Years of music have come and gone and with each of them a new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. This year is no different, having many new nominees and many returning. That’s not the important part, however. The important part is who deserves the induction and who is most likely going to get it. In this case, I believe the answer is the same for both questions.

Before I talk about that, however, it’s important we know who the nominees are. Many significant names were nominated for the first time this year (obviously all of them are significant, but I’m talking about game-changing significant), including Biggy Smalls, Dave Matthews Band, Whitney Houston and Pat Benetar.

Other groups that were nominated for the first time but are less significant are Mötorhead, The Doobie Brothers, Soundgarden, T. Rex and Thin Lizzy.

Groups that are not being nominated for the first time consist of Depeche Mode, Judas Priest, Kraftwerk, MC5, Nine Inch Nails, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan and Todd Rundgren.

The lineup for this year is pretty promising, and there are bound to be people who are disappointed no matter who gets the induction. I know there are multiple people I want to get the induction, but, alas, there is only one spot, and I believe that spot should go to the real game- changer for old school rock ‘n’ roll, the original rock and roll powerhouse of the 80s, the writer of such iconic songs such as “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Heartbreaker.”

That’s right: Pat Benetar.

I will not even attempt to hide my childhood bias toward Pat Benetar  because I don’t think I have to. The votes speak for themselves, and those votes place Benetar in first place.

Of course Whitney Houston and Biggy Smalls were incredibly significant in their genres as well, but that’s exactly it, within their genre. While I am aware that the “Rock ‘n’ Roll” part of the Rock and Roll Hall or Fame is a little loose, I would like to see Pat Benetar, a rock ‘n’ roll legend, inducted before any hip hop or pop artists.

And I’m not the only one to think this either. As of right now Houston is in seventh place in the voting and Biggy Smalls is in 12th.

That’s enough about who I think should win. What about the other side? Well, I have a lot of opinions about the rest of the nominees, most of them being along the lines of “how on earth were they nominated, out of all people?” Not that I don’t like some of the artists (I mean, I don’t, but that’s beyond the point), it’s just that some of them I haven’t even heard of before.

I am, however, aware that I am but a mere high schooler and was not alive when these groups were in their prime. But my father, a connoisseur of all things rock and more importantly was alive during the 80s, has also not heard of MC5 or Rufus featuring Chaka Khan.

To be completely honest, I only remember Chaka Khan from that one episode of “Phineas and Ferb” that she voiced as herself, and I still have no idea who MC5 is.

However, the rest of the public seems to agree with me as both of those two sit at the bottom two spots.

While I could go on forever about who should be where and why they should be there, I have gone over who I believe to be the most and least important. The rest is up to you.