Guns N’ Roses, The Cure, Joan Jett Among 2012 Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

15 new nominations have been made for the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, with five of the prolific artists expected to make the final cut and be inducted next spring.

Of the 15, the range of newly nominated artists is pretty broad. Guns N’ Roses, The Cure, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Eric B. and Rakim, Heart, Freddie King, Chaka Khan, and the Spinners are among the 2012 nominees. The Beastie Boys, Donovan, Laura Nyro, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Donna Summer and War have all been re-nominated after having failed to receive enough votes in the past to achieve Hall of Fame status.

Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame foundation, spoke about artist diversity in a press release:

“The 2012 nominees embody the broad scope of what ‘rock and roll’ means… From vocal groups to hip-hop, from singer-songwriters to hard-rocking artists, this group represents the spirit of what we celebrate at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

The pool of nominees is chosen each year by a 35-member panel of record execs, musicians and music journalists, and ballots are distributed to 500 voters, including previous inductees. Cleveland.com notes that if Guns N’ Roses are voted in, it will be a reunion of sorts for the band. A piece on the nominations quotes a former band member on the possibility. Former guitarist Gilby Clarke said:

“I was a fan of the band even before I joined, so I’d love to see the original five guys play a song… That was always one of the great things about the band — you never knew what to expect. . . . I’m not speaking for Axl, but I think in his eyes, everything is fine and the band is carrying on. But I think the public would like to see the people [at the inductions] who made the most popular albums… There’s unfinished business within the band, certainly.”

Votes are expected to be tallied in November, and the induction ceremony will be in April in Cleveland.