Today we got our first look at the 2026 class of inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. This morning, the Hall announced that Tim McGraw was this year’s inductee in the Modern Era category, while bluegrass legends The Stanley Brothers were (finally) chosen as the Veteran Era inductees, and songwriter Paul Overstreet was named this year’s choice for the Songwriter category, which rotates every three years with the Touring Musician and Non-Performer categories. The Hall of Fame inducts only three members every year, which means that there’s a long waiting list of deserving artists to eventually be granted country music’s highest honor. And in recent years, the Hall of Fame has seemingly tried to right some past wrongs by announcing some long-overdue inductions like Keith Whitley, June Carter Cash, and Hank Williams Jr., along with this year’s induction of the Stanley Brothers. The Modern Era category in particular, though, has quite a few glaring omissions. While Tim McGraw and last year’s selection of Kenny Chesney are obviously worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame, there are several artists who have been around quite a bit longer than both of them who are still waiting for the call from the Hall. The category is open to artists 20 years after they first achieved national prominence, which means that there’s a whole slew of ’90s country artists who are eligible and deserving of a spot in the Hall of Fame. And in the Veterans Era category, which is for artists 45 years after reaching national prominence, there are quite a few notable names who haven’t yet been selected. Part of the problem (I guess it’s not really a problem as much as it is an unfortunate side effect) is the fact that there’s only a single inductee from each category every year, when there are so many deserving artists every year who become eligible. You can’t put them all in at the same time, but that means that the waiting list grows longer – and the omissions become more glaring over time. With so many deserving artists still waiting on their time to come, here are 10 names who should be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame: 1. Dwight Yoakam Perhaps the most glaring omission from the Modern Era category, and somebody who I would argue should have been inducted before the last two artists who were chosen. Yoakam released his debut album in 1986 and reintroduced the honky tonk “Bakersfield Sound” to the genre by following in the footsteps of artists like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. His distinctive voice is instantly recognizable, and hits like “Guitars, Cadillacs” and “Honky Tonk Man” are modern day classics. It probably hurts his chances that Yoakam only has two #1 singles in his career (which is crazy to me), but with nearly 30 million albums sold and as a pioneer who paved the way for the return of neotraditional country music in the ’90s, it would be criminal to leave Dwight Yoakam out of the Hall of Fame. And make no mistake, I think he’ll eventually get in, but it should be while he’s still around to be honored in person. 2. Travis Tritt One of the most influential artists of the ’90s and a member of the groundbreaking “Class of ’89,” Travis Tritt revolutionized ’90s country with his gritty, southern rock sound. He’s won two Grammy awards, four CMA Awards, and has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1992, while scoring 5 chart-topping singles and selling over 30 million albums. Travis may have turned some voters off in recent years with his outspoken nature, criticizing the state of country music and sharing his political opinions, but ultimately none of that should matter: He’s undeniably a country music legend and deserves to be in the Country Music Hall of Fame. 3. Alison Krauss When it comes to the popularity of bluegrass today, there’s maybe no artist to thank for that more than Alison Krauss. She released her banjo and fiddle-soaked debut album in 1987, at a time when country music was still largely comprised of the “Urban Cowboy” sound of the 1980s with artists like Conway Twitty, Kenny Rogers and Reba McEntire. While many artists from that time are considered traditional country legends today, back in the ’80s their sound pushed country music further towards pop than it had been, arguably, at any time since the “Nashville Sound” of the 1950s. Krauss, though, chose to go in a different direction, and built a legendary career out of her bluegrass roots. Along with artists like Ricky Skaggs and Marty Stuart, Krauss paved the way for a whole new sound to gain a foothold in mainstream country music, and fit in perfectly alongside the neotraditional revolution of the ’90s. She’s won an incredible 27 Grammy awards, was inducted into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and has frequently been featured as a collaborator with some of mainstream country music’s biggest stars – including her newest feature alongside Luke Combs on his brand new album, proving her longevity in an industry where artists often have short shelf lives. 4. Clint Black Another member of the famous Class of ’89 who revolutionized country music in the ’90s, Clint Black scored an incredible 13 chart-topping singles and was one of the best-selling country artists of the decade. He had hits on the charts into the 2000s, and though he’s been absent from the charts for a while now, it’s impossible to overlook the impact that songs like “Killin’ Time,” “A Better Man,” and “Nothin’ But the Taillights” had on the sound of country music for an entire decade. 5. Martina McBride Martina McBridge is another legend of the ’90s, with hits like “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing,” “My Baby Loves Me” and more leading the way for a group of iconic female artists. Among them, though, it was McBride’s powerful voice that stood out among the crowd, and earned her 14 Grammy nominations and 6 CMA Awards. She’s also been named CMA Female Vocalist of the Year four times, the second-most nominated artist in the category and third winningest. With a voice that helped define a decade, it’s hard to argue that Martina McBride doesn’t belong in the Country Music Hall of Fame. 6. Lorrie Morgan While her numbers may be lower than some other inductees, Lorrie Morgan has still sold over 8 million albums and scored 3 #1 singles since the release of her 1989 debut album Leave the Light On. She’s also served as an ambassador of sorts for her late husband Keith Whitley’s legacy, and has been named CMA Female Artist of the Year three times. Lorrie Morgan has firmly cemented herself as an iconic artist of the ’90s, and deserves her spot in the Hall of Fame at some point – even if there are likely several others in front of her in line. 7. Tracy Lawrence When it comes to radio success in the ’90s, there aren’t many artists ahead of Tracy Lawrence. With his traditional country sound and reverence for the history of the genre, Lawrence was a standard bearer for the neo-traditional country sound of the decade, and even in 2026 he’s still releasing music that’s true to that sound. Tracy has over 13 million albums sold, 18 #1 singles in his career, and several more signature songs that surprisingly never topped the charts. With hits like “Time Marches On,” “If The World Had A Front Porch” and “Alibis,” it’s hard to overstate the impact that Tracy Lawrence had on country music in the ’90s, and in 1996 he was one of the top 10 played artists on the radio in ANY genre. For some reason he’s often overlooked as a legend of the genre, but behind Garth Brooks there may not be another artist who defined the ’90s more than Tracy Lawrence. 8. Johnny PayCheck Moving to the Veterans Era category, while Johnny PayCheck may have only had a single #1 song in his career with “Take This Job and Shove It,” his influence on country music goes far beyond just his own success as an artist. He was a defining figure of the “outlaw country” movement of the 1970s, and also served as a session musician and background vocalist for legendary artists like George Jones. PayCheck is often credited with influencing the vocal style of George Jones and Merle Haggard, along with dropping 30 of his own studio albums that featured hits like “She’s All I Got,” “Old Violin” and “The Lovin’ Machine.” While he may not have the #1s of some other inductees, his outsized influence on the look and sound of country music should be more than enough to warrant induction into the Hall of Fame. 9. Earl Thomas Conley One of the most successful artists of the 1980s, ETC scored an incredible 18 #1 singles, with 16 consecutive solo singles between 1983 and 1989. He was third in chart-topping singles of the 1980s, behind only Alabama and Ronnie Milsap, while also setting a record as the first artist of any genre to have four #1 singles from one album. He was also a prolific songwriter, with hits being recorded by Conway Twitty, whose single “This Time I’ve Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me” became Conley’s first hit as a songwriter, and even Blake Shelton, who got the ETC-penned “All Over Me” into the top 20 in 2002. If there’s ever a resumé that’s worthy of the Hall of Fame, it’s Earl Thomas Conley. 10. David Allan Coe David Allan Coe has released 42 studio albums containing hits like “The Ride,” “Tennessee Whiskey,” “Longhaired Redneck,” and of course, “You Never Even Called Me By My Name.” Emerging in the 1970s alongside figures like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, Coe helped define the outlaw movement in rejecting the polished sounds of Nashville in favor of raw, unfiltered storytelling. As a songwriter, it’s hard to deny the impact that his music has had on the genre, and though some of his more controversial music may give voters pause, it’s a glaring omission to leave him out of the Hall of Fame.The post The Wait Continues: 10 Artists Who Deserve To Be In The Country Music Hall Of Fame first appeared on Whiskey Riff.