We’re putting another dime in that jukebox, baby, for obvious reasons. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its nominee list for the 2022 class, with a robust 17 acts making it past the first round: Pat Benatar, Judas Priest, Kate Bush, Beck, Rage Against the Machine, Eminem, Fela Kuti, Carly Simon, Dolly Parton, Dionne Warwick, Eurythmics, MC5, New York Dolls, Lionel Richie, A Tribe Called Quest, Devo, and Duran Duran. This shortlist will be further cut in the coming months to reveal the official 2022 class, and the ceremony is set for this fall in Los Angeles. Among the nominees, almost half are receiving Rock Hall recognition for the first time: Duran Duran, Parton, Richie, A Tribe Called Quest, Simon, and Beck. Eminem, meanwhile, is being acknowledged in his first year of eligibility, and MC5 is the most previously considered act, with five nominations. Unlike last year, no nominees would become two-time inductees.
Following a more subdued virtual event in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Rock Hall of Fame returned to its glory last October with an in-person, star-studded ceremony held in Cleveland — with Vulture on the ground the entire time. In addition to 2021’s six performer inductees (Tina Turner, Carole King, the Go-Go’s, Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, and Todd Rundgren), the Hall recognized Kraftwerk, Charley Patton, and Gil Scott-Heron as early influences; LL Cool J, Billy Preston, and Randy Rhoads for general musical excellence; and Clarence Avant for the creative Ahmet Ertegun Award. Yes, that means up to 13 acts could be inducted in 2022, and none of them are the Dave Matthews Band.
