Kate Bush, Mary J. Blige, and Foo Fighters are among the 16 artists selected for the longlist.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just announced the nominees for the class of 2021, and it's a pretty exciting lineup. The 16 artists featured on this year's list include Kate Bush, Devo, LL Cool J, and Chaka Khan, as well as first-time nominees Mary J. Blige and JAY-Z.
Many of the performers have been nominated or inducted on separate occasions in the past; Chaka Khan has been recognized for her solo work and the group Rufus, while the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl was inducted with Nirvana back in 2014. In 1991, Tina Turner was inducted under her musical duo Ike and Tina Turner.
In order to qualify, performers have to have released their first official recording 25 years prior, and historians and music industry figures consider musical contributions and cultural significance when forming the longlist.
Congratulations to the #RockHall2021 Nominees! Read more about this list and the 2021 Induction at https://t.co/iL9HlcGbDd pic.twitter.com/HWaQzuPsS3
— Rock Hall (@rockhall) February 10, 2021
Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation John Sykes praised the "diversity and depth" found on the ballot's genre-spanning artists. "These Nominees have left an indelible impact on the sonic landscape of the world and influenced countless artists that have followed them," he said in a press release.
In addition, the foundation also plans to host the induction ceremony in-person. It will be held this fall at the RRHF museum in Cleveland, Ohio where artists have been inducted since the 1990s.
The public gets the fun job of deciding the five inductees, and through April 30, music lovers can vote for their favorites every day on the Rock Hall's website. The final cut will be revealed in May. RRHF news is always buzz-worthy, but it seems that this year's picks have already made waves—the website crashed Wednesday morning due to people flooding the Fan Vote page. Thankfully, maintenance is underway, so we can all vote for our faves once, twice, and three times. The enthusiasm is real, y'all!
You can check out the full list below:
- Mary J. Blige
- Kate Bush
- Devotina
- Foo Fighters
- The Go-Gos
- Iron Maiden
- JAY-Z
- Chaka Khan
- Carole King
- Fela Kuti
- LL Cool J
- New York Dolls
- Rage Against the Machine
- Todd Rundgren
- Tina Turner
- Dionne Warwick
Let's hear from you—who do you think should be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Tell us in the comments, along with who you'll be voting for.
