Rappers NWA, metal band Deep Purple to join Rock Hall of Fame

Acts that missed out on a 2016 induction include Janet Jackson, Nine Inch Nails, The Smiths, Los Lobos and Chic, who have been nominated a record 10 times. HBO will televise highlights later in the spring.

There were 15 artists nominated for the 2016 class but only 5 will be inducted.

Ground-breaking rap act NWA, Deep Purple and Chicago have been announced as inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Deep Purple. The British quintet, which helped define the heavy metal genre with its organ-driven thick sound and early covers of Hush and Kentucky Woman, climbed the charts with Smoke On the Water and Woman From Tokyo.

N.W.A. was rewarded by rock hall voters in a year that a movie about their career, “Straight Outta Compton”, was a big box office hit. In addition, a special exhibit focusing on the 2016 inductees will open at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland in conjunction with the event.

Despite being eligible before, it was the first year on the ballot for Cheap Trick, Chicago (which won the public fan vote, tallying almost 37.7 million nods) and Miller, while Deep Purple and N.W.A have appeared before.

This year’s class certainly gives hopes to fans of other bands – notably the Moody Blues, Journey, Yes (which was on this year’s ballot) but also many others – who have been campaigning for their favorites’ inclusions.

Power popsters Cheap Trick of Rockford, Ill., landed in the hall on the strength of such 1970s hits as “I Want You To Want Me” and “Surrender” as well as the enduring fun of their live performances.

Steve Miller. The veteran guitarist has released more than a dozen albums with his Steve Miller Band since the mid-1960s, scoring hits with seminal anthems The Joker, Abracadabra and Jet Airliner.

Chicago, made up of Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Walter Parazaider and Danny Seraphine, put together rock and jazz.

Steve Miller performs onstage during The 7th Annual Little Kids Rock Benefit at Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom on October 20, 2015 in New York City. The group formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1991.

To be eligible, artists or bands need to have released their first single or album 25 years ago.