The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced the shortlist for its 2025 class of inductees on Wednesday. The shortlist includes a hitmaker from the early rock era who has lobbied for consideration, a groundbreaking Southern rap duo and a rock group who would be the first ever inductees to have performed primarily in Spanish. All three of those acts, along with more than half of the full list of 14 nominees, are being considered for the first time. To be eligible for nomination, artists have to be at least 25 years out from the release of their first commercial recording.
Here is the full shortlist of nominees for the 2025 class:
Bad Company
Bad Company, the English rock band that released its self-titled debut album in 1974, appears on the shortlist for the first time ever. The supergroup's original lineup featured vocalist Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, who'd both been in the band Free, as well as former Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and former King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell.
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes, led by Georgia-born brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, are also first-timers on the list of nominees. The blues revival band behind hits like "She Talks to Angels" and "Hard to Handle" has undergone decades of breakups, changing lineups and reunions. Last year, the brothers returned to their Southern rock roots on their first new album in over a decade, Happiness Bastards.
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey, one of the most enduring pop stars to get her start in the 1990s, appears on the Hall of Fame shortlist for the second consecutive year. The unofficial "Queen of Christmas," whose vocal range spans five octaves, still rules the Billboard charts every holiday season.
Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker, who danced his way to the top of Billboard's Hot 100 with his 1960 cover of "The Twist," is shortlisted for the first time. In 2001, Checker took out a full-page ad in Billboard magazine arguing that he is one of rock and roll's most underappreciated figures.
Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker, the late English musician who became a star in the U.S. with his raspy rendition of "With A Little Help From My Friends" at Woodstock in 1969, is a first-time nominee. With 40 albums under his belt, Cocker told NPR that his hit love song "You Are So Beautiful" was amongst his favorites.
Billy Idol
Billy Idol, the bleach-blond bad boy behind rock hits filled with punk attitude, like "Rebel Yell," "White Wedding" and "Dancing with Myself," appears on the list for the first time. Idol was a key figure in the second British invasion fueled by the rise of MTV in the '80s.
Joy Division / New Order
Joy Division and New Order once again appear on the list as one consolidated nominee. The English rock bands both featured guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Joy Division's post-punk sound, which featured the baritone vocals of Ian Curtis, gave way to New Order's more electronic and dance-driven rhythms in the 1980s club scene.
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper, another staple of '80s dance floors, is nominated for the second time. The flamboyant pop star behind off-kilter girl power anthems like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" has dabbled in a number of genres over her career, including blues and country.
Maná
Maná, the Mexican band behind rock en español hits like "Oye Mi Amor," "Clavado en Un Bar" and "Mariposa Traicionera," are shortlisted for the first time. If inducted, the band would become the first artists who make exclusively Spanish-language music to be included in the Rock Hall.
Oasis
Oasis, the Britpop group led by famously feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, are shortlisted for the second year in a row. Last year, the Gallaghers put their beef aside and announced a 2025 tour that resulted in a Ticketmaster meltdown and subsequent government investigation.
OutKast
OutKast, the legendary rap group made up of Big Boi and André 3000, is nominated for the first time. The ATLiens' inclusion on this year's shortlist emphasizes the Rock Hall's ongoing effort to expand its definition of rock by including country, pop and hip-hop stars.
Phish
Phish, the psych rock group from Vermont that rose to the top of the jam band scene in the mid-90s, is also nominated for the first time. Known for their improvisational live shows, the band continues to tour and released its 16th studio album, Evolve, last summer.
Soundgarden
Soundgarden, one of the biggest grunge bands to come out of the Pacific Northwest in the '80s and '90s, appears on the shortlist for the third time. "If you're involved with your bandmates and fellow musicians in your peer group, you can sometimes get isolated from the general historical context of how the band has evolved and became part of the broader community of music and musicians," guitarist Kim Thayil told Billboard when the group was nominated in 2023. "So I think that acknowledgement and that recognition was a reminder that, hey, the work that you did with your partners was part of a continuity and a history of music. That's kind of cool."
The White Stripes
The White Stripes, a guitar, drums and vocals duo who made stripped-down, blues-inspired garage rock, is nominated a second time. Jack and Meg White — who initially pretended to be siblings but in actuality were ex-spouses — were at the forefront of the garage rock revival that would rule the early '00s.
"These remarkable nominees have each created their own musical style and attitude impacting generations of music lovers and contributing to the ever-evolving sounds and continued growth of rock & roll", said John Sykes, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation's chairman, in a statement shared with NPR. The official list of inductees will be announced in April and the induction ceremony will be held in the fall.
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