Kate Bush, Jay-Z Among 2021 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees

Kate Bush, Jay-Z, Tina Turner, Carole King, Foo Fighters, the Go-Go’s, and Mary J. Blige are among the “long list” of nominees for the 2021 class in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The full list includes Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Mary J. Blige, Iron Maiden, Tina Turner, the Go-Go’s, Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, Devo, Chaka Khan, Carole King, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Todd Rundgren, and Dionne Warwick.

The 16 names announced today (10) will be voted on by some 1,000 notables in the music industry, including artists, historians, and journalists, with the inductees announced in May. Fans can vote at rockhall.com, or at an interactive kiosk at the museum in Cleveland.

The 2021 induction ceremony is planned for the fall in Cleveland. The 2020 event was eventually held as a virtual ceremony, inducting Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G., T. Rex, and the Doobie Brothers.

Hall of Fame eligibility rules require that a nominee’s first single or album must have been released in 1995 or earlier. Artists are often nominated on multiple occasions for inclusion, with LL Cool J appearing on the long list for a sixth time. But seven of this year’s class are first-time nominees (Foo Fighters, the Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Tina Turner, Fela Kuti, and Dionne Warwick).

Artists can also appear in different configurations: Carole King is already an inductee with former husband and writing partner Gerry Goffin, who entered the Hall of Fame as non-performers in 1990. The following year, Tina Turner was inducted with former husband Ike. Dave Grohl made the grade as a member of Nirvana in 2014.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation Chairman John Sykes says in a statement: “This remarkable ballot reflects the diversity and depth of the artists and music the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates. These nominees have left an indelible impact on the sonic landscape of the world and influenced countless artists that have followed them.”