Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2016 Inductees

Cheap Trick

By A.D. AMOROSI

The 2016 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been announced, and without a doubt, all of its nominees are deserving of the honor: rap act N.W.A. along with 1970s era rockers Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple and Steve Miller. The induction ceremony will be held on April 8 in Brooklyn's Barclays Center with HBO televising the event later that spring. While delighted for the Class of 2016 (especially Deep Purple who practically birthed heavy metal with "Smoke on the Water") one question must be asked: why not Chic, Nile Rodgers' influential disco band, who in its 10th year as a nominee, still failed to win induction.

The full list of 2016 Rock Hall nominees (including all nominated, not just those ultimately chosen for induction) was stellar: Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Steve Miller and N.W.A. along with Nine Inch Nails, the Smiths, Janet Jackson, Chic, Chaka Khan, the Spinners, the Cars, the J.B.'s, Los Lobos and Yes.

Nile Rodgers

Of course, Yes – who, like Deep Purple, have been around since 1968 – is long overdue. It would have been nice to see Yes inducted sooner, especially since its co-founder, bassist Chris Squire, died in 2015. Chic's omission, though, comes at an odd time, considering Nile Rodgers' still-valuable input (recent recording sessions with Daft Punk; producing Duran Duran, Keith Urban and Beck) and the timing of Chic's first full new album in decades in 2016. Maybe next year.

Cheap Trick photo courtesy of Big Hassle Media
Nile Rodgers photo courtesy of Nile Rodgers

Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2015