The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its nominees for the class of 2020, and Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace and Whitney Houston are among the nominees.
Among this year’s 16 nominees, nine are first-time ballots: Wallace, Houston, Pat Benatar, Dave Matthews Band, The Doobie Brothers, Motörhead, Soundgarden, T. Rex, and Thin Lizzy. The other seven are attempting to land in the hall after previous tries: Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Kraftwerk, Judas Priest, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, MC5 and Todd Rundgren.
With the requirement of releasing your first commercial recording at least 25 years prior, Biggie has been named a nominee in his first year of eligibility. If inducted, he will be the second rapper to join the hall, after 2Pac’s induction in 2017.
Ballots are distributed through a panel of more than 1,000 voters – historians, music industry insiders, and previous inductees. Fans can have an impact as well. Billboard reports that from Oct. 15 through Jan. 10, 2020 at 11:59 pm ET, fans can go to Google and search “Rock Hall Fan Vote” or any nominee’s name plus “vote” to cast a ballot with Google, vote at RockHall.com or at the Museum itself in Cleveland. The five artists who receive the most fan votes comprise a fans’ ballot that will be tallied along with the others to determine the 2020 inductees.
The class of inductees will be announced on January 2020, and the 35th annual induction ceremony will be held in the hall’s home of Cleveland, Ohio on May 2, 2020.
Nominees for the hall must have released their first commercial recording 25 years before the year of the induction. The hall’s website also states: “Besides demonstrating unquestionable musical excellence and talent, inductees will have had a significant impact on the development, evolution, and preservation of rock & roll.”
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees from 2019 were Janet Jackson, Radiohead, Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, Def Leopard, The Cure, and The Zombies.
