Rocking into Hall of Fame
> Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, the late Nina Simone, Eurythmics and Kate Bush are among the greats vying for spots in the shrine to rock culture
civil rights songs such as To Be Young, Gifted and Black.
She has enjoyed a renewed spotlight following a 2015 Netflix documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone?
Another late singer nominated for the first time was Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the gospel singer of the 1930s and 40s whose melodic voice and engaging stage presence influenced early rockers.
Kate Bush in a later era also become a model for a generation of singers with the yelping cries of her dramatic soprano voice and an artistic approach that cared little about pop hits.
Eurythmics, on the other hand, found worldwide success starting with the 1983 album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These).
Singer Annie Lennox, who performed with producer David A. Stewart, has since been an outspoken advocate for human rights and global development.
Also receiving their first nominations were three British bands – blues rockers Dire Straits, R&B-influenced prog-rockers The Moody Blues and theatrical metalheads Judas Priest.
Dire Straits – whose hits included Money for Nothing and Sultans of Swing – broke up in 1995, raising the prospect of a reunion if the band is inducted.
The Hall of Fame could also bring back together the original lineup of Bon Jovi, one of 10 acts in the running that have been nominated before.
Longtime Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, who quit in 2013, took to social media urging fans to vote for the arena-packing anthem rockers.
Other acts in the running include The J. Geils Band, the feelgood rockers behind Centerfold whose namesake guitarist died in April, as well as Detroit punk forerunners MC5.
Also in contention are British Invasion-era group The Zombies, and late guitarist Link Wray, who popularised the three-fingered ‘power chord’ so prevalent in metal.
Depeche Mode, which has generated a string of synth-pop hits such as Blasphemous Rumours, while maintaining an underground appeal, was nominated for a second straight year.
Other nominees were rapper LL Cool J, New Wavers The Cars, Chaka Khan’s Chicago funk greats Rufus, and The Meters, the New Orleans funk band that backed up the late Allen Toussaint.
One notable absence was disco titan Chic, who has been nominated a record 11 times without winning.
But Chic’s main force, guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers, was inducted this year in a special category for his supporting role in music. – The Independent