The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, Journey, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez, and Nile Rodgers in 2017.
The induction ceremony for the seven artists will be held at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn on April 7 2017, and will also see Chic’s Nile Rodgers be handed the Award for Musical Excellence.
In order to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 25 years must have passed since an artist has released their first album or single. For Pearl Jam and Tupac Shakur, 2017 marks the first year of eligibility, and makes them the first acts to be inducted into the institution who started their careers in the 1990s.
For Nile Rogers, the Musical Excellence Award comes after his band Chic were nominated 11 times, but never found themselves inducted.
He told Rolling Stone magazine: "It’s sort of bittersweet. I’m quite flattered that they believed that I was worthy, but my band Chic didn’t win. They plucked me out of the band and said, ‘You’re better than Chic.’ That’s wacky to me … I am flattered and I think it’s cool, but I feel like somebody put me in the lifeboat and told my family they can’t get in."
And whilst Pearl Jam – comprised of Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, and Mike Cameron – have yet to comment on the news, but previously said they would be "honoured" to be inducted.
Guitarist Mike said to Rolling Stone magazine in May: "It would be a great honour. I would be happy about it. But you never know. I don’t know their process and how they pick. It could be a couple of years from now. I mean, Cheap Trick took forever to get in. So did Deep Purple. But we’re aware of it."
Ticket details for the event will be announced in January. An edited version of the ceremony will air on HBO, and there will be radio broadcast on SiriusXM.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2017 inductees announced
