The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 35th annual class of inductees, honoring six musical acts — Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G. and T-Rex — as well as veteran rock journalist, producer and artist manager Jon Landau.
The inducted musicians were chosen from a ballot of 16 finalists, which meant fans of Pat Benatar, Dave Matthews Band, Judas Priest, Kraftwerk, MC5, Motörhead, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren, Soundgarden and Thin Lizzy will have to wait at least another year for Rock Hall validation.
Speaking on Morning Edition Monday, music writer Evelyn McDonnell discussed a study she’d conducted, which revealed that only 69 of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 888 members — fewer than 8% — were women. With the latest announcement, the ratio grows slightly more lopsided, with only Houston joining the Hall’s ranks alongside B.I.G. and members of four all-male bands.
The 35th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place on May 2 at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. The event will be broadcast live on HBO.
