The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced its list of induction nominees – a veritable big tent including pop, rap and disco.
The list of nominees covers the past five decades of music and encompasses bands and artists representing everything from rock to pop, reggae to rap, plus songwriting and vocal excellence.
The 1950s vocal group The Chantels made the list. So did singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, rapper LL Cool J, arena-rockers KISS, and ‘70s chart toppers ABBA. Genesis, Donna Summer, Jimmy Cliff, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Hollies, Darlene Love and The Stooges also made the grade.
The list of nominees should placate KISS and Stooges fans. The Rock Hall has been criticized for ignoring the two bands in years past.
The actual inductees will be announced in January and the 25th Annual Induction Ceremony will take place March 15 at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria. More than 500 voters will determine the final outcome.
The Rock Hall released the list via a blog posting on its Web site. Five of the 12 nominees will be inducted. An act must have released its first single or album at least 25 years ago to be eligible for nomination. To be eligible for this year’s noms, each band or artist had to have released its first single before 1984.
Now that the noms are out, it’s time for that grand old tradition of dissing the selections. What do you think about this year’s nominations? Does Donna Summer qualify for Rock Hall membership? Was ABBA more pop than rock? Feel free to rejoice, rant and whine in the comment thread below.
Click here for the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame’s Web site.