The nominees are in, and this year’s potential Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees span a wide variety of music genres.
This year’s nomination list was released on Wednesday, and the list includes:
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- Kate Bush
- Sheryl Crow
- Missy Elliott
- Iron Maiden
- Joy Division/New Order
- Cyndi Lauper
- George Michael
- Willie Nelson
- Rage Against the Machine
- Soundgarden
- The Spinners
- A Tribe Called Quest
- The White Stripes
- Warren Zevon
As you can see, the list really does cover a lot of different genres. The list will be cut in half in May when the full induction class is released, as well as the time and location for the ceremony.
Just like last year’s list, it is full of first-time nominees. They include Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Willie Nelson, the White Stripes, and Warren Zevon. Missy Elliott and the White Stripes are being recognized for their first year of eligibility.
It is the second attempt for Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest and Iron Maiden. Kate Bush and the Spinners have been nominated three times, and it’s the fifth time for Rage Against the Machine.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced earlier this week that they will be considering different genres of music when it comes to nominating artists to get in. The Hall of Fame has historically been inducting classic rock and roll, which is often male-dominated, straight and white. Looking at this year’s nomination list (and last year’s, too) you can see that the Hall of Fame is trying to make up for lost time.
It’s less about “rock and roll” and more about “artists whose music connects us all,” according to the Hall of Fame. That’s why artists like Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie were inducted last year, and probably why Missy Elliott, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson and George Michael made this year’s list.
Personally, I’m still not over the fact that the B-52′s have never been on a nomination list. They are new wave pioneers, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is seriously lacking inductees in that genre.
When the full list of nominees comes out in the spring, I think the final list will be Kate Bush, Willie Nelson, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Soundgarden and The White Stripes.
