Matt Cardy / Stringer / Getty
Not that anyone was necessarily waiting on bated breath, but the 2019 Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame nominees are in, and the list is long.
Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, The Cure, MC5, Kraftwerk, Rufus & Chaka Khan, LL Cool J, and the Zombies all return to the ballot joining first time nominees Devo, Todd Rundgren, John Prine, Def Leopard, and Roxy Music.
To qualify for nomination, artists must have released their first commercial recording 25 years ago. No bands or artists made the list of nominees in their first year of eligibility despite an impressive list of potentials, including: OutKast, Beck, Fugees, Jeff Buckley, the Roots, Snoop Dogg, and Dave Matthews Band.
The list of nominees will be whittled down to five by vote from artists, historians, music execs, and fans.
Radiohead, who appear on the ballot for their second year since becoming eligible, seem like they could care less about being inducted.
“I don’t want to be rude about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because for a lot of people it means something, but culturally I don’t understand it. I think it might be a quintessential American thing,” says Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien. Fellow Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood put it even more succinctly: “I don’t care”.
For those who do care, voting has begun over at rockhall.com.