Here Are All the Ladies in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Female Inductees: None

Notes: It’s difficult to envision any Hall of Fame launching today without any women in its first class. Our awareness has significantly improved since 1986.

Female Inductees: Aretha Franklin

Notes: Franklin had been recognized as the Queen of Soul for two decades when she became the first woman inducted into the Rock Hall. She topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Respect” in 1967 and a collaboration with future Rock Hall inductee George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” in 1987 – just in time for her induction.

Female Inductees: The Supremes (Florence Ballard, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson)

Notes: The Supremes were the first all-female group to be honored. They achieved 12 No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 during the 1960s, ranking just behind The Beatles (who had 18 No. 1 hits that decade). Their longest-running No. 1 was “Baby Love,” which spent four weeks at the top in 1964. Tragically, Ballard did not live to witness the induction. She passed away in 1976 at age 32, making her the first woman inducted posthumously.

The Rock Hall has yet to recognize Ross as a solo performer. (Stevie Nicks and Tina Turner have been inducted as solo acts along with their group or duo performances – as have 13 male artists.) Nile Rodgers, who collaborated on Ross’ 1980 hit “Upside Down,” and Lionel Richie, who worked with Ross on the 1981 classic “Endless Love,” have been acknowledged, but Ross has not. With the Hall broadening its definition of rock and roll, they should reevaluate this.

Female Inductees: Bessie Smith (early influence)

Notes: Smith was the first woman recognized as an early influence. Renowned as the “Empress of the Blues,” Smith is celebrated for her 1923 hit, “Down Hearted Blues.”

Female Inductees: Zola Taylor (part of The Platters), Carole King (with Gerry Goffin, non-performer category), Ma Rainey (early influence)

Notes: The Platters topped the Hot 100 in early 1959 with their rendition of the 1930s classic “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and had many major hits before the 1958 debut of the Hot 100, including “Only You (and You Alone),” “The Great Pretender,” “My Prayer” and “Twilight Time.”

King was the first woman to receive induction in the non-performer category, for her legendary collaboration with then-husband Gerry Goffin on classics like The Shirelles’ “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” If it seemed a slight to label an artist who recorded a landmark album of the 1970s (Tapestry) a “non-performer,” the Hall would later recognize her as a performer.

Rainey is well-known for her 1925 recording of “See See Rider Blues.” Viola Davis received an Oscar nomination for best actress for portraying Rainey in the 2020 film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Female Inductees: LaVern Baker, Tina Turner (as part of Ike & Tina Turner)

Notes: Baker’s signature song was “I Cried a Tear,” which reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1959. Ike & Tina’s biggest hit was a dynamic cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” which completely transformed the song. It peaked at No. 4 in 1971.

Female Inductees: None

Notes: This marked the second occurrence where no women were inducted. Ironically, 1992 is often referred to as the “Year of the Woman,” when four women were elected to the U.S. Senate for the first time, raising the number of women in the Senate to a then-unimaginable six.

Female Inductees: Ruth Brown, Etta James, Cynthia Robinson and Rosie Stone (as part of Sly & the Family Stone), Dinah Washington (early influence)

Notes: Brown’s highest-charting Hot 100 hit was “This Little Girl’s Gone Rockin’” (No. 24 in 1958). Brown secured a Tony Award for best actress in a musical in 1989 for Black and Blue.

James’ most renowned and timeless recording is “At Last,” although it wasn’t her highest-charting Hot 100 hit. “Tell Mama” (No. 23 in 1967) holds that distinction.

Robinson and Stone were the first women to receive induction as part of a mixed-gender group. Sly & the Family Stone had three No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 from 1969 to 1971 – the widely popular “Everyday People” and the progressively funkier tracks “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin” and “Family Affair.”

Washington achieved three top 10 hits on the Hot 100 in the early 1960s – “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes” and two duets with Brook Benton, “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)” and “A Rockin’ Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love).”

Female Inductees: Donna Jean Godchaux (as part of The Grateful Dead)

Notes: Godchaux joined The Dead in 1972, following their classic hit “Truckin.’” That tune peaked at No. 64 in December 1971, becoming The Dead’s most notable hit of the 1970s. Godchaux remained with the band until 1979.

Female Inductees: Janis Joplin, Martha & the Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford, Annette Beard, Betty Kelly, Lois Reeves, Martha Reeves)

Notes: Joplin was the first solo female rock artist to receive induction. In 1971, she became the first woman to top the Hot 100 posthumously, with “Me and Bobby McGee.”

Martha & the Vandellas enjoyed top five success on the Hot 100 with “Heat Wave” and “Dancing in the Street.” Both tracks were later revived by other Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists. Linda Ronstadt returned “Heat Wave” to the top five in 1975. Versions of “Dancing in the Street” by The Mamas and the Papas, Van Halen, and Mick Jagger & David Bowie all made the Hot 100 as well.

Female Inductees: Gladys Knight (as part of Gladys Knight & the Pips), Grace Slick (as part of Jefferson Airplane), The Shirelles (Shirley Alston Reeves, Addie Harris, Doris Kenner-Jackson, Beverly Lee), Maureen Tucker (as part of The Velvet Underground)

Notes: The Shirelles were the third all-female group to be inducted, marking the first that wasn’t signed to Motown Records. The Supremes and Martha & the Vandellas both recorded for that Detroiter powerhouse.

The Shirelles achieved two No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 in 1961-62 with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “Soldier Boy.” Gladys Knight & the Pips reached No. 1 in 1973 with “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

Jefferson Airplane delivered two iconic top 10 hits in 1967, “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit,” before transitioning into Jefferson Starship and eventually just Starship.

The Velvet Underground never achieved a Hot 100 hit. (Had they ever enjoyed mainstream success, they might have had to rebrand!) Their extensive catalog includes “Heroin,” “I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Sweet Jane,” and “White Light/White Heat.”

Female Inductees: Joni Mitchell, Mahalia Jackson (early influence)

Notes: Mitchell’s array of hits doesn’t fully convey her significance or impact: she had just one top 10 hit as an artist – “Help Me,” which peaked at No. 7 in 1974.

Jackson’s most impactful pop hit was a rendition of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” famously a 1958 success for English teen star Laurie London. The gospel legend’s version was once trending on a precursor to the Hot 100.

Female Inductees: Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks (as part of Fleetwood Mac), Cass Elliot and Michelle Williams (as part of The Mamas & the Papas)

Notes: McVie was the first British woman ever inducted into the Hall.

This was the only year that two mixed-gender groups received induction simultaneously. Both bands reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 with tracks from albums that topped the Billboard 200 – Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” (from Rumours) and The Mamas & the Papas’ “Monday, Monday” (from If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears).

Female Inductees: Dusty Springfield; Cleotha Staples, Mavis Staples and Yvonne Staples (as part of The Staple Singers)

Notes: Springfield was the first solo British woman to achieve induction into the Hall. Her 1969 album Dusty in Memphis didn’t make waves upon release (peaked at No. 99 on the Billboard 200, if you can believe that), but its reputation has flourished over the decades. Her highest-charting Hot 100 single was “What Have I Done to Deserve This?,” a collaboration with Pet Shop Boys that reached No. 2 in 1988.

The Staple Singers dominated the Hot 100 twice in the 1970s, first with “I’ll Take You There” and then with the less-celebrated “Let’s Do It Again.”

Female Inductees: Bonnie Raitt, Billie Holiday (early influence)

Notes: Raitt had to wait patiently for her moment in the spotlight, but when it finally came — during Grammy night in 1990 — she was well-prepared. Her highest-charting Hot 100 hit was “Something to Talk About,” which reached No. 5 in 1991.

Holiday’s biggest success, as commonly measured, was “Carelessly,” which she recorded with Teddy Wilson’s ensemble in 1937. However, her most iconic releases include “Strange Fruit” and “Good Morning Heartache.” Both Diana Ross and Andra Day received Academy Award nominations for best actress for representing Holiday. Ross was nominated for 1972’s Lady Sings the Blues; Day for 2021’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

Female Inductees: None

Notes: This marked the third time that no women were inducted.

Female Inductees: Brenda Lee, Tina Weymouth (as part of Talking Heads)

Notes: Brenda Lee enjoyed consecutive No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 in 1960 with “I’m Sorry” and “I Want to Be Wanted.” She was the second female artist to achieve back-to-back No. 1s, following Connie Francis (who has yet to be acknowledged by the Hall). Lee became the first woman to enter both the Country and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame.

Talking Heads’ top charting success was “Burning Down the House” (No. 9 in 1983).

Female Inductees: None

Notes: This was the fourth instance of no women being inducted.

Female Inductees: None

Notes: This was the fifth case where no women were inducted; and the only time this occurred in consecutive years. Hashtag campaigns weren’t prevalent then, but #RockHallSoMale would have been fitting.

Female Inductees: Chrissie Hynde (as part of The Pretenders)

Notes: The Pretenders’ standout hit was “Back on the Chain Gang” (No. 5 in 1983), which Hynde penned. She also wrote the group’s other hit that made the top ten, “Don’t Get Me Wrong” (No. 10 in 1986).

Female Inductees: Deborah Harry (as part of Blondie)

Notes: Blondie scored four No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 from 1979-81 – “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High,” and “Rapture.” Harry co-wrote all except “The Tide Is High.”

Female Inductees: The Ronettes (Estelle Bennett, Ronnie Spector, Nedra Talley), Patti Smith

Notes: The Ronettes became the fourth all-female group inducted. Their popular hits include the classic “Be My Baby,” which reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 in 1963.

Smith’s highest-charting single was “Because the Night,” which she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen (No. 13 in 1978).

Female Inductees: Madonna

Notes: Madonna achieved 12 No. 1 hits from 1984-2000. “Take a Bow” rated seven weeks at the top in 1995, becoming her longest-reigning No. 1. Madonna secured her induction with her audacious performance at the inaugural VMAs in 1984, where she took a significant risk and stole the spotlight.

Female Inductees: Wanda Jackson (early influence)

Notes: Jackson toured with Elvis during 1955-56. She achieved two top 30 hits on the Hot 100 in 1961, “Right or Wrong” and “In the Middle of a Heartache.”

Female Inductees: Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad (as part of ABBA), Ellie Greenwich (with Jeff Barry, Ahmet Ertegun Award), Cynthia Weil (with Barry Mann, Ahmet Ertegun Award)

Notes: ABBA reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1977 with “Dancing Queen,” one of pop music’s most irresistible compositions.

Greenwich and Weil followed Carole King as the second and third women acknowledged in the non-performer sector (which was renamed the Ahmet Ertegun Award in 2008). All three women were recognized for their contributions to legendary songwriting collaborations. Barry & Greenwich produced classics like “Leader of the Pack” and “Be My Baby.” Mann & Weil delivered hits like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “On Broadway,” “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” “Kicks,” and many more.

Female Inductees: Darlene Love

Notes: Love provided the vocals for hits by The Crystals and Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans. Her most successful solo single is the holiday classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” which recently peaked at No. 15 in 2022. Love was highlighted in the Oscar-winning music doc, Twenty Feet From Stardom, earning her first Grammy (for best music film).

Female Inductees: Claudette Rogers (as part of The Miracles), Laura Nyro

Notes: The Miracles were inducted a quarter-century after their frontman, Smokey Robinson, received the honor. Their biggest hit during Rogers’ time with the group was “Shop Around,” which peaked at No. 2 in February 1961, kept out of the top position by Lawrence Welk’s “Calcutta” – as “the sound of young America,” to use Motown’s description, clashed with the sound of older America.

Nyro was a prominent songwriter in the late ’60s and early ’70s, with hits like “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “And When I Die,” “Eli’s Coming,” and “Stoney End.” Yet, Nyro’s only charted Hot 100 hit as an artist was a cover of Goffin & King’s “Up on the Roof.” Go figure.

Female Inductees: Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson (as part of Heart), Donna Summer

Notes: Summer is renowned as the queen of disco yet also won the inaugural Grammy for best female rock vocal performance for “Hot Stuff.”

Heart achieved two No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 in 1986-87 – “These Dreams” and “Alone.” Summer led the charts with four No. 1 hits in 1978-79 – “MacArthur Park,” “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls,” and “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” a collaboration with Barbra Streisand.

Female Inductees: Linda Ronstadt, Patti Scialfa (as part of the E Street Band, award for musical excellence)

Notes: Ronstadt, who reached the top of the Hot 100 in 1975 with “You’re No Good,” was hailed as the undisputed queen of country-rock in the ‘70s. In the ’80s, she boldly embraced Broadway, the Great American Songbook, Mexican American music, and more.

The E Street Band was inducted 15 years after their leader, Bruce Springsteen, received his honor. The highest-charting hit credited to Springsteen and the E Street Band was a cover of Edwin Starr’s “War” (No. 8 in 1986).

Female Inductees: Joan Jett (as part of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts)

Notes: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts held the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 for seven weeks in 1982 with “I Love Rock and Roll.” Jett previously performed with the all-female band The Runaways (who have yet to be recognized).

Female Inductees: None

Notes: This was the sixth – and most recent – instance of no women being inducted. It’s hard to foresee it happening again.

Female Inductees: Joan Baez

Notes: Baez’s self-titled 1960 album stayed on the Billboard 200 for 140 weeks. It held the record for an album by a female solo artist until Carole King’s Tapestry surpassed it a decade later. Baez reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1971 with her cover of The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”

Female Inductees: Nina Simone, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (early influence)

Notes: Simone’s iconic tracks include “Mississippi Goddam” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” but her highest-charting Hot 100 single was “I Loves You, Porgy” (from Porgy and Bess), which peaked at No. 18 in 1959.

Tharpe is acclaimed for her classic 1939 track “This Train.” Yola portrayed the iconic gospel singer and guitarist in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic Elvis.

Female Inductees: Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks

Notes: Jackson was honored 18 years after her brother Michael was recognized as a solo artist. Janet Jackson accumulated 10 No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 between 1986 and 2001, highlighted by “That’s the Way Love Goes” (eight weeks at No. 1 in 1993).

Nicks achieved her highest-charting solo success on the Hot 100 with “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” a 1981 collaboration with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers that spent six weeks at No. 3. With her solo recognition, Nicks became the first woman to receive double induction. (Up to that point, 22 men had received dual inductions.)

Female Inductees: Whitney Houston

Notes: Houston amassed 11 No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 from 1985 to 1995, crowned by her ballad version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which became the first song in Hot 100 history to hold onto 14 weeks as No. 1. Houston’s recognition indicated that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was expanding its viewpoint on what qualifies as rock and roll.

Mariah Carey, who collaborated with Houston on the Oscar-winning “When You Believe,” has yet to receive induction, despite being nominated twice. You shouldn’t keep a diva waiting.

Female Inductees: Go-Go’s (Charlotte Caffey, Belinda Carlisle, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine, and Jane Wiedlin), Carole King, Tina Turner

Notes: The Go-Go’s became the fifth all-women group to earn induction, and the sole one mainly recognized for pop/rock. Their most prominent hit was “We Got the Beat,” which rose to No. 2 in 1982.

King and Turner both claimed No. 1 hits that were Grammy recipients for record of the year – “It’s Too Late” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” respectively. With these individual honors, King and Turner became the second and third women to have two inductions. King received her honor 21 years after James Taylor, with whom she shares a rich history. Notably, King penned “You’ve Got a Friend,” which became Taylor’s only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. They likely should have been inducted in the same year, but better late than never.

Female Inductees: Pat Benatar (with her husband and musical partner Neil Giraldo), Annie Lennox (as part of Eurythmics), Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Elizabeth Cotton (early influence), Sylvia Robinson (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

Notes: Benatar was the premier female rock artist in the early 1980s, winning four consecutive Grammy awards for best female rock vocal performance. Her highest-charting Hot 100 tracks were “Love Is a Battlefield” and “We Belong,” both reaching No. 5.

Eurythmics, Simon, and Parton all topped the Hot 100 – Eurythmics with their 1983 synth-pop classic “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” Simon with the flawless “You’re So Vain,” and Parton with two hits – the Oscar-nominated “9 to 5” and “Islands in the Stream” (with Kenny Rogers).

Parton is the second woman, after Brenda Lee, to be inducted into both the Country and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. Cotton is best recognized for her song “Freight Train,” which she penned between 2006 and 2012. Her 1958 version of the song is enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Robinson was the first woman to receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award (previously the non-performer category) on her own, not as part of a male/female collaboration. She had a couple of significant hits as a recording artist – the classic 1957 “Love Is Strange” (as part of Mickey and Sylvia) and the sultry “Pillow Talk,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1973. Nonetheless, her most impactful contribution was as a label executive at Sugar Hill Records.

Female Inductees: Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Chaka Khan (award for musical excellence)

Notes: Each of these artists reached the top three on the Hot 100 – Bush with “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”; Crow with “All I Wanna Do”; Elliott with “Work It,” “Lose Control,” and as a featured artist on Ciara’s “1,2 Step”; and Khan with “I Feel for You” (having previously achieved top three status as a member of Rufus with “Tell Me Something Good”).

Elliott became the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted – mirroring her accomplishment of being the first female hip-hop songwriter to gain entry into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Bush’s candidacy was greatly enhanced by the remarkable resurgence of “Running Up That Hill,” which became a hit 37 years after its initial release, due to its feature in Stranger Things. Khan received the award for musical excellence after having been nominated seven times as a performer – four times with Rufus and three as a solo artist.

Female Inductees: Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dionne Warwick (award for musical excellence), Big Mama Thornton (musical influence), Suzanne de Passe (Ahmet Ertegun Award).

Notes: Blige, Cher, and Warwick have all claimed the No. 1 position on the Hot 100. Cher has reached the summit five times (with four solo hits plus Sonny & Cher’s iconic “I Got You Babe”). Warwick has topped the charts twice – once with fellow Rock Hall inductees The Spinners (“Then Came You”) and once fronting Dionne & Friends (“That’s What Friends Are For”), featuring fellow Rock Hall inductees Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight. Blige has reached the top of the Hot 100 once (“Family Affair”).

Big Mama Thornton is primarily recognized as the first artist to record “Hound Dog” and “Ball and Chain,” songs later popularized by Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin, respectively. De Passe was a Motown executive and Emmy-winning television producer who helped amplify Motown stars for decades.

Female Inductees: Cyndi Lauper, Meg White (The White Stripes), Salt-N-Pepa (Salt – Cheryl James, Pepa – Sandra Denton, Spinderella – Deidrea Roper – musical influence); Carol Kaye (award for musical excellence).

Notes: Lauper boasts two No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 – “Time After Time” and “True Colors.” Salt-N-Pepa’s top-charting hit was “Whatta Man,” a collaboration with En Vogue that reached No. 3. The White Stripes’ highest-charting track was “Icky Thump,” reaching No. 26. Kaye was a session bass guitarist who was a vital part of the renowned Wrecking Crew of top Los Angeles session musicians.