Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon will be recognized with the Musical Influence Award. Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye will be honored for Musical Excellence. Lenny Waronker, noted producer and DreamWorks/Warner Bros. Records executive, will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

First-time nominees Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper, the hip-hop pioneers Outkast, the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden.

This is the sixth consecutive year that one or more rap acts has been in the induction class.