Kate Bush, Missy Elliott, Cyndi Lauper, Rage Against the Machine, Sheryl Crow, and the White Stripes have been nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2023. George Michael, Soundgarden, Warren Zevon, A Tribe Called Quest, Willie Nelson, Iron Maiden, and the Philadelphia R&B outfit the Spinners are also up for potential induction later this year. In addition, Joy Division and New Order are packaged together for first-time Rock Hall consideration.
Kate Bush is being nominated for the fourth time, having gotten nods in 2018, 2021, and 2022. While Bush has not released new music since 2018, she’s become newly popular thanks to a placement of “Running Up That Hill” in the fourth season of Stranger Things: The resurgent single cracked the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and made it to No. 1 in the United Kingdom.
Rage Against the Machine are being nominated for the fifth time after being included for potential induction in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. In the time since last year’s nomination, Rage Against the Machine embarked on their long-planned reunion tour, but it got cut short due to a leg injury that frontman Zack de la Rocha suffered during the second show of the trek.
Soundgarden are being nominated for the second time, as are A Tribe Called Quest, and Iron Maiden. The Spinners are looking at their fourth nomination, having gotten nods in 2012, 2015, and 2016. Most of the nominated artists (Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Joy Division/New Order, Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, Warren Zevon, the White Stripes, and Willie Nelson) are first-time nominees, with Missy Elliott and the White Stripes being nominated in their first year of eligibility.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Billy Joel wrote a letter to the Rock Hall nominating committee urging the group to nominate Zevon, who’s been eligible since 1994 and died in 2003.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2023 will be announced in May. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2023 Induction Ceremony will take place in the fall.
In a statement about the 2023 nominees, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s chairman, John Sykes, said, “This remarkable list of nominees reflects the diverse artists and music that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates. These artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”