Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin make up just three of the 365 musical names inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since its inception in 1986. Along with an international body of more than 1,000 industry experts, fans can vote through April 28 for their top five artists. With the Rock Hall announcing its inductees in May, music enthusiasts already casted over 1.5 million votes in the last two weeks for the fan ballot.

With the fourteen star-studded 2023 nominees ready to ascend along the stairway to Rock and Roll heaven, The Daily Texan compiled a list of its top picks for this year’s inductees. 

Cyndi Lauper 

Listeners “just wanna have fun” with Cyndi Lauper, the eccentric singer-songwriter known for massive hits including “Time After Time” and “True Colors.” At nearly 70, the unapologetic, punky artist remains relevant, not only as a performer but also a lifelong LGBTQ+ community activist. A symbol of 80s pop, the composer of the Broadway hit “Kinky Boots” and a two-time Grammy winner, Lauper currently leads the fan vote, showing her true colors time after time while having fun along the way. 

Willie Nelson

It seems impossible not to root for Austin’s own “Shotgun” Willie Nelson, who on the cusp of 90, continues taking his signature outlaw country music worldwide in an industry typically unkind to aging. With a staggering 73 albums to his name, the “On the Road Again” singer never leaves the limelight and remains a unifying figure in a polarized world. 

Sheryl Crow

Fans just want to “soak up the sun” and “tell everyone” that singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow deserves music royalty. Inspired by trailblazing women including Stevie Nicks and Bonnie Raitt, Crow, a nine-time Grammy winner and country-rock artist and guitarist, forcefully leads her band center stage. Fresh off a Grammy tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, her genre-bending discography captured 90s radio, including the unmistakable and chart-topping hit, “Everyday Is A Winding Road.” 

Iron Maiden 

Amidst criticisms that the Rock Hall focuses on artists too far removed from the genre itself, the long overdue induction of heavy metal band Iron Maiden would delight fans. Best known for hits including “Run to the Hills” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” the Grammy award-winning megaband previously garnered a Rock Hall nomination in 2021, but fell short of induction. After nearly five decades of worldwide commercial success and continued tours this year, the band proves that despite the parental crusade against hard rock in the 80s and 90s, metal always survives. 

The Spinners

The Spinners, formed outside Detroit in 1954, contributed to the Motown sound which preceded mainstream rock and roll. The legendary rhythm and blues vocal group, which received three prior induction nominations, sports a chart-topping discography, including “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “Then Came You,” and still performs today with one original member.