Bad Company Almost Won This Coveted Rock ‘N’ Roll Honor … But Lost to a Jam Band

Lauren Novak April 22, 2:33 pm

A general view of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Lit in CARE Colors for International Day of The Girl at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on October 11, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio — Duane Prokop/Getty Images for CARE USA

Over the past decade, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has aimed to get fans involved in the process of selecting their annual inductees. Ultimately, the final decision is made by a voting body of over 1,200 music industry professionals, artists and historians, but fans are able to vote online for an artist they would like to see inducted.

This year, the band Phish won the fan vote with 330,000 votes, and Bad Company was not too far behind with 281,000 votes.

Phish performs the National Anthem before the San Antonio Spurs play the New Jersey Nets in game four of the 2003 NBA Finals on June 11, 2003 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Nets won 77-76. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

The other potential inductees for 2025 are Billy Idol, Cyndi Lauper, Joe Cocker, Soundgarden, Chubby Checker, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Joy Division + New Order, The White Stripes, Outkast, Oasis and Mana. The top five finishers in the fan vote, which also included Idol, Lauper and Cocker, will now be recounted with ballots from the professionals to determine the Class of 2025.

Fans don’t have to wait long to see which artists made the cut this year. The 2025 inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be announced live on American Idol on Sunday, April 27, 2025. The episode will also feature this season’s top 14 contestants as they perform songs associated with the inductees.

The annual induction ceremony will take place sometime in the fall in Los Angeles. A date has not yet been announced. Who do you hope will be inducted this year? Last year’s inductees included Cher, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige and Dave Matthews Band.