The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee developed one of the strongest ballots in years for the 2014 inductions. All sixteen nominees have their merits and would be worthy inductees. That being said, here are the six artists we predict will be inducted as performers:

• Nirvana: There has never been any doubt that this band would be a first ballot Hall of Famer. The only question that remains is who will sing during the performance at the Induction Ceremony.
• Kiss: In recent interviews, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have changed their tone when talking about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selectors. This could be a sign that both the Rock Hall and the band have grown beyond their feud and are ready to finally make each other whole.
• Linda Ronstadt: The public proclamations of support from the Eagles earlier this year pushed the Nominating Committee to put Ronstadt on the ballot for the first time and it seems likely the voters won’t waste any time inducting her.
• Yes: The Rock Hall’s supposed prog bias has taken a couple of major hits in the last few years, first with Genesis getting inducted in 2010 and then Rush in 2013. Both bands were inducted the first time they appeared on the ballot. Now Yes has finally been nominated so the voters get a chance to induct them as well.
• Chic: Seven times Chic has been nominated and then failed to be inducted, so why should it be any different this year? Well, 2013 was an extraordinary year for Nile Rodgers (although he probably doesn’t have ordinary years), so there is a general feeling the time is finally right.
• The Zombies: 2008, The Dave Clark Five; 2010, The Hollies; 2012, The Small Faces / The Faces; 2014, The Zombies?

Over 1000 voters participated in the Future Rock Legends simulated Rock Hall ballot. Here is how they ended up:

1. Nirvana 80%
2. Deep Purple 62%
3. Kiss 47%
4. Peter Gabriel 42%
5. Yes 42%
6. Chic 34%
7. Hall & Oates 32%
8. N.W.A 30%
9. Linda Ronstadt 29%
10. Cat Stevens 27%
11. The Zombies 22%
12. Link Wray 16%
13. The Replacements 15%
14. LL Cool J 10%
15. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 7%
16. The Meters 5%

Official voting closes December 10th at 5pm, and the inductees are typically announced about a week after that. Also watch for one or two inductees in the Non-Performer category to be named. The 2014 Induction Ceremony will be in April in New York and for the third year in a row, tickets will be available to the public (exact date and location TBD).

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