Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2017 Inductees Announced

In October, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, brought you a look at the nominees for the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fameinduction. Now, the Hall of Fame has announced its 2017 class of inductees. This year, the seven deserving artists receiving the honor are Pearl Jam, Tupac, Joan Baez, Journey, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra and Nile Rogers.

Pearl Jam and Tupac, while from two completely different genres, are both this year’s first-time ballot inductees. They join the ranks of artists like Madonna (2008), Guns N’ Rosses (2012), Nirvana (2014) and Green Day (2015), who have all been inducted in their first year of eligibility. Both Pearl Jam and Tupac released their highly influential debut albums, ‘Ten’ and ‘2Pacalypse Now,’ respectively, in 1991. This also makes them the first artists to start their music careers in the 1990s to be inducted. Pearl Jam have been continuously writing and touring together since forming 25 years ago. In that time, the band has released 10 studio albums and has influenced countless other bands throughout the rock genre. Though he receives this honor posthumously, Tupac and his music have not left the collective consciousness of the rap community since his tragic death in 1996. There is a lot of myth and lore surrounding the late rapper, with his life becoming just as legendary as his socially conscious music. For these reasons, both Pearl Jam and Tupac are excellent choices to be inducted on the first try.

Journey, Joan Baez and ELO, while not in their first years of eligibility, are being inducted with their first appearance on the ballot. Having one of the most recognized and covered songs of the 20^th century in “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey are one of the best-selling rock bands in the world. Since forming in the early 1970s, the band has released 14 studio albums and sold more than 48 million copies in the United States alone. Folk singer and activist Joan Baez has also surprisingly been left off the list in years past, even though she has been eligible since the Hall of Fame was created in 1986. She has enjoyed a more than 50-year music career that saw her release 24 studio albums and play at legendary festivals like Woodstock. Her activism saw her protesting against two wars and fighting for civil, women’s, LGBTQ and human rights, as well as for the environment and poverty. ELO has been a big influence in electronic rock since the 1970s and could even be considered one of the predecessors to the current EDM scene. Their use of synthesizers and classical orchestral instruments together put the band in a league of their own.

After three nominations, Yes are finally being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Helping bring progressive rock to the mainstream, the band has released 21 studio albums over the course of more than 45 years. They continue to release music to this day, as well as tour relentlessly.

The most interesting inductee this year is Nile Rogers, who is receiving the Award for Musical Excellence. Known for his work fronting the funk band Chic, he is being inducted for his solo work, which includes solo albums and production, helping to make artists like Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran and others create career-defining albums. His most recent collaboration was with Daft Punk on their album ‘Random Access Memories.’ The nomination is bittersweet though, as Chic has been snubbed by the Hall of Fame 11 times now, making them the most snubbed band in Rock Hall history.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will occur on April 7, 2017 at New York’s Barclays Center with an edited version airing on HBO at a later date. Once again, tickets for the event will be made available to the general public.

Find music from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees past and present at Vinyl Bay 777 and vinylbay777.com. Long Island’s top new independent record shop has the largest selection of new and used titles on the island. We have thousands of titles on vinyl, CD, cassette and DVD, as well as memorabilia and more in store and online.