Bad Company Finally Inducted into Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame

Over the years, there has been a growing number of rock artists that have been snubbed by the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction committee, as each year another induction class is named with many deserving artists noticeably absent. Bands like Boston and the Smashing Pumpkins come to mind, but the list is seemingly endless.

Every year, however, the induction committee does seem to honor at least one snub who was long overdue for rock music’s biggest honor. This year, in addition to fellow snub Soundgarden, the induction committee finally decided to honor Bad Company, a classic rock powerhouse who got their start in the early ’70s.

Bad Company released their self-titled debut album in 1974, so they have been eligible to be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame for 26 years now—longer than they weren’t eligible. In the two decades when they were releasing new music, they had three multi-platinum records, six Top 20 hits in the US, and can regularly be heard on classic rock radio stations today.

Bad Company’s Hits Were Crucial Pillars Of The Classic Rock Pantheon

Paul Rodgers is easily one of the greatest classic rock vocalists of all time. His voice practically begs you to sing along, though not much begging is necessary because the vocals are contagious. Their lyrics are simple, yet profound; take “Shooting Star,” for example, few songs tell a story as touching as this one, with just three verses and a chorus.

Their self-titled debut peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and went five-times platinum in the US. The album’s lead single, “Can’t Get Enough,” peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped launch their multinational career from the very beginning.

They followed up Bad Company with Straight Shooter, the album responsible for “Shooting Star,” “Feel like Makin’ Love,” and “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” three undeniable hits. That album went triple platinum, and became their second of three consecutive top five albums on the Billboard 200 chart.

“Bad Company,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy,” “Ready For Love”—Bad Company unleashed a run of hits that cemented their place in rock history, and made it all look effortless. There has been no shortage of bands who have had to wait far too long to finally get their Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction, but Bad Company is most definitely towards the top of that list. It’s about time they got their turn.