To close out this third week of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame posts, I’ll feature three artists who have failed to make the cut so far despite being fully worthy. For daily commenter Dana’s sake, I will not include The Smiths, who absolutely should be in the Hall by now.

Nick Drake isn’t a slam dunk Hall of Fame pick. He died at age 26 with only three albums to his name and didn’t find a wide audience during his lifetime or for many years after. But if the Hall rewards influence as much as success, I think he deserves a nod.

Drake’s moody acoustic pop has been cited as a touchstone for many popular acts, including R.E.M., Aimee Mann, The Cure, Phoebe Bridgers, Kate Bush, Elliott Smith, Norah Jones, Beck, and Radiohead. Not bad for a guy who recorded for just four years.

Drake’s music grew in popularity following the inclusion of his ‘Pink Moon’ in a 1999 Volkswagen commercial. That ad, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (the married directing duo who would go on to make Little Miss Sunshine) became a sensation and led to an explosion of album sales for the album featuring that song.

Over the next decade, Drake’s music was featured in multiple movies (including a favorite of mine, Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums) and inspired a new generation of singer-songwriters.

I think a brief but promising career, tragically cut short by suicide, that is somehow still an inspiration for artists 50 years later is worthy of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.