Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie lead 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees
Beck, Eminem, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and A Tribe Called Quest are among the acts nominated for the first time for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the organization announced Wednesday.
Also on the ballot for the class of 2022 are Duran Duran and Carly Simon (both first-time nominees) as well as 10 acts who’ve previously been up for induction: Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Devo, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, the MC5, the New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine and Dionne Warwick.
The diverse group of artists representing pop, rock, country, hip-hop, new wave, proto-punk, rap-rock, heavy metal, Afrobeat and R&B is in keeping with recent picks by the Rock Hall, which after years of criticism that it overvalued the work of older white men has broadened its selection process along gender, race and style lines.
When Jay-Z joined the organization last year, he said, “Growing up, we didn’t think we could be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” and added that he hoped he was showing the “next generation that anything is possible.”
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In a statement announcing 2022’s nominees, the Rock Hall noted that “the last two years represent the top two nominee classes in terms of women representation in the last 30 years.” Women inducted in 2021 included Tina Turner, Carole King and the Go-Go’s; Warwick and Bush had been on the ballot but didn’t get voted in, along with Chaka Khan and Mary J. Blige.
An artist or band becomes eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. Among this year’s nominees, only Eminem, whose debut album came out in 1996 — and who’s set to perform during this month’s Super Bowl halftime show — received a nod in his first year of eligibility.
In the statement, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation Chairman John Sykes said the ballot recognizes artists who’ve “had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture.” Nominations are voted on by more than 1,000 musicians, executives, historians and journalists.
Inductees will be announced in May, with a ceremony to take place in the fall. The Rock Hall said details about the ceremony’s date and location would be announced later.
If Eminem and A Tribe Called Quest were to be inducted, they would follow a number of other hip-hop acts voted in over the last few years, including Jay-Z, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. As a country singer and songwriter, Parton would join a Nashville contingent that includes Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee, Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers, among others.
Drawing attention to connections between this year’s nominees, the Rock Hall pointed out that Warwick was a featured vocalist on 1985’s “We Are the World” single, which Richie co-wrote, and that A Tribe Called Quest prominently sampled Simon’s song “Why” for a remix of its classic “Bonita Applebum.”
Beyond Jay-Z and the aforementioned women, the Rock Hall’s 2021 inductees were Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren.
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