Perhaps They'll Get In Over Jann Wenner's Dead Body

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has, perhaps justifiably, not been particularly receptive to certain genres.  Most of these musical styles have uncoincidentally usually not been critical favorites.  I think at one time this statement would have been true for prog rock, although I think a couple of these acts have been inducted in recent years.  It's also probably kind of true for metal, although I think that's probably more of a function of a lot of rock critics not being able to distinguish between the music and musical worth of most metal acts once you get past the obvious inductees like Metallica and Black Sabbath.  Anyway, here are some less than well-represented genres -

Arena rock (aka AOR/corporate rock) - This one seems most obvious.  Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Toto, Asia, Kansas, Boston, Styx, etc. sold millions and millions of albums, had lots of hit songs, and sold out lots of basketball and hockey arenas.  They also tended to be fairly faceless acts, didn't ooze charisma, and weren't particularly hip.  The one inductee from this genre, Journey, had truly iconic songs that people remember after decades and a frontman whose name they can identify.  Foreigner was nominated this year, and may eventually get in.  I'm actually kind of surprised that Styx hasn't been inducted, if only for having the funniest "Behind the Music" episode, with Tommy Shaw recalling how his response to having to sing Broadway musical songs about robots on tour was to self-medicate.

Mainstream '80s pop rock - The classic example is Huey Lewis and the News.  Another one would be Bryan Adams.  There's nothing wrong with these acts, and they sold millions of albums and had lots of hit songs.  If they had had equivalent careers in the '60s and maybe even the '70s, then they would have been inducted a long time ago.  It's just that there wasn't anything really innovative about these artists.  And given that music went in the direction of genres such as hip hop, there aren't a lot of younger musicians acknowledging them as influences, at least unironically.  Oh well, perhaps Huey Lewis et al. will get some credit for members of the News backing up Hall fave Elvis Costello on his first album.

'80s solo stars already inducted as part of better groups - Phil Collins is the obvious example here (and also kind of part of the second group), but Sting and Don Henley are others.  Phil Collins was massively successful in the '80s and incredibly ubiquitous, but I don't see anyone too excited to work to get him elected.  Perhaps Sting has a better chance because he was cooler and a better songwriter.  Then again, Diana Ross, who was legitimately one of the biggest stars of the '70s, hasn't been inducted as a solo performer, so it may take a while.