Rock and roll is a uniquely American invention, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is the unofficial gatekeeper of its history.

The Hall has received a lot of criticism in recent years for being a haven of elite critics who are out of touch with the music's fans when it comes to choosing inductees each year.

In response to the criticism, the Hall has allowed fan voting to help determine who is chosen to have their names enshrined.

This year's list of nominees for fans to vote on has been released, and they include:

  • The Cure
  • Def Leppard
  • Devo
  • Janet Jackson
  • Kraftwerk
  • LL Cool J
  • MC5
  • Stevie Nicks
  • John Prine
  • Radiohead
  • Rage Against the Machine
  • Roxy Music
  • Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
  • Todd Rundgren
  • The Zombies

You can vote for your choices here until December 9.

So far, Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard, The Cure, and Todd Rundgren lead.

The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a "fans' ballot" that will be tallied, along with the other ballots to choose the 2019 inductees.

That's a fancy way of saying that though fan ballots will be considered, the elites at the Hall still reserve the right to enshrine their choice.

While enshrinement is nice recognition for many artists, as inductee Paul Stanley of KISS once noted, he is more interested in the fans and not critics. Stanley described his palatial L.A. estate as "the home that bad reviews built."

Long live rock & roll!

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