Four rock bands, a jazz singer/pianist, and gospel singer are being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame next spring. Bon Jovi, The Moody Blues, Dire Straits, The Cars, Nina Simone, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe will be honoured in 2018.
The top four vote-getters in a fan poll were the rock bands, with Bon Jovi leading the pack. It was the first time the Moody Blues, Dire Straits, Simone and Tharpe were nominated. The Cars had been nominated three times before finally landing the honour.
Bon Jovi was first eligible for induction in 2009. Simon and Tharpe have been eligible since 1986, reports ABC. The Moody Blues have been eligible since 1989, while Dire Straits and The Cars have been eligible since 2004.
Jon Bon Jovi thanked fans in a video on Twitter: “Hey, everybody. Just wanted to say hi and wish you all a happy holiday. And, oh yeah, by the way, thank you. Thanks for inducting us into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—long time coming! But it’s finally here. We’ll see you guys in Cleveland. Thanks for all the memories and all the history we continue to make together.”
Cars frontman Ric Ocasek told Rolling Stone: “It’s certainly a wonderful feeling to be accepted by peers and you see the people that are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who gets inducted, it’s a positive feeling that you get. I think it’s kind of a big thing for me and the band.”
Nominees are eligible for induction 25 years after they release their debut album. In addition to demonstrating superior musical talent and skill, the inductees must also have had “a significant impact on the development, evolution and preservation of rock & roll,” according to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame website.
Artists who didn’t make the cut for 2018 include: Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Eurythmics, Kate Bush, Judas Priest, Depeche Mode, the J. Geils Band, LL Cool J, MC5, The Meters, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Link Wray, and The Zombies.
Over 900 artists, historians, and others involved in the music industry decide who gets inducted. The 33rd annual ceremony will take place on April 14, 2018, in Cleveland, Ohio.
