Tina Turner, Carole King, The Go-Go’s, JAY-Z, Foo Fighters, and Todd Rundgren headline the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Class of 2021. With 13 inductees, it's one of the largest and most diverse classes in the museum's history.
Kraftwerk, Charley Patton, Gil Scott-Heron, LL Cool J, Billy Preston, Randy Rhoads, and Clarence Avant round out the rest of the group.
To be eligible, artists must have released their first record at least 25 years ago. Having multiple categories and criteria for selection helps the museum recognize past and modern day music makers.
"It's amazing to think they go from Charley Patton in the teens and twenties singing the Blues on the Dockery Plantation in Mississippi, and it extends to Kraftwerk making electronic music in Germany to Billy Preston on the rooftop with the Beatles right up to the Go Go's in L.A. and Jay-Z on big stages today," Rock Hall president and CEO Greg Harris said in summing up the latest inductees. "It shows you just how diverse Rock & Roll is and that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors all."
The induction ceremony takes place October 30th at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, with a radio simulcast on SiriusXM’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Radio channel 310 and a video stream on HBO Max. Tickets will go on sale in July with more details on pandemic protocols and capacity expected next month.
"I believe the Cavaliers in the same venue are hosting 30 percent capacity right now, and we expect that's going to grow," Harris continued. "We're in close constant contact with them. Like everything else in the last year, we're going to be flexible, nimble, and follow the best path."
An exhibit celebrating this year's class opens at the museum July 1.
