That's a good point. But wasn't most music in the 60s "pop"? How is "Rock" defined? (rhetorically speaking)
...but Neil Diamond is not on the Rock side of that line. Does he have 'influence'? I guess... but there are a lot of acts that I'd personally put in before him.
I can respect your opinion in personal favorites, but geez - Diamond has been a huge "Rock" influence in that bridge between the 60s and 70s. There just weren't many screaming guitar rides back then.
I think that as Rock was ‘reinvented’ in the 80’s (new wave, punk, alternative) the early connections to Pop music weakened. It got progressively weaker in the 90’s with grunge. To make matters worse a lot of the popular acts from the 60’s & 70’s got somewhat cartoonish or became Vegas lounge acts (Barry Manilow anybody?).
The Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame should properly be called the “American Music Hall of Fame. That name would seem to better match its induction criteria. But then I guess we’d run afoul of the “Country Music Hall of Fame” and who knows what else.