Listen to this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class: Dolly, Duran Duran, Eminem, and more

Dolly Parton’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame story is one of the most unique in history. After her nomination, Dolly declared that she was removing herself from the ballot, which the Rock Hall never gave into. Parton then had a change of heart and said she would “accept gracefully” if she was inducted. Now, she finds herself in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Eminem was the only artist to get inducted in his first year of eligibility and deservedly so. As one of the best-selling artists of all time, Eminem has 15 GRAMMY Awards, 8 American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, and an Academy Award to his name. Plus, 10 of his 11 studio albums have gone number one.

New Wave pioneers Duran Duran were one of the most successful groups of the 80s. Their impact on music is profound, but they were one of the first groups to really unleash the power of the music video. Eurythmics were right alongside them in terms of New Wave influence as the duo has sold more than 75 million records throughout their career. The group is best known for their single “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” which was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame back in 2020.

Richie has had a massively successful music career both as a solo artist and as the co-lead singer with the Commodores. Richie has also written iconic singles like “Endless Love,” a duet with Diana Ross that’s one of the best-selling singles of all time. He’s been a strong presence off the stage too with his hosting duties on American Idol being his most recognizable role.

Few artists were able to match the early career success that Pat Benatar experienced. Her first five albums have all gone platinum, with two going multi-platinum and yielded numerous charting singles. In her career, Benatar took home four GRAMMY awards, all for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Carly Simon rose to fame in the 1970s and became one of the most illustrious songwriters of the decade. Her breakthrough 1972 album No Secrets quickly went number one as it included Simon’s signature song “You’re So Vain.”

Judas Priest has spent over 50 years together as a band and played a monumental role in shaping the sound of Metal. Frequently cited as one of the greatest Metal bands of all time, Judas Priest has sold more than 50 million records in their career.