Random thoughts:
-Eric B. and Rakim? I’ll be the first to say they were very talented and pioneers of the rap genre. But in no way, shape, or form were they ever rock.
-Still no honors for Rush, Deep Purple, or Warren Zevon (the Excitable Boy album alone is enough for a nod, in my book)? PFEH!
-I’m bothered less by the inclusion of R&B greats than rappers, simply because so much of rock’s history can be traced back to blues and soul. I’d say ditto with certain forms of country/western. Elvis and guys like Conway Twitty straddled both genres at times, for example.
-Even though I was never a big fan of Heart or Joan Jett, I do appreciate that they broke a lot of ground for women who wanted to play hard rock.
-I wouldn’t cross the street to hear the Red Hot Chili Peppers play, but I can’t deny their popularity or longevity as an act.
Then put them in the Rap Hall of Fame.