Editing Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (section)

==Inductees==
{{See also|List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees}}
[[File:Eric-Clapton 1975.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|English guitarist, singer, and songwriter [[Eric Clapton]] is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.]]
[[File:The_Beatles_members_at_New_York_City_in_1964.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|English rock group [[The Beatles]] were inducted in 1988, and all four members were later inducted as solo artists.]]
Artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at an annual induction ceremony. Over the years, the majority of the ceremonies have been held at the [[Waldorf-Astoria Hotel]] in New York City. However, on January 12, 1993, the ceremony was held in Los Angeles and was held there again in 2013. On May 6, 1997, about a year and a half after the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the ceremony was held in Cleveland. It returned to Cleveland in 2009 and again in 2012. Current plans call for the ceremony to be in Cleveland every three years.

Generally, the number of inductees each year ranges from about a half-dozen to a dozen. Virtually all living inductees have attended the ceremonies, and they are usually presented with their Hall of Fame award by an artist who was influenced by that inductee's music. Both the presenter and the inductee speak at the ceremonies, which also include numerous musical performances by both the inductees and the presenters. {{as of|2021|2}}, there were 338 inductees.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inductees A to Z |url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/a-z |website=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |access-date=February 21, 2021}}</ref>

The first group of inductees, inducted on January 23, 1986, included [[Elvis Presley]],<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/music/rock-hall/list-of-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductees/95-125896462| title=Who's inducted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? See the full list| publisher=[[WKYC]] News}}</ref> [[James Brown]], [[Little Richard]], [[Fats Domino]], [[Ray Charles]], [[Chuck Berry]],<ref>{{cite episode| url=https://www.npr.org/2020/01/14/796012607/women-make-up-less-than-8-of-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductees| title=Women Make Up Less Than 8% Of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees| date=January 14, 2020| series=[[Morning Edition]]| network=[[NPR]]}}</ref> [[Sam Cooke]], the [[Everly Brothers]], [[Buddy Holly]], and [[Jerry Lee Lewis]]. [[Robert Johnson]], [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]], and [[Jimmy Yancey]] were inducted as Early Influences; [[John Hammond (producer)|John Hammond]] received the Lifetime Achievement Award; and [[Alan Freed]] and [[Sam Phillips]] were inducted as Non-Performers.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/music/rock-hall/should-mtv-original-vjs-be-inducted-into-rock-hall-you-can-sign-a-petition/95-63a4a20e-5093-48e5-98ce-3c2ebf64fa5a| title=Should MTV's original VJs be inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? You can sign a petition| work=WKYC News}}</ref>

===Performers===
A nominating committee composed of rock and roll historians selects names for the "Performers" category (singers, vocal groups, bands, and instrumentalists of all kinds), which are then voted on by roughly 500 experts across the world. Those selected to vote include academics, journalists, producers, and others with music industry experience. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll. [[Block approval voting]] is used, with those nominees who receive the most votes being inducted, subject to a minimum of 50% approval. Around five to seven performers are inducted each year.<!--It is *not* impossible for 5 to 7 nominees to each receive 50 percent or more of a vote, as the number of nominees is not specified, and voters can select multiple nominees. There were seven inductees in this category in 2004, and eight in 2001. --><ref>{{cite web| url=http://rockhall.com/inductees/induction-process/| title=Induction Process| website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame| access-date=August 23, 2018}}</ref>

In 2012, six additional groups—[[the Miracles]], [[the Famous Flames]], [[the Comets]], [[the Blue Caps]], [[the Midnighters]], and [[the Crickets]]—were inducted as performers by a special committee due to the controversial exclusions when their lead singer was inducted. "There was a lot of discussion about this," said Terry Stewart, a member of the nominating committee. "There had always been conversations about why the groups weren't included when the lead singers were inducted. Very honestly, nobody could really answer that question – it was so long ago ... We decided we'd sit down as an organization and look at that. This is the result."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2012/02/crickets_famous_flames_comets.html| title=Crickets, Famous Flames, Comets, Miracles, Midnighters and Blue Caps added to Rock Hall induction ceremony| last=Soeder| first=John| newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]| date=February 9, 2012| access-date=February 26, 2012}}</ref>

===Early Influences===
Early Influences includes artists from earlier eras—primarily [[country music|country]], [[folk music|folk]], [[jazz]], and [[blues]]—whose music inspired and influenced rock and roll artists. Other notable artists that have been inducted as Early Influences include [[Bill Kenny (singer)|Bill Kenny]] & [[The Ink Spots]], country musicians [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]] and [[Hank Williams]], blues musician [[Howlin' Wolf]], and jazz musicians [[Jelly Roll Morton]] and [[Louis Armstrong]]. After [[Nat King Cole]] and [[Billie Holiday]] in 2000, no one was inducted in this category until 2009, when rockabilly singer [[Wanda Jackson]] was selected. Unlike earlier inductees in this category, Jackson's career almost entirely took place after the traditional 1955 start of the "rock era".

===Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement===
Formerly the "Non-Performers" award, this category encompasses those who primarily work behind the scenes in the music industry, including record label executives, songwriters, record producers, disc jockeys, [[tour promoter|concert promoter]]s, and [[Journalism|music journalists]]. Following the death of the Hall of Fame's co-founder [[Ahmet Ertegun]], this award was renamed in his honor in 2008.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/late-ertegun-honoured-with-new-hall-of-fame-award_1062079| title=Late Ertegun Honoured With New Hall Of Fame Award| date=March 11, 2008| journal=[[Contactmusic.com]]| archive-date=April 25, 2010| access-date=December 15, 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425003602/http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/late-ertegun-honoured-with-new-hall-of-fame-award_1062079| url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Award for Musical Excellence===
Formerly the "Sidemen" award, this category was introduced in 2000 and honors veteran [[session musician|session]] and concert players who are selected by a committee composed primarily of producers. The category was dormant from 2004 through 2007 and re-activated in 2008. This honor was renamed the "Award for Musical Excellence" in 2010. According to Joel Peresman, the president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, "This award gives us flexibility to dive into some things and recognize some people who might not ordinarily get recognized."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2010/12/neil_diamond_alice_cooper_dr_j.html |title=Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Darlene Love and Tom Waits headed into Rock Hall |date=December 15, 2010 |access-date=December 20, 2010 |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |last=Soeder |first=John}}</ref>