Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats | Rocket 88 | 1952Introduced by “Little Steven” Van Zandt, the new Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Singles category is “a recognition of the excellence of the singles that shaped rock ‘n’ roll, kind of a rock ‘n’ roll jukebox, records by artists not in the Rock Hall — which is not to say these artists will never be in the Rock Hall. They just are not in the Rock Hall at the moment.”
Link Wray and His Ray Men | Rumble | 1958
Chubby Checker | The Twist | 1960
The Kingsmen | Louie Louie | 1963
Procol Harum | A Whiter Shade of Pale | 1967
Steppenwolf | Born to Be Wild | 1968
(I think it would've been cooler if they were specifically from nominees that year that didn't make the cut. That gives you options like Paranoid Android, Running Up That Hill, You've Got Another Thing Coming, Enjoy the Silence, Mama Said Knock You Out, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Killing in the Name...)