(New York) Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, Kate Bush and the late George Michael have all been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Cleveland-based institution announced the artists and groups admitted as Class of 2023 on Wednesday. The list which includes The Spinners, Rage Against the Machine, DJ Kool Herc, Link Wray, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin, the co-songwriter of longtime Elton John.
“As you go from Link Wray, who was one of our earliest influencers, to Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, The Spinners, Rage Against the Machine and Willie Nelson, you have a very diverse body of work. What we’re always trying to show is that rock ‘n’ roll is a big tent and a lot of people belong there,” said Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Temple of rock and roll fame, before the inauguration.
Elliott ― the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an MTV Video Vanguard Award winner, and a four-time Grammy award-winning musician ― becomes the first hip-hop artist to feature at the Temple, who called her ” true pioneer in a male-dominated genre”.
Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years earlier before they can be admitted. Eight of the 14 nominees appeared on the ballot for the first time, including Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson. This was the first year of eligibility for Elliott.
Bush was nominated last year, but was unsuccessful. She was admitted this year due to a new wave of popularity after the series Stranger Things featured her song Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). She has been praised for “using lush soundscapes, radical experimentation, literary themes, sampling and theatricality to captivate audiences and inspire countless musicians”.
Michael, first as a member of Wham! then as a solo artist, was credited with “paving the way for a generation of proud LGBTQIA artists, from Sam Smith to Lil Nas X to Troye Sivan”, and Nelson, 90, was simply described as “an American institution”.
The Temple called DJ Kool Herc “the founding father of hip-hop music [who] helped create the blueprint for hip-hop.” And Chaka Khan has been described as “one of the most powerful and influential voices in music”, a “sultry yet street-safe hip-hop and soul diva”, who paved the way for women like Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu and Janelle Monáe.
The Spinners became a hit machine with four R number 1s
Taupin, who inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and received a Golden Globe and Oscar for (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again, from the biopic Rocketman, enters the Rock Hall of Fame 29 years after his co-star writing, John.
Cornelius was celebrated for creating a national television platform for African American music and culture. He became a visionary entrepreneur who opened the door ― and kept it open ― for many others to follow.
“Does a Willie Nelson fan know Missy Elliott?” Probably not, and vice versa, Peresman said. But this is an opportunity for someone who loves one of these artists to take a look and say, “Damn, I love Missy Elliott” or “I love Rage Against the Machine”. But who was The Spinners? I’m going to go see that. If it can open some minds and some attitudes, then we will have done our job. »
Nominees Iron Maiden, Cyndi Lauper, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes, Warren Zevon, Joy Division/New Order and Soundgarden did not secure a place in the Temple this time around.
The nominations were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals. Fans could vote online or in person at the museum, and the top five artists chosen by the public constituted a “fan ballot” which was tallied with the other professional ballots.
