Since they announced this year’s batch of nominees, officials at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have fielded a fair amount of calls from alert fans who point out that Pat Benatar appears on the official list as a “duo.” As it turns out, the designation was no mistake; Benatar wanted it that way.

Although the veteran rocker’s name and face has graced the cover of every album since her 1979 debut, “In the Heat of the Night,” she’s always considered herself to be part of a two-person act alongside her husband, Neil Giraldo. The guitarist has been with her every step of the way. performing on all of her songs, co-writing many of them and producing every album since 1981’s “Precious Time.” The two married in 1982 and are still going strong today.

The Rock Hall nod comes as a surprise for Giraldo, who in 2017 told Billboard he doubted he’d ever receive the honor. “I don’t put a lot of faith in that for me, ’cause obviously nobody really knew what I did in this particular partnership,” he said at the time. “So I don’t really see that happening.”

Can you think of any other important background players in music who are often overlooked? Why did Pat Benatar’s star fall after her huge success in the early ’80s?

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