Radiohead, Bon Jovi and LL Cool J Among the 2018 Nominees for Induction Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Thom York of Radio Head, Jon Bon Jovi of Bon Jovi and LL Cool J
Mark Metcalfe, Theo Wargo, Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Check out who is in the running for a coveted spot in the prestigious Hall.

Some of the biggest names in music are among this year's nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On Thursday, the storied institution announced the musically diverse new slate of nominees, representing classic rock, contemporary alt-rock, hip hop, blues and funk, to name just a few genres. 

Among the rock artists in contention for induction are Bon Jovi, Dire Straits, Judas Priest, The Moody Blues, Radiohead, and Rage Against the Machine.

The British pop duo Eurythmics, the funk bands The Meters and Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, British pop rock singer Kate Bush, and hip hop artist and actor LL Cool J are among some of the other possible future inductees.

For a few of the performers, this isn't the first time they've been on the coveted short list. English groups Depeche Mode and The Zombies, as well as American rock bands MC5 and The Cars, were all nominated  last year as well.

This is also the second year in a row for the J. Geils Band, whose founder, J. Geils, died earlier this year at his home in Groton, Massachusetts, at the age of 71.

However, J. Geils is not the only performer with a posthumous nomination -- there is also rock guitarist and "power chord" pioneer Link Wray, who died in November 2005, jazz and blues singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who died in October 1973, and iconic blues songstress Nina Simone, who died in April 2003.
 

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for an artist to be eligible they must have released their first single or album at least 25 years before the year they are nominated, meaning this new group had to release their first work before 1992.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2018 Inductions, presented by Klipsch Audio, will be held at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 14, 2018.

The Hall lost a beloved inductee earlier this week when iconic rocker Tom Petty died after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California. He was 66. Check out the video below for more on Petty's life and indelible legacy.