“As the pool of artists eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame continues to get more and more diffuse in its nominations — in terms of sound, geography and chronology — the inductees get harder and harder to predict,” we wrote in this prediction column for the 2025 class of nominees. And in 2026, that’s only getting exponentially truer.

How do we compare the induction chances of Luther Vandross, a late titan of R&B with continued relevance but not a ton of rock-world crossover cred, with the Black Crowes, a classic rock and roll band with a good half-decade run as ’90s rock superstars but no major mainstream moments in the past 30 years? Or with Shakira, or P!nk, two very different types of global pop icon for over a quarter-century who few would consider rock (but who both unquestionably rock)? Or with Iron Maiden, a metal powerhouse outfit with a seismic impact in the metal world for nearly half a century, but with only minimal radio or MTV presence for their entire run?

There are few obvious shoo-ins left for the Rock Hall at this point, and now every year is a recalibration of what matters most to voters — whether it be influence, popularity, singularity, endurance or just plain ol’ rocking. We’ll probably get a little bit of all of that in the Class of 2026, but here’s how we handicap each of the 17 nominees from this year’s shortlist, 10 of whom are on the ballot for the very first time.

(Disclaimer: Writer is now a voting member of the Rock Hall.)