The Induction Class of 2018 represents a wide range of musical styles and eras.
Performer Category:
Bon Jovi
The Cars
Dire Straits
The Moody Blues
Nina Simone
Award for Early Influence:
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
The Process
A performer or group can be considered for induction 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. Each fall, a committee of approximately 40 writers, performers and other industry insiders gathers in New York to nominate potential inductees ( there were 19 this year). Ballots are then sent out to over 1000 voters who narrow the list to five or six inductees. Occasionally, there are additional recognitions for non-performers and early influencers.
Performer Biographies
Bon Jovi
New Jersey native John Bongiovi and his bandmates found a way to blend pop, hard rock and metal that had wide appeal. They also set the style for the dozens of hairmetal bands that would emerge in the 1980s
The Cars
This Boston band a catchy bubblegum pop style that they mixed with the edgier aspects of the emerging new wave scene of the late 1970s. The band’s artistic core was actually formed in Cleveland, where Baltimore native Ric Okasek and Lakewood-born Benjamin Orzechowski first met and started collaborating.
Dire Straits
British guitarist Mark Knopfler and his band developed a clean, stripped-down blend of blues, jazz and even a little country that contrasted with some of the cruder heavy metal and punk leanings of rock and roll in the late 1970s.
The Moody Blues
British rockers are known for lush ballads with an epic production style that was developed in the mid-1960s. Their 1967 opus Days of Future Past laid the groundwork for the development of progressive rock.
Nina Simone
At first glance, the late-Nina Simone might seem like an outlier in a list of Rock and Roll legends. In fact, the North Carolina singer/pianist (born Eunice Waymon) was comfortable in a broad range of musical genres, ranging from jazz and blues through soul, pop and classical. The Animals scored one of their early hits covering a song that was written for Simone in 1964: “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
This gospel-singing, guitar-slinging guitarist started her recording career in the late-1930s. Rock and Roll icon Chuck Berry cited her as a major influence. The late-Rosetta Tharpe's performing style blended sacred and secular elements that set a tone for many other musicians, ranging from Ray Charles to Sam Cooke.
Dire Straits, The Moody Blues, Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe were all chosen after their first appearance on the ballot. Additionally, the top five artists, as selected by the public, comprised a “fans’ ballot” that was tallied along with the other ballots to determine the 2018 Inductees. Four of the top five artists (Bon Jovi, The Moody Blues, Dire Straits and The Cars) from the fan ballot will be inducted as performers in 2018.
The induction ceremonies take place at Cleveland Public Auditorium, Saturday, April 14, 2018. Ticket on-sale dates will be announced in January.
