The votes are in and have been tallied; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a new class of inductees.
The newest class of artists going into the Hall of Fame range from an early rock and roll pioneer to pioneers of rap music and some of the biggest rockers in music.
For Joe Cocker, entrance into the Rock Hall will be a posthumous induction.
Chubby Checker, Bad Company, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, the White Stripes, and Soundgarden are also entering The Hall under the performance category.
Female rap pioneers Salt-N-Pepa and “Werewolves of London” creator Warren Zevon will receive the Musical Influence Award.
Record producer Thom Bell and musicians Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye are to get the Musical Excellence Award.
Soundgarden follows fellow grunge artists Nirvana and Pearl Jam into The Hall.
Seventies rockers Bad Company were frequent additions to any radio playlist.
As the head of Warner Bros Records, Lenny Waronker will receive the nonperformance professional honour of the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Waronker is responsible for signing artists R.E.M. and Prince; he also had a hand in music from Madonna, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon and Gary Clark Jr.
Also on the list of nominees that did not make it into the Rock Hall are Mariah Carey, Phish, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Mana, the Black Crowes, and Oasis.
Artists become eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first recording. But they earn their induction for “an artist’s impact on other musicians, the scope and longevity of their career and body of work, as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique.”
The 2025 induction ceremony will take place this fall.
New inductees were selected by a panel of over 1,200 historians, musicians, and music industry professionals. Plus the fans got a chance to express their views via a vote that gave the top vote getter one vote to be added to the total.