To quote directly from one of these nominees: Select your juke-box hero. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has released a shortlist of 15 artists for the class of 2024. Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Eric B. & Rakim, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Jane’s Addiction, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O’Connor, Ozzy Osbourne, Sade, and A Tribe Called Quest have been chosen by the nominating committee — a sonically diverse group that transcends decades of various influence and categorization within the genre. The induction class will be officially revealed in late April and the ceremony will return to its home turf, Cleveland, in the autumn.
As the inaugural slate of nominees selected without Jann Wenner in the organization, ten out of the 15 acts are first-timers on the ballot. (They would be Carey, Cher, Foreigner, Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Kravitz, Oasis, O’Connor, Osbourne, and Sade.) Even the repeat nominees haven’t received a ton of recognition in the past: A Tribe Called Quest previously scored two nominations, while Blige, Jane’s Addiction, Eric B. & Rakim, and the Fan Vote-winning Dave Matthews Band had only been tapped once each. An additional fun fact is that if Osbourne gets in as a soloist, he would join the ranks of the double-inductee club, given his 2006 honors with Black Sabbath. Some other club members include Peter Gabriel and Dave Grohl.
The Rock Hall will be continuing its partnership with Disney+ and ABC, which drew a record amount of viewers last year (13 million, people care!) who wanted to see Jimmy Page make his grand, sexy return to the guitar and Adam Levine butcher a George Michael tribute. The ceremony will be live-streamed on Disney+ from its Cleveland venue with a special airing on ABC at a later date. As a refresher, these newer Rock Hall classes have been transitioning away from the genre’s golden age in favor of championing rock as a “spirit that is inclusive and ever-changing” — a mission statement that has blown open the doors for musicians associated with rhythm and blues, pop, country, and gospel music. Now it’s time to convene the voters.
