The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their 2017 class of inductees. The inducted artists are Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur and Yes.
To be eligible for nomination to the Hall, an artist must have released their first recording – single or album – no later than 25 prior to the year of nomination. Tupac Shakur and Pearl Jam made into the Hall in their first year of eligibility, having both debuted in 1991. Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez and Journey all made it into the Hall of Fame on their appearance on the ballot, despite all three being eligible for decades. Yes was the only artist who was inducted that had previously appeared on the ballot, having been nominated in 2014 and 2016.
The other acts on this year’s ballot who were not inducted were Bad Brains, The Cars, Chaka Khan, Chic, Depeche Mode, Jane’s Addiction, Janet Jackson, J. Geils Band, Joe Tex, Kraftwerk, MC5, Steppenwolf and The Zombies.
Nile Rodgers, producer and leader of Chic, was also inducted this year, through the Award of Music Excellence. Chic was on the ballot for the record 11th time this year, and it is unlikely they will return next year given Rodgers’ separate induction.
The chosen acts will be formally inducted in the Hall of Fame at a ceremony on April 7, 2017 at the Barclays Center in New York City. A special exhibit on the six artists will be opened at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland on March 30.
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