'Tis the season for me to go on my yearly rant about the travesty that is otherwise known as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  There are a laundry list of great bands we grew up listening to that somehow have yet to receive their invite into the Hall.

There has been way too many years we have suffered, learning that acts such as Madonna, ABBA and a whole host of other 'pop' acts being inducted into the RRHOF before legitimate rock acts. 2017's nominees have offered more hope as some great rock acts such as Journey, Yes and now even diving into the Grunge era once again with Pearl Jam being on the ballot. While I'm happy that bands like Deep Purple and Cheap Trick finally got in, it's mind-boggling to think that it took this long.  Yet acts like Donna Summer or Public Enemy are already entrenched as RRHOF members? How do they justify this?

Until the RRHOF changes their nomination and voting policies, it is nothing more than an absolutely joke. The following is a list of 10 bands that aren't currently in the Hall of Fame but have earned their right over the course of their careers to be among the elite in the rock and roll world. Or will they just eventually just change it to be the "Music Hall of Fame," which in reality, is what it has come to be at this point.

One glaring omission from my list below is the late great Ronnie James Dio. Being part of legendary bands such a Black Sabbath, Rainbow and a successful career as a solo artist, Dio should without a doubt be inducted into the RRHOF.  My issue is that Ronnie should've been inducted while he was still alive in order to enjoy the accolades. Placing him in the hall now just seems extremely insincere.

Here's a list of the top hard rock/heavy metal acts not in the Hall of Fame but absolutely should be.

  • 10

    Bon Jovi


    Say what you want about the boys from Jersey, but they've had one of the all-time top selling albums with "Slippery When Wet" and more staying power than a majority of the bands already inducted. Bon Jovi will probably still be relevant to Rock and Roll another 20 years from now.

  • 9

    Sammy Hagar


    An essential part of any band or artist being in the Hall of Fame is their ability to put on a good show. Even in his 60's now, "The Red Rocker" Sammy Hagar sounds as good as he did as when he started as the frontman of Montrose. The man has performed successfully with Van Halen, Chickenfoot and as a successful solo artist. Songs like "Mas Tequila," " You're Love is Driving Me Crazy," "I Can't Drive 55," and "I'll Fall in Love Again," are all staples of rock radio.

  • 8

    Def Leppard


    Def Leppard may always have a hard time shedding the fact that they got thrown into the 'hair band' genre but based on albums such as 'Pyromania' and ''Hysteria' alone, they should be inducted.

  • 7

    Thin Lizzy


    Although the longevity may not have been there for Thin Lizzy because of the tragic death of singer Phil Lynott, the band was a benchmark for so many bands that developed in the 80's. Songs like 'The Boys are Back in Town,' 'Jailbreak,' 'Whiskey in the Jar,' and 'Chinatown' are all timeless rock classics.

  • 7

    Motley Crue

    If you look up the definition of 'Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll' there should be a picture of "The Crue" in the dictionary. Vince, Tommy, Nikki & Mick were the shining stars from LA's Sunset Strip days. Motley did the 'Rock & Roll lifestyle' bigger, badder and better than anyone.

  • 6

    Motorhead


    It's Lemmy... he's rock royalty. If there was a Mt Rushmore for rock frontmen, he'd be right in the middle of it. Enough said.

  • 5

    Iron Maiden

    If Black Sabbath were the pioneers of heavy metal, Iron Maiden were an integral part of its progression. Iron Maiden has some of the most passionate metal fans out there and still sell out stadiums world wide.

  • 4

    Judas Priest

    Judas Priest, along with Iron Maiden not only helped the heavy metal movement move onward but Judas Priest arguably created "the look" of heavy metal. Metal spikes, studs, denim and leather jackets, were all inspired by Priest's lead singer Rob Halford.

  • 2

    Slayer

    Slayer made thrash metal a powerful genre without any mainstream airplay or TV support. The band is the gold standard for what every other trash metal band wants to become. Slayer consistently sells out arenas all over the world and hundreds of thousands of records with every new release. Not to mention that "Raining Blood" will always be the iconic anthem for thrash metal.

  • 1

    Ted Nugent

    Ok, so Uncle Teddy may be an acquired taste when it comes to his politics, but we're not voting people into the Hall of Fame for what part of the political landscape they stand on. Ted Nugent is a rock warrior. His crazy on stage antics and his phenomenal guitar playing are the only reasons you need to know why he should be in the Hall of Fame. Listen to amazing guitar chords on a song like "Stranglehold" or the opening notes of the iconic "Cat Scratch Fever," and there's no doubt "The Nuge" should be voted in.

  • 11

    Soundgarden

    While it's supposed to be a Top 10 list, I added Soundgarden to the list because of the Pearl Jam nomination. If we're adding the Grunge era to the RRHOF, you can't have Pearl Jam nominated without having Soundgarden in the discussion as well. These two bands, along with RRHOF members Nirvana, were the founding fathers of the Seattle movement.

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