Grunge pioneers Nirvana lead this year’s class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The ceremony will take place on April 10 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Also being inducted: Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Linda Ronstadt, and Cat Stevens.
The highlight of the ceremony will be the induction of Nirvana. Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic received the honor on the first year of eligibility. The band’s ‘Nevermind’ was a critical and commercial smash in 1991 – changing the face of music. It sold over 30 million copies worldwide, and is widely considered one of the most important rock albums ever made. The single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is a staple on rock music stations.
Kiss, originally composed of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, have been eligible for 15 years. Famous for the outrageous outfits and makeup, the band continues to tour after more than 40 years in the business.
Other highlights include word that Bruce Springsteen’s backing mates – The E Street Band – will receive the Award for Musical Excellence. Also, the late Beatles manager Brian Epstein and original Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Who didn’t make the cut his year: Deep Purple, the Meters, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, the Zombies, the Replacements, LL Cool J and N.W.A.
Tickets for the induction ceremony at Barclays Center will go on sale next month. HBO will air an edited version of the show in May 2014.