Joan Jett, Guns N’ Roses and Beastie Boys Among Rock Hall of Fame Nominees [PICTURES]
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has mailed out the ballots for its 27th annual list of potential inductees, leaving it to the organization’s 500 voters to pick the winners from an eclectic group that includes first-time nominees as well as returning contenders.
Newly eligible artists who made this year’s cut include Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Guns N’ Roses, Heart, and Eric B. & Rakim, while the Beastie Boys, Donna Summer, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the veteran hopefuls.
To qualify for Rock Hall membership, an act has to have released its first album at least 25 years ago, and while some artists — including Guns N’ Roses and Eric B. & Rakim — manage to secure nominations in their first eligible year, others aren’t so lucky. It’s an annual topic of debate for fans, and for certain musicians, it’s a bit of a sore subject.
Keyboardist for Small Faces and Faces Ian McLagan, whose bands both appear on this year’s ballot after many years of eligibility, responded to the nomination with a wry, “It’s about bloody time.” He admitted that he felt lumping his groups into a single nomination was “a bit insulting,” but said, “If we have to go in as a combo, that’s not right. It’s a dollar short and many years too late — but I’ll take it.”
Here’s the complete list of nominees: Beastie Boys, The Cure, Donovan, Eric B. & Rakim, Guns N’ Roses, Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Freddie King, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Small Faces / Faces, The Spinners, Donna Summer, War