Here Is Your 2021 Rock Hall of Fame Class

Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, and the Go-Go's were elected Wednesday to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame their first time on the ballot, reports the AP, leading a class that also includes Tina Turner, Carole King, and Todd Rundgren. Each will be honored during an induction ceremony in Cleveland on Oct. 30 before what organizers hope is a full house of fans enjoying live music again. The hall will also welcome LL Cool J, Billy Preston, and Randy Rhoads with musical excellence awards, and honor Kraftwerk, Gil Scott-Heron, and Charley Patton as early influencers. With Jay-Z, the hall inducts a 23-time Grammy winner and the first rap artist in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Hit songs include "Hard Knock Life," "99 Problems," and "Empire State of Mind." He's had 14 No. 1 albums to his credit.

• After serving as Nirvana's drummer, Dave Grohl moved to center stage with Foo Fighters, becoming one of the few modern rock bands comfortable in arenas. Their hard-hitting sound produced the hits "Best of You," "Everlong," and "Times Like These."
• As an all-female band that played their own instruments, the Go-Go's were a rarity in the early 1980s. Born from LA's punk scene, they had a string of hits that included "We Got the Beat," "Our Lips Are Sealed," and "Vacation."
• Turner, recently celebrated in an HBO documentary, is one of rock's most stirring comeback stories. After escaping an abusive relationship with husband and musical partner Ike Turner, she became a solo star in the 1980s with the world-weary "What's Love Got to Do With It," then scored other hits with "Private Dancer" and "We Don't Need Another Hero."
• King's life was celebrated in the Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. After a career writing songs for others, her 1971 album Tapestry became one of music's best-selling albums of all time. Hits include "It's Too Late," "You've Got a Friend," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman."
• A power pop pioneer, Rundgren is known for melodic hits like "Hello It's Me," "I Saw the Light," and "We Gotta Get You a Woman." With "Bang the Drum All Day," he's also responsible for the song most celebrated by hooky players.

Grohl, King, and Turner bring the number of artists inducted into the Rock Hall twice to 26. Prior to King and Turner, Stevie Nicks had been the only woman with that distinction. Two new inductees—Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go's and Pat Smear of Foo Fighters—were once members of the LA punk band the Germs before getting the jobs that led to later fame.

(More Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stories.)