The 2015 nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been officially announced. The eclectic lineup of 15 artists will be pared down to just five to be inducted into the Rock Hall's Class of 2015.
Among the nominees are protopunk legend Lou Reed, '90s pop punks Green Day, industrial trailblazers Kraftwerk and Nine Inch Nails, seminal gangsta rappers N.W.A., disco funk veterans Chic, and blues icon Stevie Ray Vaughan. The Smiths, Sting, War, and others round out the list of potential inductees. The full list is below.
2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Chic
Green Day
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Kraftwerk
The Marvellettes
N.W.A.
Nine Inch Nails
Lou Reed
The Smiths
The Spinners
Sting
Stevie Ray Vaughan
War
Bill Withers
In order to be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the artist's first single or album needs to have come out at least 25 years ago, making this year the first year both Green Day and Nine Inch Nails qualify. Green Day's 1,000 Hour EP debuted in April 1989 and NIN's Pretty Hate Machine came out in October of the same year.
Fans can vote for their favorite artists at the Rock Hall's official website. The top five fan picks will make up a "fan's ballot" which will be cast alongside the votes of the Hall of Fame's voting body.
The winners will be announced sometime before the end of the year and inducted into Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 18th, 2015. Last year's inductees were Nirvana, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, and The E Street Band.