It looks like it was a year for reflection by the nomination committee at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
First, they made room for nineteen nominees as compared to the regular fifteen, giving, even more, artists hope for induction.
Second, they definitely focused on artists that have been waiting for some time to join the ranks of the hall. Of the nineteen nominees, only three have been eligible for ten years or less while one could have been elected for over 30 years and eight for more than twenty years.
Two artists have been nominated in their first year of eligibility, Pearl Jam and Tupac Shakur while Jane’s Addiction sees its first nomination after five years of eligibility.
At the other end of the scale is folk great Joan Baez who could have been inducted as far back as the very first ceremony in 1986; however, this is the first time she is being considered.
Other first-time nominees are Bad Brains, Depeche Mode, the Electric Light Orchestra, Journey and Steppenwolf along with the previously mentioned Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur and Jane’s Addiction.
Probably the biggest surprise is the nomination of the hard to categorize Bad Brains. While most consider them one of the first hardcore punk bands, they also have played a wide variety of other genres. Still, two of the main tenants for being considered is pioneering of a genre and influence on future artists and Bad Brains fits the bill.
Then there is Chic. In our article yesterday on who should be nominated, we said that Chic may never get in and that the Hall would be better considering Nile Rodgers for a producer’s special induction, but here they are again for the eleventh time in fifteen years of eligibility.
Once again, the public will get one vote which you can place at the Rock Hall’s website.
The nominees:
Bad Brains (1st Nomination, 10th Year Eligible)
Joan Baez (1st Nomination, 32nd Year Eligible)
The Cars (2nd Nomination, 14th Year Eligible)
Chic (11th Nomination, 15th Year Eligible)
Depeche Mode (1st Nomination, 11th Year Eligible)
Electric Light Orchestra (1st Nomination, 21st Year Eligible)
J. Geils Band (4th Nomination, 22nd Year Eligible)
Janet Jackson (2nd Nomination, 10th Year Eligible)
Jane’s Addiction (1st Nomination, 5th Year Eligible)
Chaka Khan (3rd Nomination, 2nd Nomination as a solo artist, 14th Year Eligible as solo artist)
Journey (1st Nomination, 17th Year Eligible)
Kraftwerk (4th Nomination, 26th Year Eligible)
MC5 (2nd Nomination, 26th Year Eligible)
Pearl Jam (1st Nomination, 1st Year Eligible)
Tupac Shakur (1st Nomination, 1st Year Eligible)
Steppenwolf (1st Nomination, 26th Year Eligible)
Joe Tex (5th Nomination, 27th Year Eligible)
Yes (3rd Nomination, 23rd Year Eligible)
The Zombies (2nd Nomination, 27th Year Eligible)
