Who’s Next When Rock ‘n’ Roll Votes to Induct New Artists to Its Hall of Fame?

The Who’s three Southern California concerts this week are part of a 25th anniversary celebration for the landmark British band that is virtually certain to culminate with the group’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next January in New York.

The question facing the 300 record industry leaders who have been asked to vote in this year’s selection process: What other rock artists also deserve to join the fifth annual Hall of Fame class?

The selection panel--mostly record company executives, musicians and critics--was given a list of 30 nominees and asked to vote for up to 10 artists. Results will be announced in October.

Under Hall of Fame rules, performers become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record--in this case, 1964.

The Who is one of five acts on the 1989 ballot that became eligible this year. The others: the Animals, the Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel and the Yardbirds.

Bob Marley also appears on the ballot for the first time, but he was eligible in 1986 because the reggae champion began his recording carer in Jamaica in 1961. He didn’t appear on earlier ballots because the early records weren’t brought to the attention of the nominating committee members. Most members had assumed his career began with his mid-’60s recordings with the Wailers.

Three other names appearing on this year’s ballot for the first time were also eligible previously, but didn’t receive enough votes in preliminary screening sessions to qualify. They are Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee and the Shirelles.

Eleven artists have been on the ballot ever since the Hall of Fame voting was begun in 1985, but haven’t received enough support to be inducted. They are LaVern Baker, Hank Ballard, Ruth Brown, King Curtis, Bobby Darin, Duane Eddy, Little Willie John, Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Reed, Gene Vincent and Chuck Willis.

Del Shannon was nominated this year for the fourth time, while Solomon Burke, the Four Seasons, Gladys Knight and the Platters are on the ballot for the third time.

Suzan Evans, executive director of the Hall of Fame Foundation in New York, said the decision on how many artists will be inducted in January will be made after looking at the final vote to see if there is a natural dividing point. Last year, five record makers were honored: Dion DiMucci, Otis Redding, the Rolling Stones, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder.

While the foundation gives the 300 voters no guidelines for judging Hall of Fame qualifications, the balloting so far has shown that the voters lean much more heavily toward artists with a strong sense of artistic vision than artists who simply registered a lot of hits.

Here’s my rating of the 1989 nominees--with artists listed alphabetically within categories. Commentary is provided on artists in the top two categories and on artists in other categories who are on the ballot for the first time. The others were discussed in previous Hall of Fame handicaps.

The Musts

The Kinks

Stats: 12 Top 40 singles in the United States--notably “You Really Got Me” (1964), “All Day and All of the Night” (1965), “Lola” (1970) and “Come Dancing” (1983).

Despite the early hits, the Kinks didn’t make as big a splash with the mainstream pop-rock audience in the mid-’60s as such rival British Invasion outfits as Herman’s Hermits and the Dave Clark Five. But thanks to Ray Davies’ songs, the Kinks went on to establish a body of work that far outdistances virtually every band from the period save the Beatles, Stones and Who. Davies wrote with imagination, passion and wit about social attitudes in England and his own frustrations and doubts in rock ‘n’ roll. Along with Dylan and the Beatles/Stones/Who, the Kinks helped establish the album--rather than the single--as the artistic showpiece in pop.

Bob Marley

No Top 10 singles, though eight of Marley’s albums--including “Rastaman Vibration” (No. 8 in 1976) and “Exodus” (No. 20 in 1977)--made the Top 100 album chart in this country.

Marley was called everything from the Bob Dylan of reggae (for the commentary and grace in his music) to the Mick Jagger of reggae (for his charisma on stage), and both phrases made sense. But Marley’s influence went far beyond the reggae world. There was a passion and commitment in his music and manner in the mid-’70s that helped remind countless rock fans and musicians of what was missing for much of the decade in their own music. Marley--and reggae--was especially influential in England on the Clash and other members of the punk/new wave uprising of the late ‘70s. Marley was 35 when he died of cancer in 1980.

Simon & Garfunkel

Fifteen Top 40 hits--notably “The Sounds of Silence” (1965), “Mrs. Robinson” (1968), “The Boxer “ (1969) and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970).

Some purists will argue that the duo’s soft, folk-aligned style wasn’t truly rock, but Simon & Garfunkel’s music brought added breadth and dimension to rock. While concentrating on themes of interest to the young rock generation, Paul Simon’s writing reflected a consciousness of traditional pop craft, ultimately helping rock expand its base to the thirtysomething and fortysomething audience.

The Who

Sixteen Top 40 hits--notably “I Can See for Miles” (1967), “Pinball Wizard” (1969), “See Me, Feel Me” (1970) and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971).

One of the half-dozen greatest rock bands ever, though the current tour--which includes stops Tuesday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Thursday at the Universal Amphitheatre and Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum--may offer only a distant glimpse of that greatness. The Who never achieved the mass acceptance of the Beatles or the Stones during its early and most creative years because Pete Townshend didn’t write with the same pop sensibilities as Lennon/McCartney and Jagger/Richards. But Townshend’s early music for the Who expressed the energy, insecurities and desires of youth with an integrity and force that have rarely been exhibited in any art form.

The Near-Musts

Bobby Darin

Twenty-one Top 40 hits--notably “Splish Splash” (1958), “Mack the Knife” (1959), “18 Yellow Roses” (1973) and “If I Were a Carpenter” (1966).

One reason Darin has been passed over by Hall of Fame voters for four years is that he never seemed committed to rock. After breaking into the pop charts with a series of rock hits (including “Early in the Morning” and “Queen of the Hop”), the ambitious Darin headed quickly for the adult pop market. For all his many changes (he also dabbled in country, R&B; and folk), Darin was a legitimate part of the first rock generation and his vocal authority and passion reflected the spirit of the rock experience.

The Four Tops

Twenty-two Top 40 tunes--notably “I Can’t Help Myself” and “It’s the Same Old Song” (both 1965), “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” (1966) and “Standing in the Shadows of Love” (1966).

The Four Tops were also passed over last year, partly because the Detroit outfit was in the shadow of the Temptations, a more significant vocal group that was inducted. However, the Tops’ best music--much of it shaped by the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland--was an integral part of Motown’s marvelous first decade and an unforgettable part of the pop-rock-soul history of the time.

Ike & Tina Turner

Six Top 40 singles as a team--notably “A Fool in Love” (1960), “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” (1961), “Proud Mary” (1971) and “Nutbush City Limits” (1973).

The failure of Ike & Tina Turner to get into the Hall of Fame last year was an even bigger surprise--and disappointment--than the Four Tops oversight. The duo doesn’t have an impressive string of chart hits, but Ike was a studio pioneer and Tina’s vocal on Phil Spector’s recording of “River Deep, Mountain High” was among the most spectacular ever in rock. Still, the Turners’ most memorable contribution to rock was their sizzling live show.

The Yardbirds

Six Top 40 hits--notably “For Your Love,” “Heart Full of Soul” and “I’m a Man” (all 1965), “Shapes of Things” (1966).

The only thing that keeps this English band from the “musts” category is its short life span. Before breaking up in 1968, however, the group came up with some explosive blues-rock explorations that made an extraordinary impact. The Yardbirds not only served as the launching pad for such classic guitar figures as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, but they also stimulated an army of musicians to move farther along the band’s spectacularly original path. Among the most notable descendants: Cream and Led Zeppelin.

Next in Line

The Animals

Thirteen Top 40 songs--notably “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964), “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” (both 1965) and “Don’t Bring Me Down” (1966).

Though this British band carried on longer than the Yardbirds, its peak creative period was not much longer, one reason it isn’t ranked higher. For a few electrifying moments in the mid-’60s, however, the Animals looked like as much of a contender as the Beatles and the Stones, thanks to a series of records that recalled the frightening intensity of the most striking early R&B.;

Johnny Cash

Twelve Top 40 hits--notably “I Walk the Line” (1956), “Guess Things Happen That Way” (1958), “Ring of Fire” (1963) and “A Boy Named Sue” (1969).

Cash is one of the most important figures in the modern pop era, but he was a great country artist whose talent reached over to pop-rock fans rather than someone who consciously contributed to rock.

The Shirelles

Eleven Top 40 tunes--notably “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960), “Dedicated to the One I Love” (1961), “Baby It’s You” and “Soldier Boy” (both 1962).

The Shirelles are pretty much just another name today on the long list of “girl groups” from the ‘60s, but their key hits defined the genre more than any female group outside the Phil Spector roster and the Supremes.

Previously nominated and evaluated in these pages: Hank Ballard, Booker T. & the MGs, the Impressions, Little Willie John, Frankie Lymon, the Platters, Gene Vincent and Jimmy Reed.

The Long Shot

Brenda Lee

Twenty-seven Top 40 singles--notably “Sweet Nothin’s” (1959), “I’m Sorry” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (both 1960), “Dum Dum” (1961).

Lots of hits, little lasting impact.

Other previously evaluated holdovers: LaVern Baker, Ruth Brown, Solomon Burke, King Curtis, Duane Eddy, the Four Seasons, Gene Pitney, Lloyd Price, Del Shannon and Chuck Willis.