The 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction nominee list is out and we love the selections.
Every year the list is released and every year we hear the same chorus of “this band was left out”.
But for 2017, innovators Kraftwerk may finally get their due and the fantastic English band Yes and two Boston groups finally made the nominee cut: The J. Geils Band, and The Cars.
The full list of nominees are 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 and Yes.
The Cars broke big in the late 1970s as their new-wave minimal rock style folded in nicely over the punk scene that was big at the time.
J. Geils Band was a grittier, bluesy touring and performing phenomenon out of Boston, coming up more in the late 60s and early 70s when their music became less acoustic and more electric and edgy with full frontal attacks like Whammer Jammer.
Sad to note that the nomination for Yes is on the heels of losing founder and bassist Chris Squire in 2014.
Squire, who performed with the band for almost 50 years, was one of the best guitarists in the world. He passed away at age 67 from leukemia. No one sounded, or has since sounded, like Yes — whose catalog is full of mind-bending musical masterpieces.
Also hard to believe that Steppenwolf isn’t already inducted! Magic Carpet Ride was made in 1968 and it still holds up as a great party song.
So much great music…
The entry point for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame remains the same: You must have released a first single or LP at least 25 years prior so, for this year, no later than 1991.
That means Pearl Jam and Tupac Shakur became eligible for nomination this year.
Innovation, style, and influence are all taken into consideration as 800+ peers including artists, historians, and members of the music industry vote on who is to be included.
Fans can too! Beginning October 18 through December 5, 2016, fans can visit www.rockhall.com to cast votes for who should make it in. Voting is capped at one ballot per day.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2017 inductees will be revealed in December 2016, with the ceremony held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in April 2017 and broadcast on HBO.