Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, 鈥淪oul Train鈥� creator Don Cornelius and the late George Michael have all been inducted into the with Kate Bush also finally reaching the top of that hill.
The Cleveland-based institution announced Wednesday the artists and groups entering the hall as the class of 2023, a list that includes The Spinners, Rage Against the Machine, DJ Kool Herc, Link Wray, Al Kooper and Elton John鈥檚 longtime co-songwriter Bernie Taupin.
鈥淲hen you can go from Link Wray, who was one of the early influencers, to Missy Elliott and Kate Bush and The Spinners and Rage Against the Machine and Willie Nelson, you have a very diverse body of work. What we are always trying to show is that rock 鈥榥鈥� roll is a big tent and a lot of people belong,鈥� said Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation ahead of the unveiling.
Elliott, the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an MTV Video Vanguard Award recipient and a four-time Grammy Award winner, now becomes the first female hip-hop artist in the rock hall, which called her 鈥渁 true pathbreaker in a male-dominated genre.鈥�
Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they鈥檙e eligible for induction. Eight out of 14 nominees were on the ballot for the first time, including Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson. This is the first year of eligibility for Elliott.
Bush was a nominee last year but didn鈥檛 make the final cut then. She got in this year due to a new wave in popularity after the show 鈥淪tranger Things鈥� featured her song 鈥淩unning Up That Hill (A Deal with God).鈥� The hall hailed her for 鈥渦sing lush soundscapes, radical experimentation, literary themes, sampling, and theatricality to captivate audiences and inspire countless musicians.鈥�
first as a member of Wham! and then as a solo artist, was cited for 鈥減aving the way for a generation of proud LGBTQIA+ artists, from Sam Smith to Lil Nas X to Troye Sivan鈥� and the was simply described as 鈥渁n American institution.鈥�
Crow was recognized for key songs in the 1990s musical canon like 鈥淎ll I Wanna Do鈥� and 鈥淓very Day Is a Winding Road,鈥� while Rage Against the Machine 鈥渇orged brazen protest music for the modern world.鈥�
The hall called DJ Kool Herc 鈥渁 founding father of hip-hop music鈥� who 鈥渉elped create the blueprint for hip-hop.鈥� And Chaka Khan was described as 鈥渙ne of the mightiest and most influential voices in music鈥� a 鈥渟treetwise but sensual hip-hop-soul diva,鈥� who paved the way for women like Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu and Janelle Mon谩e.
The Spinners became a hit-making machine with four No. 1 R&B hits in less than 18 months, including 鈥淚鈥檒l Be Around鈥� and 鈥淐ould It Be I鈥檓 Falling in Love.鈥� Rock guitarist was said to be ahead of his time, influencing Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen.
Taupin, who made it into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and has a Golden Globe and an Oscar for 鈥�(I鈥檓 Gonna) Love Me Again鈥� from the biopic makes it into the rock hall 29 years after his writing partner, John.
Cornelius was celebrated for creating a nationally televised platform for African American music and culture. He 鈥渂ecame a visionary entrepreneur who opened the door 鈥� and held it open 鈥� for many others to follow him through.鈥�
鈥淒oes a Willie Nelson fan know anything about Missy Elliott? Probably not, and vice versa,鈥� said Peresman. 鈥淏ut this is an opportunity for someone who is into one of these artists to take a look at it and say, 鈥楪ee, I love Missy Elliott鈥� or 鈥業 love Rage Against the Machine. But The Spinners, who were they? Let me check that out.鈥� If that can open some minds and open some attitudes, then we鈥檝e done our job.鈥�
Nominees Iron Maiden, Cyndi Lauper, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes, Warren Zevon, Joy Division/New Order and Soundgarden didn鈥檛 earn a spot in the hall this time. While the late Zevon has been eligible since 1994, Billy Joel led a push in vain for his entry, writing to the nominating committee urging them to consider Zevon.
The induction ceremony will take place Nov. 3 at the Barclays Center in New York City.
Nominees were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals. Fans could vote online or in person at the museum, with the top five artists picked by the public making up a 鈥渇ans鈥� ballot鈥� that was tallied with the other professional ballots.
鈥擬ark Kennedy, The Associated Press
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