Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2016 Nominees Include The Cars, Janet Jackson

It's a relatively controversy-free list of potential inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, although die-hards always find a reason for outrage at inclusions or omissions. Sorry again, fans of Bon Jovi, The Cure. And apparently someone was even rooting for Moby.

This year, nods go to eight first-time nominees including new wave band The Cars, soft-rock group Chicago and the Tex-Mex influenced Los Lobos. Cheap Trick and Steve Miller are also under consideration for the first time.

Meanwhile, disco-funk band Chic scores a 10th nod, setting a record for nominations without an induction and making them the Susan Lucciof rock enshrinement.

Solo performers on the list include Funk legend Chaka Khan and Janet Jackson.

When nominations are announced, a common complaint is that the Hall of Fame favors newer acts. As the Plain Dealer reports:

The (2016) list ... seems to pay heed in some manner to the hue and cry of fans over the exclusion of vintage bands from what many see as the golden age of rock 'n' roll. The groundbreaking prog-rock band Yes, for example, has been eligible for enshrinement since 1994, yet has only one nomination on its resume.

Yes makes this year's cut, as does Deep Purple, formed in 1968 and perhaps best known for their 1972 garage band staple, "Smoke on the Water."

Has your favorite act been excluded yet again? See NPR's guide to The Right Way To Complain About The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Marie Andrusewicz