Dionne Warwick was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, in 2021 and 2022, but didn’t make the cut either time. The Hall went ahead and inducted her this year in the Musical Excellence category.

I’m shocked Warwick didn’t make it in on those ballots, or years earlier for that matter. She is one of the most successful singers of all time, with dozens of charting singles and more than 100 million album sales worldwide. She’s won a slew of awards, both competitive and for lifetime achievement. And she is the inspiration for a very funny SNL sketch.

After performing in gospel groups in the early 60s, Warwick was discovered by songwriter Burt Bacharach, who hired her to record demos of his compositions for shopping to other artists.

Everybody quickly realized that nobody was going to top the versions she performed, so she got her own record deal and sang Bacharach songs (mostly co-written with Hal David) for the next decade. She had top ten hits with ‘Walk On By,’ ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart,’ ‘Message to Michael,’ ‘I Say a Little Prayer,’ ‘The Girl’s in Love with You,’ and ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.’

She had #1 hits in the 70s (‘Then Came You,’ a collaboration with The Spinners) and 80s (‘That’s What Friends are For,’ with Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder) and has continued recording right through last year, at age 83.

If none of those songs fit the classic definition of “rock,” so what? The Hall of Fame has been recognizing R&B, soul, and pop artists for decades, and for her success, influence, and talent, Warwick certainly deserves her spot.