Deep Purple
Chicago
Steve Miller (and not The Steve Miller Band?)
Cheap Trick
N.W.A.
Eddie Trunk's Twitter post
Hearing the RandR HOF inductees for 2016 are Chicago, @cheaptrick , Deep Purple, NWA, Steve Miller. Officially announced tonight/tomorrow
this is not official of course, but Future Rock Legends just included
http://www.futurerocklegends.com/2016_Inductees.php
Additional Inductees still to come...
but that more than likely is referring to stuff like "Early Influence" and "Musical Excellence" instead of the "Performer" category which the 5 listed are included for (and voted on).
Yes did not make it, as I actually predicted back in back in October
although I did not guess the Chicago interest, especially ahead of Yes.
I am quite happy to see Deep Purple finally get in, as I am a fan, and I've seen them live twice. And they have been LONG OVERDUE, but that speaks as much about the Rock Hall process, as much as whether they would merit being inducted (Metallica even mentioned them not being in, in their induction speech in 2009).
See 55 seconds-in
Now who they induct from Deep Purple (and Chicago as well), is a whole other can of worms and could turn into a huge drama-fest. Steve Morse is unlikely, so might be Joe Lynn Turner, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes and Tommy Bolin possibly as well.
This new interview with drummer Ian Paice kind of dramatizes it up somewhat, but may at least still raise some valid concerns. The Kiss thing from a couple of years ago might seem tame. DP may not agree, like Kiss, to actually perform, which would suck, but we'll see in April.
But at least Deep Purple now are finally in thank freaking gawd. But Yes? I'd be lying if them getting in wouldn't mean a ton more to me, than even Deep Purple. And as evidenced below, they finished 2nd in the Fans vote (narrowly ahead of 3rd-5th) , which while the top vote-getter since the Fans Vote began has I guess always got in, usually most of the top 5 get in, but both Yes and The Cars didn't get in. Deep Purple and Steve Miller did though,
Chris Squire's death, like Jon Lord's for Purple a few years back, didn't mean enough to the voters I guess to vote for Yes ahead of some like Cheap Trick, Steve Miller, Chicago, and N.W.A.
And N.W.A. of course finished way down on that poll, but must have done considerably better with the 800+ other individual voters. Which I think their induction seems almost entirely based on that Biopic that just came out earlier this year.
And I'll confess, N.W.A. I did like back in the day when I was a youth. But they have no business getting in ahead of many of the names on the ballot this year, including Yes.
But whatevah..I'll be curious to see what some of the press releases say tomorrow and I suppose those "Musical Excellence" and "Early Influence" inductees happen to be.
But as I said in that entry I wrote back in October, their whole voting and nomination process and system really needs to change. 30 nominees, 15 inductees + a veterans committee; and the fans get 1/3 of the vote and 1/3 or more of a say on who gets nominated.
Otherwise the likes of Yes, Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, ELP, Kansas, and King Crimson will never end up getting in (among many other 70's bands alone...I'd add Iron Maiden and Judas Priest as well), for what it actually is worth (which it shouldn't be much, but the ranting itself I suppose is worth something I suppose, lol).
http://rockhall.com/voting/2016-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees-vote/?flavour=mobile
Chicago 23.41%
Yes 16.20%
The Cars 16.14%
Deep Purple 15.87%
Steve Miller 15.85%
Janet Jackson 5.88%
Cheap Trick 1.45%
The Spinners 1.28%
Chaka Khan 1.16%
Chic 0.84%
The J.B.'s 0.59%
N.W.A. 0.42%
Nine Inch Nails 0.35%
The Smiths 0.30%
Los Lobos 0.25%