Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Fela misses out from 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Fan vote selection and subsequent inductions do not always tally.

• May 12, 2021
Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti [Photo credit: NME]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has revealed the list of musicians who made the cut for its 2021 inductees in a video post on Wednesday. 

The announcement by Rock Hall, via a tweet, saw American rapper Jay-Z, who ranked lowest during fan voting, earn a spot.

The Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Carole King, Todd Rundgren and Tina Turner will all be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, per the revelation. 

Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, was missing from the list despite being second among voters with his very first nomination, ahead of the Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, and Foo Fighters.

Fela had topped the votes back in February with more than 56,000 votes while Tina Turner garnered just over 52,000 votes on the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame official page. 

Tina Turner eventually topped the fan vote with more than 585,000 ballots while Fela Kuti gained more than 545,000 votes.

Artists are eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame after they released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. 
The 36th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will hold later in the year on October 30 at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.

The induction happens every year, where five and seven acts are chosen by the Rock Hall,  followed by fans voting online, however, fan vote selection and subsequent inductions do not always tally.

 In 2020, only one of the five Fan Vote acts actually got inducted, The Doobie Brothers were selected, though Dave Matthews gathered the most votes. 

According to the chairman, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, John Skyles, this years selection shows the diversity and depth of the artists and music the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates.

“These Nominees have left an indelible impact on the sonic landscape of the world and influenced countless artists that have followed them,” he said.

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