For an artist to be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, their first single or LP has to be at least twenty-five years old. Which means that, for the first time, the dream of the ’90s could be realized in Cleveland. While the argument over what exactly constitutes “rock and roll” in the eyes of the museum has grown stale—let’s not even mention the argument over whether the idea of a hall of fame is antithetical to the idea of rock and roll in the first place—the Rock Hall obviously isn’t going anywhere, and its understanding of “rock and roll” is broad enough to include hip-hop and disco (or at least those hip-hop and disco acts whose talent was apparent even to crusty old Creem readers).
To that end, the Cleveland institution has released the longlist of nominees for the class of 2016. N.W.A lead the pack, continuing their gradual immersion into the American mainstream, while Janet Jackson finds the ballot for the first time. The Smiths have made the cut, which will almost certainly lead to an excellent, inflammatory quote by Morrissey, and we’re personally hoping that Nine Inch Nails brings out the Downward Spiral-era dental equipment for their induction performance should they get in. The rest of the list—including Chic, who are nominated for the tenth time and are quickly becoming the Jeff Bagwell of music—is below.
2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees
N.W.A
Janet Jackson
Nine Inch Nails
The Smiths
Yes
Cheap Trick
The Cars
Chicago
Steve Miller
The J.B.’s
Deep Purple
Chic
Los Lobos
Chaka Khan
The Spinners
