Pearl Jam and Tupac Shakur became eligible for nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and made the cut immediately.
Others announced on Tuesday as nominees for induction in 2017 include fellow first-timers Bad Brains, Depeche Mode, Electric Light Orchestra, Jane's Addiction, Joan Baez, Journey and Steppenwolf.
A few familiar names are back for possible induction as well: Chaka Khan , Chic, J. Geils Band , Janet Jackson , Joe Tex, Kraftwerk , MC5, The Cars, The Zombies and Yes.
Nominees must have released their first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.
The next step is that ballots will be sent to a voting body of more than 800 artists, historians and members of the music industry.
Through Dec. 5, fans can visit rockhall.com to cast votes for the artist they believe deserves induction. The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a "fans' ballot" that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2017 inductees. Fans will need to login with a Facebook account or email to vote. Voting is capped at one ballot per day.
The 2017 class will be announced in December and officially inducted in April at a ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (ticket info TBA). As usual, the event will be broadcast on HBO.
About the Author
