Sorry, it’s still not over.

Our interminable 40th anniversary celebration will soon draw to a close with RAINMAKERS 40, a special issue chronicling the—wait for it—40 executives who most shaped the music industry, and this humble trade rag, over the past four decades.

To kick things off, we present 10 larger-than-life legends whose primes may have preceded the launch of HITS, thereby excluding them from RAINMAKERS contention, but without whom this fakakta business we all love would not exist.

Please join us in welcoming the inaugural class of the HITS Hall of Fame. Deets on the upcoming ceremony, to take place in the parking lot of a Pacoima Motel 6, to follow.

Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss
Co-founders, A&M Records
1962-1993

Ahmet Ertegun
Founding chairman, Atlantic Records
1947-2006

Berry Gordy
Founder and CEO, Motown Records
1959-1988

Bill Graham
Founder, Bill Graham Presents
1965-1991

Quincy Jones
Vice president, Mercury Records
Co-founder, Qwest Records
Co-founder, Vibe magazine
1961-1993

Mo Ostin
Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Records
1972-1994

Tom Ross
Founder, music division, CAA
1984-1998

Joe Smith
President, Warner Bros. Records
Chairman, Elektra/Asylum Records
CEO, Capitol/EMI
1972-1993

Walter Yetnikoff
CEO, CBS Records
1975-1990