The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame has announced its five inductees for 2016. The ceremony to welcome them will take place on Friday, April 8, 2016 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York for the second time. HBO will broadcast the ceremony in spring 2016.
Each act on the list spent decades developing their place in music, and that is one of the requirements for inclusion consideration. An act has to be in business for at least 25 years after the release of its first album to be nominated, but they do not have to be active that entire time. If the group comes out, releases an album or two and breaks up they are still able to be considered for placement in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
Of the nominees considered this year, N.W.A, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Steve Miller, and Chicago are the ones who were selected to be added to the pantheon of all things rock. Most of the artists chosen have been around for upwards of 40 years, but some have only recently become eligible for nomination (N.W.A).
A group of more than 600 artists and music professionals vote on the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductions every year. For five years, the Rock Hall has allowed fans to vote, too. But their top pick counts as a single vote. In 2015, Chicago was the band with the most votes, as the 37-million ballots cast with their name on it accounted for 23% of the total votes for the year.
Dozens of iconic artists who recently became eligible for Rock Hall consideration did not make the cut. Listing them all would take far too long, but a few serious contenders were The Smiths, Nine Inch Nails, The Cars, Chic, Janet Jackson, The J.B.’s, Chaka Khan, Los Lobos, The Spinners, and Yes. It’s a little bit of a surprise that Janet did not make the cut, as women are not represented in any of the newly inducted acts, but perhaps next year will be her year.
To celebrate the artists chosen for induction, please join us in revisiting some of those bands’ biggest singles…
