Nine Inch Nails (photo: Corinne Schiavone)
This year’s inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been revealed, as Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers and T. Rex all make up the class of 2020. Additionally, music industry managers Jon Landau and Irving Azoff will be presented with the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at Cleveland’s Public Hall on May 2 and air live on HBO and the SiriusXM Rock and Roll Hall of Fame radio station.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers said, “Each of those bands has helped shape the form that rock & roll has taken over the years. That’s what I like to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame do: pick those bands that have sculpted what we see rock & roll as today.”
In a lengthy interview with Rolling Stone, Nine Inch Nails main man Trent Reznor said of his band’s induction, “I’m actually quite surprised. When I look back at how Nine Inch Nails are received, it always seems like we fall between the cracks or we’re not in this category or ‘that thing.’ I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism, but I just assumed we’d stay in that category, so I’m pleasantly surprised to see us acknowledged. It feels pretty good.”
The members of Depeche Mode stated, “We’re incredibly honored to be included as one of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and to stand alongside the other incredible acts in the Rock Hall and those joining this year. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us and our music over the years, who have made this possible.”
