The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced nominees for 2017 inference, including first-timers Tupac Shakur, Pearl Jam, Journey, Jane's Addiction, Electric Light Orchestra, Depeche Mode, Joan Baez, Bad Brains and Steppenwolf.
This year's hopefuls are the following:
Bad Brains - Steered by frontman H.R. and guitarist Dr. Know, the Washington band rewrote the definition of punk rock by incorporating elements of jazz, reggae and funk.
Joan Baez - The long-reigning "Queen of Folk" championed Bob Dylan on his rise to fame in the 1960s, but also created enduring classics such as her self-titled debut, which was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry last year.
The Cars - The Boston rockers have stood the test of time with songs such as Just What I Needed, My Best Friend's Girl and Drive, and reunited for 2011's Move Like Thisalbum after Benjamin Orr died from pancreatic cancer in 2000.
Chaka Khan - Hailed as the "Queen of Funk," the emotive songstress has won 10 Grammy Awards, including best female R&B vocal performance for I Feel for You.
Chic - With dance-floor classics Le Freak and Good Times, Nile Rodgers and company gave disco a brilliant, soulful upgrade and inspired generations of pop and hip-hop artists.
Depeche Mode - Frequently cited as a major influence on artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Coldplay andArcade Fire, the British electronic outfit is slated to return with its 14th album, Spirit, next year.
Electric Light Orchestra - The band famous for wedding classical instruments with rock 'n' roll holds the record for having the most top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart without ever hitting No. 1.
J. Geils Band - The Massachusetts bar band fully embraced pop on 12th album Freeze Frame in 1981, which spawned the suggestive No. 1 smash Centerfold.
Janet Jackson - A dance/pop icon and the youngest child of the Jackson family, the Rhythm Nation singer mysteriously postponed her world tour earlier this year, only to recently confirm that she's pregnant with her first child at age 50.
Jane's Addiction - The Los Angeles-bred alt-rockers earned critical acclaim and a cult following for albums Nothing's Shocking and Ritual de lo habitual, the latter of which they celebrated with a slew of 25th anniversary shows last month.
Joe Tex - Heralded as the "Clown Prince of Soul," the '60s trailblazer melded gospel and comedy in hits such as Hold What You've Got, Skinny Legs and All and Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman).
Journey - The lineup of this San Francisco-based band has frequently shifted since its heyday in the late '70s and '80s, but its 1981 power ballad Don't Stop Believin' remains a quintessential karaoke pick.
Kraftwerk - The hugely influential synth-rock outfit, founded in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hutterand Florian Schneider, has shaped every electronica-shaded act of the past 40 years.
MC5 - The Lincoln Park, Mich., natives courted controversy with incendiary 1969 debut album Kick Out the Jams, which includes fan favorites Motor City is Burning, Ramblin' Rose and the title track.
Pearl Jam - Voted the greatest American rock band ever in a 2005 reader poll at usatoday.com, the Eddie Vedder-fronted grunge group wrapped a North American tour this summer, which included festival stops at Bonnaroo and New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Tupac Shakur - Two decades after his shooting death in 1996, the mythic West Coast rapper/actor (and bitter rival of the Notorious B.I.G.) still resonates with his vivid lyrics and unflinching honesty, epitomized on his best-selling All Eyez on Me.
Steppenwolf - The John Kay-led group charted 12 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1968 and 1974, including top 10 hits Born to Be Wild, Magic Carpet Ride and Rock Me.
Yes - Largely responsible for bringing progressive rock to the mainstream, these symphonic, experimental Englishmen are considered the forefathers to other beloved synth-driven bands such as Rush and Dream Theater.
The Zombies - Famed for hazy vocals accompanied by psychedelic guitar riffs and jazz-inflected electric piano, the band's Odessey and Oracle album was ranked one of the 100 all-time greatest by Rolling Stone.
