Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, the Cars, Yes, Steve Miller and Chicago are among the 15 artists or bands newly nominated for possible induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Only approximately five of those acts will actually be chosen as part of next year’s Hall of Fame induction class, which will be announced in December.
The other nine nominees are Los Lobos, Nine Inch Nails, Janet Jackson, N.W.A, the Smiths, Chaka Khan, Chic, the J.B.’s and the Spinners. For the fourth year in a row, fans will be able to join together via online voting at Rolling Stone to collectively fill out one of the ballots that will determine the new inductees. (However, if we’re reading the rules correctly, that combined fan-vote ballot will only receive the same weight as each of the 800 submitted by the “artists, historians and music industry insiders of the Rock Hall voting body.”)
In order to be eligible for inclusion on this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot, acts must have released their first single or album in 1990 or earlier. This is the first year Chicago, Cheap Trick, the Cars, Los Lobos and Steve Miller have been nominated. The Black Crowes are among several newly eligible artists (see gallery below) who were not nominated for possible induction.
The 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place next April in New York City, and will be televised on HBO later in the year.
(story by Mathew Wilkening from Ultimate Classic Rock)
