First-time nominees Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper, the hip-hop pioneers Outkast, the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden.
Salt-N-Pepa, the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status, and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award. The late record producer Thom Bell, pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award.
The late Cocker, who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” had the backing of Billy Joel, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Pete Thomas, a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, who argued that Cocker is “about as rock and roll as it gets.”
Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination. They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Can’t Get Enough” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy.”
The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker, a former head of Warner Bros. Records who signed Prince and R.E.M., and had a part in records from Madonna, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon and Gary Clark Jr.
Some nominees that didn’t get in this year include Mariah Carey, Phish, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Maná, the Black Crowes and Oasis.
Checker’s recording of “The Twist,” and subsequent “Let’s Twist Again” are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn’t been granted entry before, including telling the AP in 2014: “I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old. I’ll tell them to drop dead, so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling.”
Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as “Time After Time” and “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” and went on to win a Tony Award for “Kinky Boots.” OutKast, made up of André 3000 and Big Boi, have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as “Seven Nation Army.”
Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction. The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall.
Nominees were voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals. The selection criteria include “an artist’s impact on other musicians, the scope and longevity of their career and body of work, as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique.”
Last year, Mary J. Blige,Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton all were inducted.