Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Mellencamp canceled his show Thursday at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence because of the weather. The concert will not be rescheduled. Ticket refunds may be had at the point of purchase.

Madonna is in. The Dave Clark Five fought their way in after being rejected for years. And Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, instrumental group the Ventures and heartland rocker John Mellencamp were also part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2008, announced last Thursday.

But news of the five inductees has jump-started the annual mud-slinging over just who belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Critics of the annual music honors charge that the foundation, which inducted its first honorees in 1986, has lost its way and diluted the importance of the honor by admitting too many marginal acts while ignoring some supremely influential and popular artists who just don’t have the political juice to get in.

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels? Not in. Nor are proto-punkers the MC5, Iggy Pop and/or the Stooges, or Steve Miller, or Genesis, or Yes.

As for the nine nominees offered up earlier this year, which also included Donna Summer, Chic, Afrika Bambaataa and the Beastie Boys: “I couldn’t vote for any of ’em,” said Joel Selvin, longtime music writer at the San Francisco Chronicle and a former member of the Rock Hall of Fame nominating committee.

“It doesn’t matter who they elected,” Selvin said. “This thing has sunk to a shameful level of manipulation and behind-the-scenes chicanery. If it were a public institution — which it is — it would be held up for total ridicule.”

Further, Selvin charges that Rolling Stone publisher and Rock Hall of Fame co-founder Jann Wenner has an undue influence over the nominations and votes, pushing Grandmaster Flash ahead of the Dave Clark Five last year because he was determined that a rap group would finally make it in. Published reports charged that the Dave Clark Five received more votes, but the votes were deemed to have arrived in the mail “too late.” Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, welcomes the passionate debate and criticism — for the most part.

“People are very passionate about their artists, you can make good cases for almost every act,” Peresman said . “You can’t induct everybody . . . but it’s not a closed book.”

He denies that Wenner has undue influence over who gets in. “He’s not even on the nominating committee.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was founded in 1983 by Wenner, Ahmet Ertegun and other top dogs in the music business, with the first honorees inducted in 1986. Acts are deemed eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first recording. The nominating committee selects a slate of approximately nine nominees, then 600 so-called music industry “insiders” — promoters, managers, music writers and musicians — vote and five to seven final winners are chosen.