Jan 15, 2009, 6:46 GMT
New York - Heavy metal band Metallica and hip-hop pioneers Run-DMC are to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, along with Jeff Beck, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and Bobby Womack, the institution announced Wednesday.
Other inductees include rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson in the early influence category, as well as and pianist Dewey Lyndon 'Spooner' Oldham and Elvis Presley bassist Bill Black and drummer DJ Fontana in the sideman category.
The election of Run-DMC, the biggest hip-hop group of the 1980s, makes the trio just the second rap act named to the Hall, following Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 2006. Only two members of the trio survive. Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was shot to death in his recording studio in 2002.
Run-DMC's 1986 cover version of rock band Aerosmith's Walk This Way became one of the biggest singles of the decade. With Aerosmith members contributing vocals and guitar work on the Run-DMC version, the song was a historic, cross-genre collaboration.
Metallica in the early 1980s were pioneers of the underground thrash metal movement, which blended the technical guitars of heavy rock with the speed and raw sound of punk. After becoming icons of the metal genre, their self-titled 1991 album became huge crossover breakthrough, opening the door for extensive radio success in the 1990s. The band is estimated to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Nominees who weren't selected for induction in 2009 include proto- punks the Stooges and influential funk acts War and Chic. Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record, and inductees are selected by a panel of 500 'rock experts' who evaluate each candidate.
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