Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces nominees

By Jamie O'Toole l Contributor

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their 2020 nominees, including Dave Matthews Band, Whitney Houston, Motörhead, The Notorious B.I.G., T. Rex and Thin Lizzy, who all made their appearance on the list for the first time this year. 

Additional musicians nominated for induction are The Doobie Brothers, Depeche Mode, Judas Priest, Kraftwerk, MC5, Nine Inch Nails, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Pat Benatar, Soundgarden, and Todd Rundgren.

Among the most notable nominees are Dave Matthews Band, an American rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia that formed in 1991, and achieved mainstream popularity for their 1996 hit song “Crash Into Me.”

The Doobie Brothers first made an appearance in 1970 as an American rock band from San Jose, California. Although the height of their fame was in the 1970s, they have remained active for nearly five decades. 

Whitney Houston, who passed away in 2012, transcended through the ears of devoted fans and is nominated too. Houston started her career in 1983 and is known for pop hits “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Her cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” which helped make the soundtrack for “The Bodyguard” the highest grossing soundtrack album of all time.

Motörhead made it to the list this year. The heavy metal group formed in 1975, and are best known in mainstream culture for a popular song called “Ace of Spades.”

Pat Benatar, known for her 1983 hit song “Love is a Battlefield” and Soundgarden, an American rock band from Seattle, also join ranks.

American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who was assassinated in 1997, is up for nomination, along with T. Rex, an English rock band that formed in 1967 and released four psychedelic folk albums. Lastly, Thin Lizzy, a hard rock band that formed in 1969 Dublin, Ireland is on the list.

Fans can vote for the nominee of their choice at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame webpage. Click here to vote