Rock Hall of Fame inductees

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Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder

Pearl Jam, Journey and late rapper Tupac Shakur will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The iconic music stars will join the class of 2017, along with Joan Baez, Electric Light Orchestra and Yes.

According to a statement released by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Tuesday (20Dec16), the six acts will enter the prestigious group at the Rock Hall's 32nd annual induction ceremony at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on 7 April next year.

The 2017 selected group were chosen out of 19 nominees by more than 900 music industry voters in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, and all of the inductees were first time nominees with the exception of Yes. To be eligible for the hall, an individual artist or band must have released their first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.

Pearl Jam's acceptance, in the band's first year of eligibility, was seen as a foregone conclusion this year, after the organisation inducted Nirvana in 2014.

And as only the sixth hip hop artist to join the Hall of Fame, the addition of the slain rapper, who was murdered in 1996 at the age of 25, also builds on the hall's representation of rap music. At this stage it remains unclear as to who will accept the award on his behalf, after his mother, Afeni Shakur, died in May.

By admitting Journey, known for 1980s hits Don't Stop Believin' and Open Arms, as well as Electric Light Orchestra and Yes, the Hall of Fame has finally accepted some of music's most enduring acts.

While revered folk musician Baez's arrival marks another woman being accepted into the institution. She is the only woman among the inductees this year, and is only the third to be inducted over the last four ceremonies, after Joan Jett last year.

Meanwhile, Nile Rodgers will receive the Award for Musical Excellence. Chic, the disco group he co-founded, was nominated for the 11th time in the performer category, but did not gain admittance.

Other nominees considered for induction this year included: Bad Brains, Chaka Khan, Depeche Mode, Jane's Addiction, Janet Jackson, Kraftwerk, Steppenwolf and The Zombies.