Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon will be recognized with the Musical Influence Award. Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye will be honored for Musical Excellence. Lenny Waronker, noted producer and DreamWorks/Warner Bros. Records executive, will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Nearing 40 years of induction ceremonies, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has applied inconsistent criteria for which members of bands should be part of the honor. That's left a lot of deserving players on the outside looking in,