‘Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’ 2024 Nominees | Meet The Would-Be Inductees

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation have announced the Nominees for 2024 Induction.

The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+ with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day. The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony streamed live on Disney+ for the first time ever; the special on ABC reached over 13 million viewers across linear and streaming.

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Ten out of 15 of the Nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including Mariah Carey, Cher, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O’Connor, Ozzy Osbourne and Sade.

Mariah Carey
Cher
Dave Matthews Band
Eric B. & Rakim
Foreigner
Peter Frampton
Jane’s Addiction
Kool & the Gang
Lenny Kravitz
Oasis
Sinéad O’Connor
Ozzy Osbourne
Sade
A Tribe Called Quest
Mary J. Blige

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

A Tribe Called Quest forever shifted the hip-hop landscape and expanded the creative possibilities for music. Their freedom of expression, ingenuity, and minimalist brilliance continue to inspire generations of artists and fans.

One of the most artistic, eclectic, and perceptive rap groups of the 1990s, A Tribe Called Quest nurtured a new alternative hip-hop sub-genre with a caste-free cross-pollination of hip-hop, jazz, and alternative rock. The pioneering group abandoned the aggressive machismo and hard-hitting sounds of James Brown that were prevalent in the era, delving instead into the more laid-back samples of the jazz-rap revolution. Their music was meant to create a metaphysical space for the listener, where one could retreat and confront the social issues facing the African American community with peace rather than rage and violence. This cerebral approach exemplified an intermingling of cultures and sound to yield beauty and understanding.

Formed in high school in Queens, New York, in 1985, A Tribe Called Quest featured Q-Tip serving as the producer-leader, Phife Dawg as the MC, Jarobi White as the spirited everyman, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad as the DJ and coproducer. Within four years, the group released three albums, now recognized as among the best: People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, The Low End Theory, and Midnight Marauders. “It was listening to N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton that inspired us to make The Low End Theory,” said Q-Tip. “Years later, I spoke to Dr. Dre, and he told me that hearing The Low End Theory inspired him to make The Chronic.”

The group became the nucleus of a New York collective known as the Native Tongues, a musical movement deeply rooted in Afrocentrism and positive, open-minded messages welcoming diverse identities and conceptions of Blackness. They created underground waves that continue to ripple throughout hip-hop, influencing artists like Pharrell Williams, Tyler, the Creator, and Quest Love in their approaches to social commentary, the use of Black musical traditions, and the visual culture of the African diaspora.

Selected discography:
“Can I Kick It?,” “Bonita Applebum,” “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo,” People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990) • “Check the Rhime,” “Jazz (We’ve Got),” “Scenario,” “Buggin’ Out,” The Low End Theory (1991) • “Electric Relaxation,” “Award Tour,” Midnight Marauders (1993) • “Find a Way,” The Love Movement (1998)

Nominees: Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, Jarobi White

ERIC B. & RAKIM

During hip-hop’s golden age in the 1980s, Eric B. & Rakim expanded the genre with unprecedented levels of rhyming, word interplay, and soulful beats. While high-energy party anthems dominated the scene, Eric B. & Rakim brought a smoother, more poetic approach to the musical landscape. With their innovations, they earned the respect and admiration of peers and fans. As JAY-Z acknowledged in 2017, the duo’s lyric “constant elevation causes expansion” is a mantra that every artist should live by, and it sums up the massive legacy of Eric B. & Rakim’s work.

Hailing from Long Island, the duo arrived on the scene as teenagers influenced by both jazz greats and funk legends. Under the tutelage of rapper Marley Marl, they released “Eric B. Is President.” With Eric B. sampling the groove from James Brown’s “Funky President,” Rakim set poetry in motion, altering the focus of the rhyme to the middle of each line rather than the end – a technique known as internal rhyming. While many MCs were skilled improvisers, Rakim showed his contemporaries that hip-hop lyrics could also be written and carefully crafted poetry – ushering in a new era of stylized rhyme and inspiring generations of lyricists to follow.

The duo’s debut album Paid in Full allowed Eric B. to showcase his masterful percussive beats and effective use of samples. Having grown up listening to John Coltrane, Rakim admired the interplay between melodic instrumental lines and syncopated rhythms in jazz, and he brought this interwoven approach to hits like “I Know You Got Soul” and “My Melody,” creating conversations between his words and Eric B.’s beats. In contrast to their contemporaries, Eric B. & Rakim took a more minimalist approach to music, with their masterful production allowing space for complex and nuanced wordplay to shine.

During their six years together, the duo’s four heavily influential albums showed that hip-hop can be thoughtful, graceful, intentional, and convey a message. It is impossible to imagine artists like Eminem and Kendrick Lamar without the innovations of Eric B. & Rakim.

Selected discography:

“Eric B. Is President” (1986) • “I Ain’t No Joke,” “My Melody,” “Paid in Full,” “I Know You Got Soul,” Paid in Full (1987) • “Follow the Leader,” “Microphone Fiend,” Follow the Leader (1988) • “Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em,” Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em (1990) • “Don’t Sweat the Technique,” “Juice (Know the Ledge),” Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992)

Nominees: Eric B. & Rakim

KOOL & THE GANG

For over fifty years, Kool & the Gang have been essential innovators of funk, soul, disco, and R&B, creating rock & roll’s most danceable anthems. They are one of the grooviest and most sampled bands of all time, with a recognizable sound that resonates across generations and has brought joy to millions of fans around the globe.

Kool & the Gang took their funky groove all the way to the top with a mix of pop songwriting, fantastic vocals, and a killer horn section. Formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964, brothers Robert “Kool” and Ronald Bell got their start in clubs, mastering a repertoire of jazz standards and Motown covers. In 1969, they signed to newly formed De-Lite Records and released the up-tempo instrumental “Kool & the Gang.” They subsequently released two live albums showcasing their ability to produce brilliantly crafted songs and blistering jams over an infectious beat. Their big break came in 1973 with the album Wild and Peaceful, which leaned deep into funky grooves, horn arrangements, and chanted vocals on the songs “Funky Stuff,” “Jungle Boogie,” and “Hollywood Swinging” – three instant dance floor classics. They slid easily into the growing disco scene, with their “Open Sesame” featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

In the 1980s, Kool & the Gang added lead vocalist James “J.T.” Taylor and released two massive hits, the bumping “Ladies Night” and the smooth “Too Hot.” With this, they accomplished something rare in the music industry – maintaining the fans who loved their funky roots, while reaching an entirely new audience tuned into their growing pop sensibilities. In 1980, they blew the roof off with the international hit “Celebration” and produced nineteen charting singles during the decade.

Kool & the Gang’s impact cannot be understated – from the throwback grooves of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars to the inclusion of the group’s songs in almost every party playlist. Countless samples of their music laid the foundation for some of hip-hop’s biggest hits by artists including Eric B. & Rakim, Tupac, Lil’ Kim, and JAY-Z.

Selected discography:

“Kool & the Gang,” “Let the Music Take Your Mind,” Kool and the Gang (1969) • “Funky Man,” Live at the Sex Machine (1971) • “Funky Stuff,” “Jungle Boogie,” Wild and Peaceful (1973) • “Ladies Night,” “Too Hot,” Ladies Night (1979) • “Celebration,” Celebrate! (1980) • “Get Down On It” (1981) • “Joanna” (1983) • “Fresh,” “Cherish,” Emergency (1984) • “Stone Love” (1986)

Nominees: Robert “Kool” Bell, Ronald Bell, George Brown, Robert “Spike” Mickens, Claydes “Charles” Smith, James “J.T.” Taylor, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, Ricky Westfield

LENNY KRAVITZ

Rock god. Guitar hero. Soldier of soul. Lenny Kravitz refused to confine himself to any one genre, reimagining rock & roll for the 1990s and beyond.

Born into a multiracial, multiethnic household, Lenny Kravitz cut his teeth in music banging on a pots-and-pans drum kit at age 3 and singing in the California Boys Choir. From there, he became an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, ultimately playing the bulk of the instruments on all eleven of his albums. It took Kravitz time to find a record label that could market an artist who stirred everything from psychedelic rock and funk to R&B and hard rock into a deliciously retro but entirely fresh stew.

After a bidding war among the five major labels, Kravitz chose Virgin because it gave him complete creative control. He soon hit Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100 with the soulfully smooth “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” and reached international superstardom with the riff-driven barnburner “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” Kravitz continues to defy categorization with singles like the infectiously groovy “Fly Away” and his 2024 album’s debut single, the futuristic and sultry “TK421.” His standout lyrics detail the realities of race, notably “Bank Robber Man” – a personal story of racial profiling – and “Black and White America” – where he weaves his family’s story into the wider promise of an Obama-era America.

Lenny Kravitz redefined classic rock and created space for a generation of bands like the Struts and Greta Van Fleet to continue expanding the rock genre. His record-breaking four consecutive Grammy Awards for Male Rock Vocal Performance illustrate his staggering impact. Beyond music, he is a cultural icon – he founded Kravitz Design, represents Y cologne, and portrayed the stylist Cinna in The Hunger Games franchise. No one else in rock & roll embodies the concept of cool like Lenny Kravitz.

Selected discography:

Let Love Rule (1989) • “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” Mama Said (1991) • “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993) • “Fly Away,” “American Woman,” 5 (1998) • “Bank Robber Man,” Lenny (2001) • Black and White America (2011) • “TK421,” Blue Electric Light (2024)

Nominee: Lenny Kravitz

MARIAH CAREY

The indisputable Songbird Supreme. Everything Mariah Carey touches turns to gold. With her five-octave vocal range and revolutionary riffs and runs, her voice is incomparable. As a singer, songwriter, performer, and record producer, her dynamic career trajectory has had an enormous impact on the pop music landscape, generating nineteen Number One hits, second only to the Beatles.

Carey’s rise to stardom was the stuff of record industry fairytale. Raised in a home plagued by chaos, she developed her whisper-singing as self-soothing lullaby. At 17, she moved to New York City, eventually landing a pivotal role as a back-up singer. In a move that foreshadowed the take-charge professionalism of her career, she gave her demo to CBS Records President Tommy Mottola at an industry party and was fast-tracked as a “priority artist.”

Carey’s self-titled 1990 debut, the “album that launched a million runs,” featured four Number One singles, cementing a chart-topping tradition that continued throughout her career. That year, she won the Grammy for Best New Artist, and the single “Vision of Love” won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Throughout the 1990s, Carey took more creative control with each album. As her creative relationship with Mottola dissolved, Carey drew inspiration from the growing success of hip-hop, working with Ol’ Dirty Bastard on the “Fantasy” remix – a move that helped spark the R&B/hip-hop marriage that dominated the charts through the 2000s. The Emancipation of Mimi was not only the best-selling album of 2005, but proved to be such a creative gamechanger that some critics considered it her “comeback album.”

Her accomplishments go well beyond record sales and charts. She co-founded Camp Mariah, where inner-city children explore creative interests. Her well-received role in the 2009 film Precious solidified her versatility. Melismatic singers like Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera are inspired by Carey’s vocal prowess, and her legacy continues to shine – the 1994 holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. Mariah Carey’s high notes will reverberate for generations.

Selected discography:

“Vision of Love,” “Someday,” Mariah Carey (1990) • “Emotions,” “Make It Happen,” Emotions (1991) • “I’ll Be There” (with Trey Lorenz), MTV Unplugged EP (1992) • “Hero,” “Without You,” Music Box (1993) • “One Sweet Day” (with Boyz II Men), “Always Be My Baby,” Daydream (1995) • “Fantasy” (Bad Boy with O.D.B.) (1995) • “Honey,” Butterfly (1997) • The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) • “Big Energy (Remix)” (Latto and Mariah Carey featuring DJ Khaled) (2022)

Nominee: Mariah Carey

SADE

With a career spanning four decades, Sade have blended jazz, soul, and R&B to create a sound that’s all their own – laid-back rhythms, elegant arrangements, melodic saxophone lines, and, of course, the smooth, sultry, mesmerizing vocals of their lead singer Sade Adu. As the musical landscape around them changed, Sade’s music has endured – their songs of love, life, and loss resonate with listeners on a deeply personal level. Sade’s six studio albums have sold over fifty million copies, earned countless critical accolades, and built an extremely loyal fanbase.

Hailing from London, Sade have retained the same lineup since their formation in 1982 – Sade Adu, the Nigerian-born, Essex-raised singer-songwriter, along with keyboard player Andrew Hale, bass guitarist Paul Spencer Denman, and saxophonist Stuart Matthewman. Their debut album Diamond Life launched the band into the stratosphere, selling ten million copies and earning a Grammy for Best New Artist. The smooth romance of “Your Love Is King” and the soulful groove of “Smooth Operator” were intoxicatingly fresh, sounding like nothing else at the time. Their follow-up Promise displayed Adu’s vocal range and emotional depth with the ultra-smooth “The Sweetest Taboo” and the poetic “Is It a Crime.” Sade’s albums found a home on Black radio, particularly the late-night Quiet Storm format alongside Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, and Anita Baker. Their subsequent albums forever cemented Sade in the lexicon of love.

To their devoted fans, Sade’s music remains the soundtrack of strength, intimacy, and self-discovery – particularly, Sade’s tales of self-empowerment resonate strongly for women of color around the world. Sade are adored by contemporary artists – both Beyoncé and Drake refer to Adu as their muse, and her influence is visible in the enigmatic aura of Lauryn Hill, the sensual vibes of Maxwell, and the vocal prowess of Adele. Adu is an icon with her blend of sophistication and simplicity, making the band’s music instantly recognizable and timeless. You know a Sade song when you hear it, but you don’t just hear Sade, you feel Sade.

Selected discography:

“Your Love Is King,” “Smooth Operator,” Diamond Life (1984) • “The Sweetest Taboo,” “Is It a Crime,” Promise (1985) • “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” “Paradise,” Stronger Than Pride (1988) • “No Ordinary Love,” Love Deluxe (1992) • “By Your Side,” Lovers Rock (2000) • “Babyfather,” Soldier of Love (2010)

Nominees: Sade Adu, Paul Spencer Denman, Andrew Hale, Stuart Matthewman

MARY J. BLIGE

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige flipped the R&B world on its head. Her anthems of resilience and empowerment have inspired a legion of loyal fans while influencing virtually every R&B artist of the last twenty years, including Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and SZA. Her career dominance reveals impressive longevity – fourteen Top Ten studio albums, nine Grammys, and over fifty million albums sold.

Blige signed with Uptown Records in 1989, becoming the label’s youngest and first female artist. Her debut singlehandedly kick-started the hip-hop soul genre and produced Number One R&B hits “Real Love” and “You Remind Me.” Her image – oversized jerseys, backwards baseball hats, and combat boots – introduced a new look to R&B music, and her lyrics embraced an authenticity that resonated with fans – especially women. Her mid-1990s hits with the Notorious B.I.G., Method Man, and JAY-Z created the blueprint for R&B/hip-hop collaborations for decades to follow.

Blige emerged as a songwriter with hits “Be Happy” and “My Life” from her sophomore effort My Life, while her song “Not Gon’ Cry” showcased the emotional ache of Blige’s affecting vocals. The 2000s ushered in more success with Number One hits “Family Affair” and Grammy-winning “Be Without You.” Blige continues to craft hits, including her ode to unapologetic happiness “Just Fine,” critically acclaimed London Sessions, and collaborations with Inductees Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, and Missy Elliott. In 2018, she received two Oscar nominations for the film Mudbound and became the first person nominated for acting and original song in the same year. In 2022, Blige co-headlined the Super Bowl halftime show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem – earning her an Emmy.

Blige’s music echoes our experiences with love and life. She helps us move on, move out, and move up. She’s the much-needed soundtrack to our heartache, vulnerability, and courage to refuse to accept anything less than we deserve. Long Live Queen Mary J!

Selected discography:
“Real Love,” What’s the 411? (1992) • “I’m Goin’ Down,” “My Life,” My Life (1994) • “Not Gon’ Cry” (1996) • Share My World (1997) • “Your Child,” Mary (1999) • “Family Affair,” No More Drama (2001) • “Be Without You,” The Breakthrough (2005) • Strength of a Woman (2017) • “Mighty River,” Mudbound soundtrack (2017)

Nominee: Mary J. Blige

Nominee ballots will be sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians, and members of the music industry. An artist’s musical impact and influence on other artists, length and depth of career and body of work as well as innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.

Inductees will be announced in late April. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2024 Induction Ceremony will take place in Cleveland this fall with date and on-sale information to be announced.