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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2024

By: Emily Eade

While the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony grows closer, we finally get to know who the Hall of Fame class of 2024 inductees are… As we know, in February, the Hall of Fame announced the nominees for this induction. The performers nominated are Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Eric B. & Rakim, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Jane’s Addiction, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O’Connor, Ozzy Osbourne, and A Tribe Called Quest. As of Sunday, April 21st, the anticipation has come to a close. We finally know the inductees for this year’s class.

The most prestigious award to receive is the Performer Award. This category is for recording artists and bands, who have an influence or significance to the development and the continuation of rock and roll.

And the inductees are…

Mary J. Blige is also known as the queen of Hip-Hop Soul. Thanks to her strong, empowering anthems, Blige has inspired a large number of her loyal fans. Blige is also one of the greatest influences in R&B for the last twenty years. Cher is known for her distinctive style of music, and is an icon on stage and screen. Cher has blessed the music industry with a very successful seven-decade-long career. Dave Matthews Band is known for being one of the biggest bands in the world. The band has a unique trademark sound that is full of long, intricate solos, and non-traditional rock and roll instruments. Foreigner is known for their five-decade-long musical legacy. The band has an impressive discography of catchy, easy-to-remember hits leading them to become one of the best-selling classic rock bands of all time. Peter Frampton is known for his extraordinary guitar playing and intense lyrics. Frampton had such a large, impactful career in the music industry because of solo projects and supergroup, Humble Pie. Kool & the Gang is known for being crucial innovators in forming the sound of funk, soul, disco, and R&B. During their over fifty-year-long career, the band would create one of the most danceable rock and roll anthems of all time. Ozzy Osbourne is known for his iconic persona and enormous discography from his days in Black Sabbath to his solo performances alongside his late friend, Randy Rhodes. Osbourne was a major influence on countless musicians, impacted rock music, and shaped the minds of fans for fifty years. Lastly,A Tribe Called Quest is known for their freedom of expression, ingenuity, and brilliance. The hip-hop group would forever change the genre and impact many generations of hip-hop artists and fans.

The Hall of Fame has three other lesser-known awards for musical excellence, musical influence, and for non-musical industry professionals Ahmet Ertegun. The Musical Excellence category is for artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers who have originality and influence in creating music that has a dramatic impact on the genre. The Musical Influence category is for artists whose music and performance style influenced, inspired, and evolved rock and roll and music that impact youth culture. The Ahmet Ertegun category is for non-performing industry professionals who supported artists and their music and had a major influence on the development and growth of rock and roll.

And the inductees are…

Jimmy Buffet, MC5, Dionne Warwick, and Norman Whitfield were selected to receive the musical excellence award. Very important to music history musicians, Alexis Korner, John Mayall, and Big Mama Thornton will receive the Musical Influence Award. The Ahmet Ertegun award goes to Suzanne De Passe.

To be eligible for a nomination to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before the year of nomination. From Big Mama Thorntons legacy and impact on the genre to Frampton’s passionate lyricism, this year’s class of inductees have successfully impacted and changed the face of rock and roll.