MARIA CAREY, OASIS, JOE COCKER NOMINATED FOR ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HOLY GRAIL

LONDON. − Mariah Carey, Oasis, Cyndi Lauper and the New Order are among the 14 acts being considered for inclusion in the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.

Half of the 14 nominees are first-timers, including English punk star Billy Idol, rock and roll pioneer Chubby Checker, and “mad dog with soul” Joe Cocker.

Performers become eligible for nomination 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. Voting starts now, with the finalists revealed in April.

It is the second time Oasis have been nominated, having first appeared on the ballot in 2024.

Their inclusion comes as the band gear up for a sold-out reunion tour, which kicks off in Cardiff this July.

But singer Liam Gallagher has previously criticised the Hall of Fame, saying he wasn’t interested in receiving an award from “some geriatric in a cowboy hat”.

He added, perhaps sarcastically, that Oasis didn’t deserve their nomination “as much as Mariah [Carey]”.

“She smashed it,” he noted.

In the end, both Oasis and Carey were overlooked last year − with voters choosing to induct Cher, Mary J Blige, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest instead.

Asked for her thoughts on the snub, Carey said: “My thoughts are: I didn’t get in.

“My lawyer got into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before me,” she added, referencing entertainment lawyer Allen Grubman − who also represented clients like Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga.

Grubman was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2022 as the recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honours music industry figures.

Carey is one of the most egregious oversights in the Hall of Fame’s history.

With 19 US number one singles, she is second only to the Beatles in terms of chart success − but she didn’t receive her first nomination for the Hall of Fame until last year, almost a decade after she first became eligible.

Other notable artists who have failed to enter the hall include Iron Maiden, The Monkees, Daft Punk, Wu Tang Clan and The Smiths.

Winners are chosen by an international panel of 1,200 musicians, historians and music industry professionals.

Fans also get to vote for their favourites online, with their top five choices becoming a “fans’ ballot” that’s counted as one vote.

This year’s selection won’t help to counter criticisms of the institution − where women make up less than 9% of inductees.

Only two solo women appear on the longlist. Of the eight bands cited, only White Stripes and New Order have female members.

Rap music’s under-representation continues to be a theme, too, with OutKast the sole hip-hop act on the list. Eligible artists without a nomination include Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes and The Roots.

The full list of 2025 Rock Hall nominees:

Bad Company

The Black Crowes

Mariah Carey

Chubby Checker

Joe Cocker

Billy Idol

Joy Division/New Order

Cyndi Lauper

Maná

Oasis

OutKast