Our next inductee into the 2023 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow. Crow was first eligible for the Hall in 2019 and went un-nominated until this year.

Crow is a good case study for a discussion about Hall of Fame worthiness. Compelling cases can be made that she is a no-brainer or that she doesn’t belong at all.

Setting aside politics, personal grudges, and the whims of the voting members, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame consideration should boil down to a combination of four factors: musical excellence, innovation, influence, and popularity. Indicted artists should probably tick at least three of those boxes.

Crow is certainly popular. She has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and has released a half-dozen platinum or multi-platinum albums. Musical excellence is harder to judge objectively, but Crow has been nominated for 32 Grammys, winning nine, and has written and performed great songs across multiple genres.

When it comes to influence and innovation, however, she falls a bit short. For the most part, her music is down-the-middle country rock. It’s hard to make a case that she has changed the trajectory of popular music in any way, or that she has had an impact on a new generation of performers.

That scorecard puts her right on the bubble. And here’s where I think her strong personal reputation, and her track record working with a slew of well-regarded artists, gives her the edge. That works for me.