The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its nominee list for 2023, and what a list it is.
Artists nominated for the first time include post punk/new wave pioneers Joy Division/New Order, the incredible Cyndi Lauper, country music legend (and the only man who’s ever out-smoked Snoop Dogg) Willie Nelson, rock revival icons The White Stripes, as well as the legendary George Michael, Sheryl Crow, Warren Zevon, and Missy Elliott.
The nomination for Warren Zevon was actually thanks largely to a letter from Billy Joel, who wrote to the Hall urging them to consider the late singer-songwriter: “I just wanted to put in my two cents of supporting Warren Zevon to be included,” Joel told The Times. “If anyone deserved to be, he did. He was a real original, and I don’t know if that’s appreciated enough.”
Artists or bands must have released their first commercial recording by 1997 to be eligible for induction, meaning Missy Elliott and The White Stripes are now eligible thanks to their late ’90s debuts.
The new nominees continue the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s trend of broadening the type of artists they nominate and admit, having recently updated their mission statement to redefine what they deem ‘Rock & Roll’: “Born from the collision of rhythm and blues, country, and gospel, rock and roll is a spirit that is inclusive and ever-changing”.
Successful Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in May, with the official indication ceremony taking place at an as-yet-unannounced date later in the year.
The full list of 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees is below, with new nominees given an asterisk:
- Willie Nelson*
- Kate Bush
- Missy Elliott*
- George Michael*
- Sheryl Crow*
- A Tribe Called Quest
- Iron Maiden
- Joy Division/New Order*
- Cyndi Lauper*
- Rage Against the Machine
- Soundgarden
- The Spinners
- The White Stripes*
- Warren Zevon*
