The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has revealed the inductees for its Class of 2023.
ADVERTISEMENTKate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott and Rage Against the Machine are all getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023.
The other performer inductees are the late George Michael, who died in 2016, as well as Willie Nelson and the Spinners.
Hip-hop legend DJ Kool Herc and guitarist Link Wray will receive the Musical Influence Award, and Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, and Elton John’s songwriter Bernie Taupin are receiving the Musical Excellence Award.
It’s no coincidence that DJ Kool Herc’s induction aligns with the year the music industry is celebrating as the 50th anniversary of hip-hop as a genre.
In addition, Don Cornelius, the late creator of Soul Train, will get the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
“This year’s incredible group of inductees reflects the diverse artists and sounds that define rock’n’roll,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a press statement. “We are honoured that this November’s induction ceremony in New York will coincide with two milestones in music culture; the 90th birthday of Willie Nelson and the 50th Anniversary of the birth of hip-hop.”
The Rock Hall’s Class of 2023 sees four of the seven performer inductees gaining entrance on their first nomination: Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael and Willie Nelson; of those four, Elliott was the only artist eligible for the first time in 2023.
To be eligible for the Rock Hall, an artist’s first commercial release must have come out at least 25 years prior to the nomination year.
National treasure Kate Bush, who has been rediscovered by a new generation of fans last year with the inclusion of her song ‘Running Up That Hill’ in the fourth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, is being inducted on her fourth nomination.
Politically motivated rap-rock outfit Rage Against the Machine get the nod on their fifth try.
The artists who got nominated for 2023 induction but did not make the final cut - call them snubs, if you will - are A Tribe Called Quest, Cyndi Lauper, Iron Maiden, Joy Division / New Order, Soundgarden, Warren Zevon, and the White Stripes.
Here is the full list of the 38th annual inductees:
Performer Category
Kate Bush
Sheryl Crow
Missy Elliott
George Michael
Willie Nelson
Rage Against the Machine
The Spinners
Musical Influence Award
DJ Kool Herc
Link Wray
Musical Excellence Award
Chaka Khan
Al Kooper
Bernie Taupin
ADVERTISEMENTAhmet Ertegun Award
Don Cornelius
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on 3 November.
