A Tribe Called Quest, Dionne Warwick and Lionel Richie are among the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees.

To be eligible for induction, an artist must have released their first commercial recording 25 years before the year of their nomination.

A Tribe Called Quest is being nominated for the first time this year. Speaking with ABC Audio, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Vice President of Education and Visitor Engagement Jason Hanley points to the group’s “laid-back” and “almost philosophical” style  — which pioneered the alternative hip hop movement of the ’90s —  as a reason for their nomination.

“They were talking about the African-American community in the United States, and getting a message out that was important for them to talk about,” Hanley notes of the group’s socially conscious songs.

As for Warwick, who’s seen a recent resurgence thanks to her social media presence, Hanley says, “Her legacy is fantastic.”

 “Here’s a woman who was just so good year after year at interpreting songs,” he adds, noting that Warwick’s performance on the 1964 top 10 hit “Walk On By” alone ” “is probably enough to get her inducted into almost any Hall of Fame.”

Richie, who got his start in the Commodores, scored his nomination thanks to his ability to write songs across genres – from classic funk and emotional R&B to party songs like “Dancing on the Ceiling.”

Eminem and Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti also made the ballot this year, along with rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Judas Priest, country star Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter Carly Simon, new wave band Duran Duran, and more.

The actual inductees will be announced later this year.

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