CLEVELAND (CelebrityAccess) — The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its slate of candidates for 2017, with with a diverse array of artists, from Joan Baez to Kraftwerk making the cut.
Journey, Electric Light Orchestra, Pearl Jam and Steppenwolf all are included on the Rock Hall ballot for the first time, as are Pearl Jam, Jane's Addiction, synth-pop new wavers Depeche Mode, punk band Bad Brains, and rapper Tupac Shakur.
Other artists nominated for 2017 are proto-punkers band MC5, and electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, as well as soul singer Joe Tex. R&B also has a place this year with Chic, Chaka Khan and Janet Jackson all receiving nods.
To be eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, an artist or band has to have released its first single or album at least 25 years before the year of nomination, making the cut-off for this year's class 1991.
Fans can vote for their favorite artists online at RockHall.com and the top five will be added to a 'fan's ballot' that will be considered alongside other ballots determined by a voting body of more than 800 artists, music historians, and music industry insiders.
The 2017 Hall of Fame class will be inducted during a ceremony at the Barclays Center in New York next April. The festivities will be carried on HBO.
The full list of nominees:
Bad Brains
Chaka Khan
Chic
Depeche Mode
Electric Light Orchestra
J. Geils Band
Jane's Addiction
Janet Jackson
Joan Baez
Joe Tex
Journey
Kraftwerk
MC5
Pearl Jam
Steppenwolf
The Cars
The Zombies
Tupac Shakur
Yes
