Todd Rundgren, Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden are among the 16 artists nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
The other nominees are The Go-Go’s, Devo, New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine, Tina Turner, Kate Bush, Mary J. Blige, JAY-Z, Chaka Khan, Carole King, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J and Dionne Warwick.
To be eligible for induction, an artist must have released their first commercial recording 25 years before the year of their nomination.
This marks Rundgren’s third consecutive year being nominated for the honor.
Speaking to ABC Audio, Rock Hall Vice President of Education Jason Hanley says Rundgren’s eclectic, wide-ranging body of work may actually hinder his chances for induction.
“I think that fact that he was so great at doing so many different things and finding his way with different artists might actually be something that makes the voters hard to pin him down,” Hanley maintains.
Foo Fighters, who celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2020, are nominated for the first time this year.
Dave Grohl, of course, is already a Rock Hall inductee with Nirvana. Should Foo Fighters be chosen for induction, Grohl would join the fairly short list of artists who’ve been enshrined twice.
Says Hanley, “I think in the 21st century, Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters have, in many ways, become the emblem of continuing rock ‘n’ roll moving forward.”
Iron Maiden also is among the first-time nominees, as are The Go-Go’s, Warwick, JAY-Z and the late Kuti.
Interestingly, Turner and King also will have the chance to be inducted for a second time.
The inductees will be announced in May, while the induction ceremony will take place this fall in Cleveland. Today through April 30, fans can vote for their favorite nominees at RockHall.com.
By Josh Johnson and Matt Friedlander
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