2016 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominations

The glass and steel gates of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland will open to embrace a new group of inductees early next year and it’s almost certain a progressive rock outfit or a disco-y group will be among them.

Announced on Oct. 7, the list of nominees for the rock hall include:

• The Cars
• Chaka Khan
• Chicago
• Cheap Trick
• Chic
• Deep Purple
• The J.B.’s
• Janet Jackson
• Los Lobos
• Steve Miller
• N.W.A.
• Nine Inch Nails
• The Smiths
• The Spinners
• Yes

Once again, fans have a chance to lend their support to their favorite nominees, and the top five vote getters to a ballot posted on RollingStone.com will be included on a single ballot to help determine this year’s inductee.

The top five acts will comprise a “fan’s ballot” that will count as one of the ballots that determine the Class of 2015.

This year’s inclusion of Nine Inch Nails shouldn’t surprise anyone, given Trent Reznor’s influence on industrial and electronic music over the past 25 years, not to mention his evolution from scary guy wearing thick rubber gloves to Oscar-winning film scorer. Janet Jackson’s back catalog, especially her work in the late 1980s and early 1990s, justifies her nomination almost as much as her DNA. NWA might be a lock, given the wide support and praise for this year’s well-received and thoroughly enjoyable Straight Outta Compton movie. But it’s the inclusion of the Steve Miller Band, Yes and Chic that might have raised the most eyebrows–the Hall’s voting body has notoriously shied away from anything that could be labeled prog rock, which is why Rush‘s induction a few years back caused such a ruckus. Then again, maybe it’s just their turn.

But how much fun would it be to see The Smiths inducted? If nothing else, it’d give Morrissey a chance to rant and rave for a few minutes.

For more on the nominees, read here, and for a list of requirements to be considered, go here.

Liked it? Take a second to support Amber Healy on Patreon!