Nina Simone, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, More Nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Music News Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Nina Simone, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, More Nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The 2018 nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced today, and it should come as no surprise that Radiohead leads the pack, nominated in their very first year of eligibility.

And while the British group seems like a shoo-in for the HOF, Radiohead themselves were ambivalent about it. “I don’t care,” said Jonny Greenwood to Rolling Stone. They didn’t even seem to want to go to the ceremony: Ed O’Brien said, “It just feels non-authentic to us.”

The New York Times notes that, after coming under fire for its lack of diversity, the HOF’s new ballot has five female-led groups and six that feature nonwhite performers. That being said, more “traditional” groups (read: old and white) are also represented, as Dire Straits and The Moody Blues were among the first-time nominees, alongside the likes of Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

You can vote on this year’s ballot here.

Here’s the full list, starting with artists in their first year to be nominated:

Judas Priest
The Moody Blues
Radiohead
Nina Simone
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Kate Bush
Rage Against the Machine
Eurythmics
Dire Straits

In their second year to be nominated:

Depeche Mode
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
Link Wray
Bon Jovi

In their third year to be nominated:

The Cars
The Zombies
MC5

In their fourth year to be nominated:

The Meters
LL Cool J

Rounding out the list is the J. Geils Band, nominated for their fifth year.

For a quick explanation of how the process works, Billboard has you covered:

To be eligible for nomination, a band or artist had to have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to their year of induction; 2018 nominees had to release their first official recording no later than 1992. Ballots will be sent to an international voting body of more than 900 artists, historians and music industry members who will weigh factors including musical influence on other artists, and length and depth of career and body of work, including “innovation and superiority in style and technique.”

Lastly, if you’re unsure of who to vote for, here’s a song or two you might enjoy.

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