The biggest acts snubbed by the Country Music Hall of Fame

The biggest acts snubbed by the Country Music Hall of Fame

On August 12, the Country Music Hall of Fame announced that it would induct Marty Stewart, Hank Williams Jr., and songwriter Dean Dillon into its ranks. Since the Hall of Fame was created in 1961, it has inducted the genre’s biggest legends throughout the decades, from Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings to Brooks and Dunn and George Strait. 

But of course, throughout the years, the Hall of Fame has failed to recognize the contributions of some true legends. Flip through the slideshow below and look at the biggest acts snubbed by the Country Music Hall of Fame, ranging from Bobbie Gentry, the singer-songwriter behind Reba McEntire’s smash-hit “Fancy,” to Tejano legend Freddy Fender. 

Tanya Tucker

With a career that’s spanned nearly 50 years, it’s easy to forget that Tanya Tucker recorded her legendary hit “Delta Dawn” at the ridiculously young age of 13. In the years since, Tucker’s distinctive voice and incredible performances have made her a staple of the genre, even with her most recent release While I’m Livin, which took home the Grammy Award in 2019 for Best Country Album. 

The Judds

The iconic duo of Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd is somehow still not in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and that’s a real shame. With five Grammy awards, 14 number-one hits, and classics like “Love Can Build A Bridge” and “Mama He’s Crazy,” it’s clear that The Judds’s contribution to the genre deserves Hall of Fame recognition. 

Keith Whitley

In his too-short career, Keith Whitley charted 12 songs on the Billboard charts before his untimely death in 1989. A neo traditionalist who helped set the tone for artists like Alan Jackson and George Strait, Whitley’s classic song “When You Say Nothing At All” is Hall of Fame worthy on its own. +

Lavender Country

A hidden part of country music’s past, Lavender Country released the genre’s first album about LGBT life in 1973. It’s since been recognized as a hallmark of the genre by academics and fans, and deserves recognition in the mainstream. 

Alison Krauss

A bluegrass prodigy who’s made her mark on country music, Alison Krauss is younger than many of the artists on this list, but no less deserving. From her cover of Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing At All” to her vocals on the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, Krauss is one of country music’s most definitive voices. She’s also the most-awarded artist in Grammy Awards history, with 27 trophies under her belt. 

Ray Charles

Known as both “The Genius” and one of the most compelling songwriters in American music history, Ray Charles’s 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music is a defining moment in the genre. 

Wanda Jackson

The First Lady of Rockabilly, Ms. Wanda Jackson, has been recording music since the 1950s, when she came up alongside the legendary Elvis Presley. She’s responsible for bringing rockabilly influence to the mainstream with songs like “Fujiyama Mama,” and was a trailblazer for women in the genre who followed her, like Pam Tillis and Rosanne Cash. 

June Carter Cash

Though she’s best known as the wife of Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash’s contributions to country music deserve to be recognized in their own right. She got her start as a member of the legendary Carter Family band before recording both as a solo artist and alongside Cash, notching hits with “Jackson,” and “It Ain’t Me Babe.”