Nominees for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced

NEW YORK – Here’s something Madonna can really celebrate: a nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.\nShe joins heartland rocker John Mellencamp, the puckish rappers the Beastie Boys and premier dance acts Donna Summer and Chic, among the nine nominees for the hall. The five who receive the most votes will be inducted during the annual ceremony March 10, 2008, at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel.\nThe other nominees are rap pioneer Afrika Bambaataa, songwriter Leonard Cohen, the original British Invasion combo The Dave Clark Five and surf-rock instrumentalists The Ventures.\nThe nominations illustrate how far the Hall of Fame has stretched its definition of rock ‘n’ roll to incorporate a variety of musical styles.\nIt’s certainly the case with Madonna, the Michigan native who burst out of New York dance clubs in the early 1980s with “Holiday” and soon became a pop culture icon. She scored 17 Top 10 hits in the 1980s alone and is due to put out an album next year, collaborating with the likes of Timbaland and Justin Timberlake.\nThe Beastie Boys molded punk rock and rap into the goofy hit “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right to Party.” They became critical favorites and are still together, having released an instrumental album earlier this year.\nIndiana’s own Mellencamp can fill a barrel with rock hits like “Hurts So Good,” “Pink Houses” and “R.O.C.K. in the USA.” Like Chic and the Dave Clark Five, he’s been nominated before without successfully being voted into the hall of fame.\nAbout 500 musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote on the nominees.