Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces nominations for class of 2007.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced nine nominees for induction in 2007. Of the nine nominees, five will be voted in to the Cleveland, Ohio institution.

The nine nominees for this year have all met the eligibility requirements that include releasing their first single or album at least 25 years prior to their nomination.

More than 500 voters will select five nominees out of a field that includes Van Halen, R.E.M., Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Stooges, The Ronettes, Joe Tex, Chic, and The Dave Clark Five.

The five nominees to be enshrined will be announced in January and the induction ceremony will take place March 12, 2007 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

Van Halen hit the scene with their self titled debut album which sold over 10 million copies world-wide. They dominated the charts in the 80’s with singles that included “Jump”, “Eruption”, “Jamie’s Cryin’” and “Runnin with the Devil.” With guitar legend Eddie Van Halen and eccentric front man David Lee Roth Van Halen helped define early 80’s rock.

Coming out of small college town Athens, Ga., R.E.M. established themselves as the first “indie” band to crack the mainstream. Comprised of Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry, R.E.M. brought a new sound to the airwaves in the early 80’s. With songs like “Radio Free Europe”, “Superman”, “(Don’t go Back to) Rockville”, “Driver 8” and “Begin the Begin” R.E.M. solidified itself as rock pioneers.

Patti Smith released her debut album Horses, in 1975 and quickly became a Punk prophet. She ruled New York throughout the 70’s with her poetic lyrics and cutting voice and set the stage for future punk icons and helped put underground club CBGB’s on the map. Smith was often tied with artist Andy Warhol and the art movement of th e70’s in New York City.

Laying the groundwork for today’s hip-hop genre were Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Starting out in the late 70’s this group integrated soul, r&b, funk, punk, new wave and hard rock to produce a sound never heard before. Their debut album “The Message” featured a track by the same name that helped elevate them from the Bronx to a worldwide stage.

With Iggy Pop at the helm The Stooges brought punk to a new level of attitude. Known for their intensity and biting tracks like “I Wanna Be Your Dog” The Stooges helped define what it meant to be punk in the 70’s.

Hits like “Be My Baby” and “Baby, I Love You” brought the all female group The Ronettes’ instant fame. Despite a short lived career that spanned from 1963 till 1966 the group attract a huge following and inspired groups to come like the Rolling Stones.

Joe Tex’s music may be better known by the artists who covered it. His ability to cross over from soul to pop landed him more than 24 hits through 1969. Best remembered for his 1965 single “Hold What You’ve Got”, Joe Tex has been covered by artists ranging from James Brown to Johnny Cash to Elvis Costello.

Chic brought some respectability to the 1970’s disco era, or at least put forth a solid attempt. Coming out of New York Chic brought a refined sound to the disco music that was omnipresent at the time. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards went on to write songs for Madonna, David Bowie, Diana Ross and Mick Jagger.

Had it not been for the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, the British Invasion may have best been remembered by the Dave Clark Five. Their pop sound from 1965-1968 brought them 17 Top Forty hits and helped them sell over 50 million albums worldwide.