Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple + Steve Miller Elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Read More: Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple + Steve Miller Elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |

[RJhog (Admin)]

Mike Coppola / Jeff Schear / Ethan Miller / Mike Coppola, Getty Images

A classic-rock heavy 2016 induction class finds Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple and Steve Miller joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Chicago, who had been eligible since 1994, earlier claimed victory in fan voting.

Rap group N.W.A. round out the list of honorees at the 31st annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, set for April 8, 2016 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The event will be subsequently broadcast by HBO at an undetermined date.

Deep Purple, whose absence has long been pegged as one of the hall’s most egregious errors, first became eligible for induction – like Miller – in 1993. Cheap Trick has been eligible since 2002. More than 800 voters decide who emerges from the ballot, along with the aggregate results from an online fan poll.

Alas, a ceremony often plagued by controversy could suffer the same fate this year. Deep Purple and Steve Miller were in the Top 5 in the fan vote, but actually finished behind also-rans Yes and and the Cars. Further down in the poll, Cheap Trick was lodged at No. 7, while N.W.A. was at No. 12.

Then there is the possibility of lingering issues among bandmates for these newly-nominated groups.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has welcomed all members of the sometimes-contentious Deep Purple’s heralded Mk. II lineup, including Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, the late Jon Lord and Ian Paice. Also inducted: Rod Evans, original vocalist in a Mk. I edition which likewise included Blackmore, Lord and Paice; and subsequent Mk. III-IV members David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. On the outside looking in, however, were those who later worked with the Blackmore-less editions of Deep Purple – notably guitarists Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse.

Chicago’s inductees only include their original lineup, leaving out former member Bill Champlin – who sang on ’80s-era hits like “Hard Habit to Break” (a No. 3 hit with Peter Cetera), “I Won’t Wanna Live Without Your Love” and “Look Away,” the latter of which was Chicago’s most recent chart-topper. The band also split with co-founding honoree Danny Seraphine in 1990.

All four original members of Cheap Trick are being inducted, including drummer Bun E. Carlos, whose in-limbo status with the group prompted a just-settled court battle. Miller, though he released his best-known hits under the umbrella of the Steve Miller Band, is being inducted alone.

[Niels (Mod)]

I don't really care about RRHOF, but.......it warms my heart to see Cheap Trick inducted at last. Now all the most important bands for me will be in the hall. And if you wonder: Beatles, Zeppelin, Who, Sabbath, Van Halen, KISS, AC/DC and Cheap Trick.

[Scandal 2000]

I agree and feel the same way I have complained about Deep Purple not being in for years. My heart was especially warmed when Alice Cooper got in.

[Niels (Mod)]

Deep Purple is THE band, that have been snubbed the worst by the Hall, and somehow I feel it would be great, if the whole band said no to appereance.

On the other hand, they truely belong in the Hall for sure.

[Scott]

Deep Purple finally gets in, this is great!  But as I understand it they will only induct members through Mark III.  I get that.  It will be very interesting to watch how this plays out with the relationships in those versions of the band still awful... Hopefully they set issues aside and pay some serious respects to Jon Lord...

[Niels (Mod)]

Just like regarding KISS, they should only induct the classic band, namely Mark II, since it's the band, that none-fans like me consider the real Purple: Blackmoore, Lord, Paice, Glover and Gillan.

I don't mind the band feaut. Coverdale, Bolin and Hughes, but I don't think they ever should had called themselves Deep Purple.

Imo it's too weird, if 15 people standing (or lying) on stage accepting.

But there's another discussion we've already been through.

[Scott]

Agree, but...  the original intent of Deep Purple was to be a revolving door band, and thus they fully expected to have members come and go making the band an evolutionary experiment.  The Mark II version gets all the accolades and rightfully so as they are clearly the best version of the band.  I'm not arguing for Bolin to get in, he only played on a one album, albeit a very good one IMO.  But if Mark I makes it on the back of Hush then that's weird to me...  Id say Mark II and III get in and that's that.

[TageRyche]

It's funny to me that Steve Morse got left out of the inducted members for Deep Purple. Hasn't he been in the band longer than Blackmore was?

[Scandal 2000]

Deep Purple was the band I have been lobbying for entry into the Hall of Fame for years.

[Scott]

Three intriguing story lines here, all similar in nature...

1 - Will Ritchie Blackmore and the Mark II, III lineups work together?

2 - Will Peter Cetera play with Chicago?

3- Will Cheap Trick reconcile with Bun?

Staying tuned in to all of these...

[Niels (Mod)]

1. No, but it would be awesome.

2. Probably, but I don't really care myself.

3. My guess would be yes, but it could turn out to be a "KISS-thing", so they won't play live.

[RJhog (Admin)]

I'm sort of with Niels.  Don't really care about number one.  I mean, I'm glad they got in, and I certainly want them to play, I just don't care if Blackmore is there or not.  Maybe this is why he's been hinting at doing rock shows again?

We slightly disagree on number two.  I'd love to see Cetera back with the band.  He was a tremendous vocalist.

I think CT will play live, and I think Bun E. will be on the drums, along with Dax N.  And I think they will rock!

[Scott]

I'm most interested in the Cetera storyline.  I'd love to see them jam on some older Kath tunes