The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Class Of 2023 Features Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, And Others

Today (May 3), the 2023 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame class has been revealed and it’s a prestigious crop, featuring Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, Rage Against The Machine, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, and The Spinners, as Variety reports.

Those artists were voted in via general balloting, but also inducted via selection by a select Hall Of Fame committee are Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, and Bernie Taupin (all in the “musical excellence” category), Link Way, DJ Kool Herc (both in the “musical influence” category), and Don Cornelius (who’s getting the Ahmet Ertegun Award).

That’s 13 total honorees, and all of them will be inducted during a ceremony and concert scheduled to take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on November 3.

The nominees who were not selected for induction this year are A Tribe Called Quest, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, and Warren Zevon.

Of Nelson’s induction, John Sykes, chairman of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, told Variety, “It’s long overdue, and I think Dolly Parton getting inducted last year opened up the eyes of a lot of our voters to understand that country is a part of rock ‘n’ roll right next to gospel and rhythm and blues. I think that also shined a light on the incredible contributions that Willie’s made in, what, 98 records that he’s made over the years. So it was great to see him get so many votes from the body of 1,200 voters. Now, remember, Hank Williams, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, they’re all in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but there was I think a long dearth of country artists that contributed to rock ‘n’ roll that had gone unnoticed before we’ve seen two iconic country artists get recognized in the last two years.”

He also noted of Elliott being chosen in her first year of eligibility, “Missy Elliott got in first ballot, just like Eminem got in first ballot last year and Jay-Z the year before. So if there’s a throughline we’re seeing, it shows the power of hip-hop music culture now, as if we didn’t know it already, as far as how quickly these artists are being recognized on the first ballot.”