There are 19 bands and artists nominated for the induction in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next year, and among them are a trio with strong ties to the Boston area: pop heavyweights the Cars, blues powerhouse J. Geils Band, and folk singer Joan Baez, who got her start in Cambridge and recently had a commemorative day declared in her honor.
Baez’ nomination is her first, while the Cars and J. Geils Band have previously appeared on ballots without getting inducted.
In addition to the local flavor, the 2017 list of nominees include first-timers like Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, Depeche Mode, Bad Brains, Jane’s Addiction, and Electric Light Orchestra. Pearl Jam and Shakur are now on the ballot because their first recordings were released 25 years ago, in 1991.
As Pitchfork notes, previous nominees the Smiths and Nine Inch Nails, who have appeared on the past two nominee lists, were not included on the current ballot.
Starting today and continuing to December 5, fans can vote for their favorite artists at rockhall.com. “The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a ‘fans’ ballot’ that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2017 inductees,” writes radio.com. “Fans will need to login with a Facebook account or email to vote. Voting is capped at one ballot per day.”
The 2017 inductees will be announced in December, and the ceremony takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn next April.
Here’s the full list of nominees:
2017 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees:
Bad Brains
The Cars
Chaka Khan
Chic
Depeche Mode
Electric Light Orchestra
J. Geils Band
Jane’s Addiction
Janet Jackson
Joan Baez
Joe Tex
Journey
Kraftwerk
MC5
Pearl Jam
Steppenwolf
Tupac Shakur
Yes
The Zombies