Unlike some previous years, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2023 seems perfectly balanced, both stylistically and demographically. There are no classic rockers to be found, unless you count Elton John’s lyricist Bernie Taupin and keyboardist Al Kooper, who both made the cut due to their “Musical Excellence.” And three of the seven main inductees are women, an unusually high percentage for the Hall.
Imitators could sometimes summon the wallop of drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford—they’d play with the muscle, if not the heavy swing of this pair—but no other group attempted the wild contortions of guitarist Tom Morello or the politically charged lyrics of vocalist Zac de la Rocha, elements that distinguish Rage Against The Machine to this day.