The final inductee from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2010 is The Stooges, the proto-punk band fronted by Iggy Pop. The Stooges were first eligible for Hall inclusion in 1995 and were nominated eight times before making it in.

Iggy Pop has been eligible as a solo artist since 2003 and as the “Godfather of Punk” has a decent case for getting in twice, but it seems the Hall is (so far) content with recognizing him through for his groundbreaking work with The Stooges.

The Stooges are one of those bands that made it into the Hall almost entirely due to their influence. They certainly weren’t prolific — five albums across 44 years and multiple breakups — and their music wasn’t popular or critically acclaimed, at least not when it was released.

But they did inspire a generation of musicians to carry the punk mantle into the 70s and beyond. The Sex Pistols and the Ramones, two of the great early punk bands, took their first cues from The Stooges. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain called the band’s 1973 Raw Power his all-time favorite album. The list of performers citing them as an influence is deep and wide.

This is decidedly not my genre, so it’s tough for me to appreciate The Stooges as more than a groundbreaking act. I did quite like Iggy Pop’s 1977 Lust For Life, which he recorded after breaking up The Stooges for the second time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually makes it into the Hall as soloist.