Whatever you think of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland, Ohio, institution that was founded in 1983, it has proven to be a marker of prestige within the music industry. Each year, prominent industry figures vote to induct a new batch of artists into the Hall of Fame, an event that gets widespread coverage in the music press. To be inducted into the hall is a dream for many musicians, the crowning glory of long careers that are defined by commercial success, critical acclaim, and lasting influence.

The first acts to be inducted in 1986 were those who laid the foundations of popular music as we know it today. Chuck Berry, James Brown, and Elvis Presley were among the very first artists to be honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , with Aretha Franklin, Bo Diddley, B.B. K

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