Billy Idol, Jeff Buckley, Sade, P!NK, Lauryn Hill, Oasis and Wu-Tang Clan are among the diverse batch of 17 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees announced today.
Ten of this year’s hopefuls are on the ballot for the first time (nominees must have released their first commercial recordings at least 25 years prior).
“This diverse list of talented nominees recognizes the ever-evolving faces and sounds of Rock & Roll and its continued impact on youth culture,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. This year’s inductees, voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals, will be announced in April, along with inductees in three special committee categories: Musical influence, musical excellence and the Ahmet Ertegun Non-Performer Award.
The nominees are:
- Billy Idol After his British punk band Generation X broke up, Idol released his self-titled debut solo LP in 1982, scoring hits “White Wedding” and “Hot in the City.” The following year he released his album Rebel Yell which yielded MTV-favorite hits including the title track, “Eyes Without a Face” and “Flesh for Fantasy”;
- INXS The Australian rock band released its breakthrough album Listen Like Thieves in 1985 with the hit single “What You Need” and in 1987 the smash follow-up Kick, with four Top Ten singles “New Sensation,” “Never Tear Us Apart,” “Devil Inside,” and “Need You Tonight”;
- Iron Maiden The band’s self-titled debut album in 1980 included such songs as the title track and “Running Free,” establishing the group as one of heavy metal’s signature bands;
- Jeff Buckley His sole studio album, Grace, included his impassioned take on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” establishing him as one of the most promising new voices prior to his tragic death in 1997 in an accidental drowning;
- Joy Division/New Order A cornerstone of the 1970s Manchester punk/new wave music scene, Joy Division released alternative rock classics like “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and “Blue Monday.” Following the 1980 death by suicide of frontman Ian Curtis, the band renamed itself New Order and became a mainstream success with the hit “Blue Monday”;
- Lauryn Hill After finding success with musicians Pras and Wyclef Jean as Fugees, Hill went solo in 1998, releasing the highly praised album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, winner of the 1999 Grammy for Album of the Year;
- Luther Vandross After finding success as a backing vocalist, songwriter, and arranger – most notably on David Bowie’s Young Americans, Vandross released his debut album Never Too Much in 1981. Throughout the decades he crossed over to the pop charts (“Here and Now”), worked as a producer for Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Diana Ross, and continued polishing his skills as an interpreter (“Superstar,” “Endless Love”). He died in 2005 at the age of 54;
- Mariah Carey Carey’s self-titled 1990 debut featured four Number One singles and earned her the Grammy for Best New Artist. One of the eras most popular recording artists, her The Emancipation of Mimi was the best-selling album of 2005;
- Melissa Etheridge After years of non-stop gigging, Etheridge signed with Island Records in 1986 and released her eponymous debut album in 1988. Among her hits are “Bring Me Some Water,” “Come to My Window,” and “I Want to Come Over”;
- New Edition Formed in 1978, New Edition featured elementary school classmates Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Bobby Brown. With the addition of Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe, the groups debut 1982 Candy Girl, yielded the title track – which reached Number One on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart – and the ballad “Is This the End.” Follow-up New Edition (1984) included R&B chart-toppers “Cool It Now” and “Mr. Telephone Man”;
- Oasis Exploding out of the 1990s U.K. music scene, Oasis would eventually sell over a hundred million records, with their second album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? featuring hits “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova”;
- P!NK Breaking through with 2000’s Top Ten hit “There You Go,” P!NK’s debut album Can’t Take Me Home went double platinum and earned her Billboard’s New Female Artist of the Year. Single hits included “Get the Party Started,” “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” and “Just Like a Pill”;
- Phil Collins Joining the band Genesis in 1970, Collins established himself as one of the most inventive and gifted drummers of his generation. Stepping into the role of lead singer in 1975 after Peter Gabriel’s departure, he helped guide Genesis’ evolution from expansive arrangements toward tightly crafted, radio-ready songs, yielding hits like “Follow You Follow Me,” “Misunderstanding,” and “That’s All.” His solo hits include “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds” and “Take Me Home”;
- Sade With a career spanning four decades, the group Sade, led by singer-songwriter Sade Adu, is known for a unique sound with laid-back rhythms, elegant arrangements, melodic saxophone lines, and the smooth vocals of Adu. Best known for the massive hit “Smooth Operator”;
- Shakira Known as the Queen of Latin Music, Shakira has delivered hits like “Whenever, Wherever,” “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” and “Hips Don’t Lie.” Her third album, Pies Descalzos, earned accolades Pop Album of the Year, Pop Video of the Year, and Best New Pop Artist at the 1997 Billboard Latin Music Awards;
- The Black Crowes Blending hard rock and soulful Southern blues during the 1990s, the Black Crowes have scored hit singles including “Hard to Handle” and “She Talks to Angels,” and the groups debut album Shake Your Money Maker was certified five-times platinum;
- Wu-Tang Clan Redefining what a hip-hop group could be, this collective of rappers – RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, U-God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna – released Enter The Wu in 1993 and created a movement that has influenced countless artists including such as Jay-Z, Nas and many others.
The roster’s first-time nominees are P!NK, Hill, Buckley, Wu-Tang, Shakira, Etheridge, New Edition, Vandross, INXS and Collins (who was previously inducted as part of the band Genesis).
