Of the 17 people (15 individuals and a duo) who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 1986, would you care to venture a guess how many were women? We’re looking at all inductees – performers, non-performers and early influences.
Would you believe: none?
It’s true that most of the most vital artists from rock and roll’s early years were men — Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and more. But it’s not like there were no women to choose from. Many women who have subsequently been inducted could have been inducted that first year (meaning they had been active for at least 25 years at that point).
And that wasn’t the only time that women were shut out of the Rock Hall’s annual class of inductees. It has happened five subsequent times, most recently in 2016. But the Rock Hall has since seen the light and is working toward gender parity. With Cyndi Lauper, Meg White of The White Stripes, Salt-N-Pepa and bass guitarist Carol Kaye set to be inducted later this year, this will be the ninth consecutive year that women have been invited to rock and roll’s annual party.
Listed chronologically by each year’s class, here are all the women to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All were inducted as performers unless otherwise designated. Likewise, all were inducted as individuals unless otherwise designated. Three women – Stevie Nicks, Carole King and Tina Turner – have been inducted twice. (So too have 24 men.)
