5 Michigan Rockers That Belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Despite some artists who will tell you contrary, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a big deal.
It means you're forever enshrined as one of the most influential musical pioneers of your time.
Michigan has witnessed quite a few of its sons and daughters receive the votes to garner inclusion to this exclusive club - among them: Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Bob Seger, and Alice Cooper, just to name a few.
However, there are five Michigan artists that have been snubbed by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters to date; some of them not so much as ever even nominated.
Brownsville Station
Brownsville Station formed in Ann Arbor in 1969. Despite being voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2008, the group has never received the national honor. They're best known for their 1973 hit "Smokin' in the Boys' Room". Despite being eligible for the Rock Hall since 1996, the group has never been nominated.
Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad formed in Flint in 1969, and would score a pair of #1 hits in the mid 1970s: 1973's "We're an American Band", and their 1974 cover of Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion". Like Brownsville Station, Grand Funk has never even been nominated for inclusion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
MC5
The MC in MC5 originally stood for "Motor City", as MC5 started out in the Detroit bedroom community Lincoln Park in 1963. While the band might not be the household name that some others are, they are widely considered to be one of the most influential rock bands to have originated from Michigan in their day.
Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent was born in Redford Charter Township and raised in Detroit. He initially became known to rock audiences in 1968 as a member of The Amboy Dukes when they hit #16 with the song "Journey to the Center of the Mind". He officially went solo in 1975 and released several singles on his own, most notably 1977's "Cat Scratch Fever". Today, Nugent is almost as well known for his political views and reality TV appearances as he is his music.
Iggy Pop
While Iggy Pop's band The Stooges were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, he's been overlooked as a solo entry - despite being listed as an influence by artists ranging from Slash to Kurt Cobain.
Being overlooked isn't unique to artists from Michigan. There are lots more rockers from other places that belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but aren't yet there for whatever reason as well.
135 Artists Not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff