The 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Meet the new class

The newly inducted members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame span an eclectic mix of ages and genres

The late Donna Summer: Hall of Famer.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Karldaviesfan)

On Tuesday, the Rock and Roll of Fame announced six new members who will officially be inducted at a ceremony in April 2013. The new inductees were selected by more than 500 Hall of Fame members and the first-ever fan ballot, beating out a list of contenders that included Kraftwerk, N.W.A., and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Meet the new inductees:

1. Heart

Heart is an American hard rock group led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. Over the band's 40-year career, they've released six Top 10 albums and 20 Top 40 singles, including "Magic Man," Crazy on You," and "Barracuda."

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Listen to "Barracuda":

2. Albert King

Albert King was an American blues musician whose 50-year career began when he bought his first guitar for $1.25 in 1931. He died of a heart attack in 1992 at age 69.

Listen to "Born Under a Bad Sign":

3. Randy Newman

Randy Newman is an American singer and pianist famous for his satirical songs, which lampoon aspects of American culture like racism and jingoism — though younger generations may know him better as the singer of Toy Story's Oscar-nominated theme "You've Got a Friend in Me." "I'm very happy," said Newman of being elected to the Hall of Fame. "I though I'd have to die first, but I'm glad I'm around to see it."

Listen to "You've Got a Friend in Me":

4. Public Enemy

Public Enemy is an American hip-hop group who helped popularize the genre in the United States with massive, influential hits like 1988's It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and 1990's Fear of a Black Planet. In 2008, VH1 called the group's "Fight the Power," which was written for Spike Lee's 1989 film Do the Right Thing, the greatest hip-hop song ever.

Listen to "Fight the Power":

5. Rush

Rush is a Canadian prog rock band that has amassed, over the last 40 years, what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame calls "the largest cult fan base in rock." Though the group has been eligible for consideration since 1988, they were repeatedly left off the ballot — to the dismay of their vocal fans. "It's water under the bridge, and it was a very tiny bridge," said Rush's Alex Lifeson upon finally being voted in.

Listen to "Tom Sawyer":

6. Donna Summer

Donna Summer was an American singer — often described as the "Queen of Disco" — whose most famous songs include "MacArthur Park," "I Feel Love," and "Hot Stuff." She died of lung cancer earlier this year, prompting an outpouring of tributes — including one from President Obama, who called her voice "unforgettable."

Listen to "Hot Stuff":

Sources: RockHall.com (2) (3), Rolling Stone, Fox News (2), VH1.com, BBC.co.uk

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.