next in line for 1980’s and beyond female pop stars. For that pioneering female global icon, it makes sense to go for Cher next. Despite my feelings on here being more of a pop culture icon than a music one per se, she’s still an iconic figure whose path to that stature was born out of her music career. Similar to Tina Turner, she started out as a duo with her husband (Sonny and Cher), but once going solo became an even bigger star with more success. Her peak of fame was arguably during the 1970’s thanks to the Sonny and Cher show as well as the many hits she had. That continued into the 80’s where she had a successful movie career, even getting an Oscar nomination for her performance in the 1987 film, Moonstruck; not to mention continuing to have major hit songs. That kept going to the turn of the millennium when she had the biggest hit of her career with “Believe.” Cher is one of the most inspiring female performers in American history, and someone whose fame and influence has never really wavered, despite how long her career has been. For this category, it makes sense for Cher to be a focal point for the HOF. Though I think Tina Turner is a bigger snub. So, Tina should go first. Then Cher. Cher would probably agree.
Mariah Carey:
With Madonna, Janet, and presumably Whitney Houston in the Hall, the next in line is undoubtedly Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey was the most commercially successful artist of the 1990’s and to this day has the second most No. 1 hits in the history of the Billboard charts (18 No. 1’s) only behind the Beatles. Mariah Carey, like Whitney Houston, is one of the greatest singers of all-time, and is one of the few that can challenge Whitney’s throne. And unlike Whitney, Mariah also wrote the majority of her hits and produced many of them. There are only a select few artists in music history that dominated an entire decade commercially. Mariah is in that elite club. Mariah started off as more of a traditional pop/adult contemporary type singer, but evolved over time to incorporate more R&B and hip-hop into her style, which proved groundbreaking and helped pioneer modern R&B. She is another one of those iconic female artists of the 1980’s and 1990’s that helped lead to much of what we have in music today. So once Whitney Houston is in, then it’ll be Mariah’s time. Mariah will probably be a bigger struggle to get inducted compared to Whitney, as she doesn’t have quite the level of respect among older musicians, but that should not stop the Hall from trying.
2026/27/28
TLC:
The next way the Hall should go is to focus on the most successful female vocal group of the 1990’s, and the most successful of the late 1990’s/early 00’s, before their lead singer becomes eligible and a shoo-in first ballot HOFer. The first will be TLC who was the most successful and defining female vocal group of the 1990’s. The 1990’s became another golden age for R&B vocal groups (both male and female), and the leader of the pack on the female side was TLC. En Vogue, another worthy candidate, kind of kickstarted the era of 90’s female R&B vocal groups, but while their style was more “old-fashioned” inspired by classic R&B sounds, TLC were much more modern sounding, incorporating New Jack Swing, hip hop, pop, and later on neo-soul to their style. Their 1994 album, CrazySexyCool, became arguably the biggest R&B album of the 1990’s spawning monster hits like “Waterfalls,” “Creep,” “Red Light Special,” and “Diggin on You.” Their success continued into the late 90’s with hits like “No Scrubs,” (which became a pop culture phenomenon; making the word “scrub” a part of every day vernacular) and the pro- “self-acceptance” hit “Unpretty,” a song that was ahead of it’s time for it’s message of not conforming to typical social beauty standards and learning to accept and love your body for what it is. Once the Hall has gotten the big solo pop/R&B stars of the late 80’s/early 90’s inducted, it makes sense for the Hall to next look towards the vast amount of great female R&B vocal groups that dominated the genre in the 90’s. When going that route, you must start with TLC.
Destiny’s Child:
And just as TLC’s peak was winding down in the early 00’s, Destiny’s Child took the mantle as the queens of R&B vocal groups and dominated the genre throughout the early 00’s. Destiny’s Child, led by future superstar Beyonce Knowles, burst onto the music scene in the late 90’s along with many other groups, but quickly stood out from the pack thanks to their 1999 album, The Writings on the Wall, which spawned a number of hits, and their run of dominance only grew. Much like how TLC defined R&B in the 90’s, or the Supremes in the 60’s, Destiny’s Child did the same in the early 00’s. With iconic hits like “Say My Name,” “Bug a Boo,” “Bills Bills Bills,” “Jumpin Jumpin,” “Independent Women,” “Bootylicious,” “Survivor,”, and “Lose My Breath,” Destiny’s Child took feminist-minded R&B to the masses and created a surefire HOF-level run. You could make the argument that perhaps the Hall would be overlooking other great R&B groups of the 90’s like SWV and especially En Vogue, but the truth of the matter is that neither of those groups had the level of success that Destiny’s Child did. In addition, based on the timeline given, right after the third year for this group, Beyonce will become eligible as a solo artist, and because I envision her being a first ballot HOFer, I feel like the Hall should try to get the group in before they put Beyonce as a solo artist in. That’s typically how it’s went with two-time inductees. Usually a group will go in, then the solo act. I think the Hall should continue with that tradition.
2029/30/31
For this group we’re gonna break the rules a bit, as during this 3-year period we have two artists that will likely be first ballot HOF inductees that should get inducted easily and immediately. So, I’m gonna use those two artists as my choices, while also offering another choice for the Hall to push for at the same time, giving the Hall a total of 3 artists to focus on during this particular 3-year period.
Beyonce (newly eligible for 2029 class):
First off, we’ll start with our two artists that will be newly eligible during this 3-year period. First, we’ll go with Beyonce who will become eligible for the 2029 class. Beyonce is quite possibly the defining artist for music as whole from 2003 on. Beyonce is not only seen as a musical force, but also a cultural and even political force, as she has used her fame to consistently bring attention to the plights and challenges faced by black Americans, women, and especially black women. The best example of this is her landmark 2016 album, Lemonade, an album that defined the experiences of women in the late 2010’s, much like what Carole King’s 1971 album Tapestry did for women in the early 1970’s. Beyonce is the most important woman in music over the last 15 years, if not of all pop culture. She is a first ballot HOFer without a doubt. The Hall passing on her for the 2029 class would be every bit as insane and stupid as the Hall passing on Radiohead for the 2018 class. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it’d be as insane and stupid as if the Hall had passed on the Beatles for the 1988 class. Beyonce is that big of a deal. Obviously, she must be the focus of the 2029 class.
Rihanna (newly eligible for 2031 class):
Though the Future Rock Legends website lists Rihanna as being eligible for the 2028 class a year before Beyonce, indicating her first record was released in 2002, I cannot find absolutely any record of that online, and it appears that her first recording was released in 2005 with her debut single and album coming the same year. Thus, that would make her first eligible for the 2031 class, and, similar to Beyonce, Rihanna is also a first ballot HOFer, even at this stage. In a 14-year career (2005-present), Rihanna has shot to 3rd place for having the most No. 1 singles in American history with 14 No. 1 hits, only behind Mariah Carey and the Beatles. Rihanna is another artist that has come to dominate the music industry, while also evolving and changing her musical style and image, much like how Madonna and Janet Jackson did decades before. To me, Rihanna is the heir apparent to both of those artists, and she has lived up to the high bar those two set. Rihanna will go down with Beyonce as among the defining artists of 2010’s R&B and pop. She will probably be a tougher sell to the voters on the committee, because her music is much more dance and pop-orientated compared to Beyonce as voters typically respect traditional soul/R&B more so than dance and pop. Beyonce will likely get in easily, Rihanna will struggle. Much like how Janet struggled, and Whitney will probably get in right away. But Rihanna is a first ballot HOFer that the Hall should not pass on when her time comes.
Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound Machine:
Beings the Hall will have first ballot HOFer’s to induct right away during 2 of the 3 years here, we’ll give the Hall another artist that’s not quite first ballot-level, but another artist of this genre that the Hall can work on and try to get inducted during this time. That being Gloria Estefan. I’m gonna focus my writing on Gloria, but I want to preface this by saying that I am including Miami Sound Machine in this as well, as I think that the group should be inducted, and not just Gloria on her own. Now, to discuss Gloria Estefan specifically. Gloria was a major pioneer for music as she was by far the most successful Latin star of the 80’s and 90’s and helped pave the way for Latin music as a whole to break through onto the American scene. Whether it was her Latin-flavored dance hits with the Miami Sound Machine like “Conga,” “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” or “1-2-3,” or her massive solo Adult Contemporary-styled hits like “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” “Coming out of the Dark,” or “Reach”, Gloria was another major pop star of the late 80’s and 90’s, around the same time period as Madonna, Whitney, and Janet, and very influential in her own right. Her career is very HOF worthy as she broke tremendous gender and cultural grounds with her music and success. During this 3-year period, while the Hall is busy getting “newer” stars like Beyonce and Rihanna in, the Hall should also focus on another one of the 80’s/90’s mega stars that by this point will have been “left behind.”
2032/33/34
For this group, I’m also going with three artists once again, as the final year of this 3-year period (2034) has an artist that I feel is a first ballot HOF’er or certainly will be by then, so to me they’re automatic enough to list here. That will allow for two other artists for the Hall to push for during this 3-year period in addition to the automatic first ballot HOFer for the 2034 class.
Mary J. Blige:
1990’s R&B was heavily dominated by vocal groups, but it certainly had its share of massive solo stars that emerged throughout the decade. One of the biggest and most influential was Mary J. Blige who has often been called “The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” due to her pioneering merging of traditional R&B music with the more edgy style of hip hop. Mary was one of the earliest R&B artists to consistently collaborate with rap artists, thus helping to bridge the worlds of the two dominant genres. In the process, she helped lay the foundation for many aspects of modern popular music, including the typical duet between a female R&B singer and male rap star, a format that has proven to be a highly successful formula for having a hit song over the last 25 years or so. Mary is also seen as a major hero and icon among female artists and music fans for her ability to bring aspects of black womanhood and general feminism to the male dominated worlds of hip-hop. Basically, she was doing things in the 90’s that Beyonce has done over the last decade or so. To tell the story of 90’s R&B, Mary J. Blige is an essential piece of that story and should definitely be a focus of the Hall by this point in time.
Aaliyah:
One of the other major female solo stars of 1990’s R&B was Aaliyah, whose career was tragically cut way too short in a 2001 plane crash, just as she was starting to emerge in other pop culture mediums, particularly films. Aaliyah was another feminist icon for a generation of black women that grew up in the 90’s and 00’s. Her fashion sense, “cool/laid back” demeanor, and soft, smooth vocal style was quite the contrast to most female artists in R&B during the 1990’s, and thus she was able to stand out from the crowd almost immediately upon debuting in 1994. Her music was also ahead of it’s time thanks to her collaborations with the production team of Timbaland and Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott. The collaboration between the three would prove to be massively influential and would help pave the way for the more futuristic sound and style hip hop and R&B would take in the late 90’s and onward. Aaliyah’s career was ultimately short and she’s another star in music history whose potential was never fully realized due to an early death, much like Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, or Kurt Cobain. But nonetheless, her legacy as an influential music artist and feminist icon is firmly in place, and there’s no question that she is a HOF worthy artist. Ultimately, the Hall should go for Mary J. Blige first, as she debuted sooner, but once Mary is in, then Aaliyah should be next in line.
Lady Gaga (newly eligible for 2034 class):
Lady Gaga’s first release came in 2008, thus that would mean she will be eligible for the 2034 class, the final class for our timeline. Now this is a pure judgment call on my part, as I feel that Lady Gaga has come pretty close to securing her place as a first ballot HOF artist. Her success with her role in A Star is Born and the success from the soundtrack album (including an Oscar win for Best Original Song), I believe has secured her a spot as a first ballot HOFer, certainly by the time 2034 rolls around at least. Because of that I’m going to include her here, as my theory is that if an artist is first ballot-level, it won’t interfere too much with the other artists the Hall is trying to get inducted. Meaning that I don’t think Lady Gaga’s becoming eligible will interfere with efforts to get Aaliyah and/or Mary J. Blige inducted. Lady Gaga should be a shoo-in, and thus the Hall can continue to focus on Aaliyah and/or Mary J. Blige if needed. There are other female artists of the late 00’s/2010’s that many could consider being at this level (ala Taylor Swift, Adele, Katy Perry, etc.), but I think Lady Gaga is a step above those other artists. They don’t have Oscar trophies to their belt after all 😊. Thus, she ultimately gets the spot here.
So, in short here is the breakdown of the path the Rock Hall should go down to get more female Pop and R&B artists inducted over the next 15 years:
2020/21/22: Tina Turner/Whitney Houston
2023/24/25: Cher/Mariah Carey
2026/27/28: TLC/Destiny’s Child
2029/30/31: Gloria Estefan/Beyonce/Rihanna
2032/33/34: Mary J. Blige/Aaliyah/Lady Gaga
Now here’s a list of other artists I considered for this category but didn’t make the final cut.
Currently Eligible Artists: Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Dionne Warwick, En Vogue, Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, Paula Abdul, Sheila E., SWV
Future Eligible Artists: Shakira (2021 class); Spice Girls (2022 class); Erykah Badu (2023 class); Britney Spears (2024 class); Christina Aguilera (2025 class); Jennifer Lopez (2025 class); Alicia Keys (2027 class); Amy Winehouse (2029 class); Janelle Monae (2031 class); Taylor Swift (2032 class) Adele (2033 class); Katy Perry (2033 class)
And that will conclude the series of blog entries on the Future of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thank you to everyone that has read and enjoyed the series. As stated in the beginning, I do have more genres I want to cover, however I will likely hold off on doing that until next year after the 2020 inductees have been announced. Until then, let me know what you think of this particular category and what artists should be inducted for it. Have a good one!
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