its too much of an american thing. aussie acts cant get in unless they really gave america a kick

My first reaction was to say no to The Seekers qualifying for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but after thinking it over I have changed my mind. Folk/Rock is often identified with the music of the mid 1960s and the term most often brings to mind groups such as the Mamas and Papas, Buffalo Springfield, Simon and Garfunkel, The Byrds and a case could even be made for The Beatles (You've Got To Hide Yor Love Away, for example) These groups usually mixed electric guitars with acousitcal instruments in their music. However, from about 1959 until about 1967 Folk music without the Rock, some of it bordering on the traditional, saw a reign of popularity. Folk began gaining mainstream acceptance and by 1963 some of the groups adopted a bigger sound. Some of the songs that come to mind are tunes such as the Rooftop Singers (Walk Right In), Glenn Yarborough (Baby The Rain Must Fall), The New Christy Minstrels (Green Green), Barry McGuire (Eve of Destruction), The Fireballs (Bottle of Wine), The Serendipity Singers (Don't Let The Rain Come Down), and Spanky and Our Gang (Sunday Will Never Be The Same). Folk purists thought of themselves as a legitimate alternative to Rock and Roll and they were content to share the top 40 limelight with their Rock and Roll cousins. Dylan went electric and then the Byrds (and others) saw success in combining the two styles of Folk and Rock so it was at that point the more traditional Folk sound began to decline in popularity although it never fully faded away until the 1960s ended. (Joan Baez appeared at Woodstock in 1969 to a friendly but unenthusiastic crowd) The Seekers, with songs such as A World Of Our Own and I'll Never Find Another You were in my view, the best representation of the more powerful style of Folk music which consisted of acoustic stringed instruments, (guitars, banjo, mandolin, etc) a stand up bass, powerful vocals and occasional orchestration. The 1966 movie Georgy Girl and later a Coca Cola commercial helped give the Seekers a shot in the arm but it would not make any difference because the more traditional Folk style of music would never again achieve mainstream popularity like it enjoyed in the early and mid 1960s. The Seekers did a lot of cover songs on their albums, many of which had been popular hits for Folk/Rock groups but they did the songs in their own acoustic style, staying true to the Folk genre. Easy to recognize melodies, upbeat positive lyrics, well produced records with pleasing harmonies made the Seekers a quality 1960s Folk group. Before there was Folk/Rock there was Folk with a big sound and as the best representatives of that style of music I believe that the Seekers deserve a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.