Five first-time nominees for the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame will be inducted next year.
Tupac Shakur, Pearl Jam, Journey, Electric Light Orchestra and Joan Baez join three time nominee Yez in being inducted. Chic frontman Niles Rogers will receive an award for Musical Excellence at the ceremony taking place taking place April 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum in Cleveland will open a special exhibit on March 30 to honor the 2017 inductees.
Speaking to Billboard Magazine, Yez drummer said: "It's totally exciting. It's a great pleasure to be recognized for something you've been doing all your life and get recognition in the industry for the amount of work you've put in and to have done something that changed the course of history, I guess, over time."
Baez issued a statement, saying, "I never considered myself to be a rock and roll artist. But as part of the folk music boom which contributed to and influenced the rock revolution of the 60's, I am proud that some of the songs I sang made their way into the rock lexicon. I very much appreciate this honor and acknowledgement by the Hall of Fame."
Journey and Electric Light Orchestra have previously been considered huge Hall of Fame snubs. Journey, in fact, topped the fan ballot conducted by the Rock Hall, with 250,758 votes.
