CLEVELAND — After more than 9.4 million votes, the fans have spoken. The leader of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 Fan Vote is New Edition, a musical group formed in the Boston area in 1978.
New Edition landed the top spot on the leaderboard with 1,022,683 votes. Just behind them was Phil Collins in second and P!NK in third.
“The story of New Edition is one of reinvention, reunion, and resilience – uniting superstar individuality with unmatched group synergy,” reads the Rock Hall’s entry on the group. “They fused the sounds of 1960s Motown and 1970s Philly Soul – and remixed it for the BET generation – creating the blueprint for countless artists, including New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys, and Destiny’s Child. Today, their influence is deeply woven into Black culture – their choreography is commonly taught in schools – and they are cherished as elder statesmen and architects of modern R&B.”
On Spotify, the group has more than 2.9 million monthly listeners. Their most-streamed song is “Can You Stand The Rain” with more than 129.3 million listens, followed by Mr. Telephone Man at more than 99.5 million.
Here’s a list of selected discography on the group from the Rock Hall:
The results of the fan vote has implications for the Rock Hall’s induction process. According to their website, the top five to seven musicians/groups with the most fan votes make up one ballot.
“Inductees are chosen by an international voting body of more than 1,200 Inductees, historians and members of the music industry, as well as the aggregate results of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s annual online Fan Vote, which counts as one ballot,” the Rock Hall’s website reads.
Here’s a look at the full 2026 Fan Vote leaderboard, with the top seven bolded:
- New Edition, with 1,022,683 votes
- Phil Collins, with 900,825 votes
- P!NK, with 852,581 votes
- Shakira, with 738,034 votes
- Luther Vandross, with 732,747 votes
- INXS, with 645,021 votes
- SADE, with 622,997 votes
- Wu-Tang Clan, with 610,083 votes
- Billy Idol, with 601,061 votes
- Mariah Carey, with 503,549 votes
- Lauryn Hill, with 472,708 votes
- Iron Maiden, with 395,281 votes
- Melissa Etheridge, with 387,393 votes
- The Black Crowes, with 277, 769 votes
- Oasis, with 259,942 votes
- Joy Division + New Order, with 229,862 votes
- Jeff Buckley, with 171,146
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