Patrick Ryan

USA TODAY

A slew of fresh faces could be joining rock's pantheon.

Tupac Shakur and Pearl Jam are among the first-time nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, both of whom became eligible just this year. Other artists to score their first nominations Tuesday include Journey, Depeche Mode, Jane's Addiction, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez, Bad Brains and Steppenwolf.

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Disco pioneers Chic are back in the running with a record 11th nomination since 2003, followed by soul singer Joe Tex with his fifth. German electro-pop outfit Kraftwerk and the Boston-based J. Geils Band each earned their fourth nods, while Chaka Khan earned her second as a solo artist. (She was also nominated with funk band Rufus for 2012 induction.)

Artists are eligible for consideration 25 years after releasing their first single or album (1991, for the newest crop of nominees). Inductees will be determined by more than 800 artists, historians and music-industry professionals.

Vote your faves into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The public can participate in the process by casting votes through select media outlets, including usatoday.com, Rolling Stone, The Huffington Post, SiriusXM and at rockhall.com. Voting ends Dec. 5 and the top five artists will make up a fan's ballot, which counts as a single vote.

The 2016 inductees will be announced in December and the induction ceremony will be held at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in April for the second year in a row.

This year's hopefuls:

Bad Brains

Steered by frontman H.R. and guitarist Dr. Know, the Washington band rewrote the definition of punk rock by incorporating elements of jazz, reggae and funk.

Joan Baez

The long-reigning "Queen of Folk" championed Bob Dylan on his rise to fame in the 1960s, but also created enduring classics such as her self-titled debut, which was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry last year.

The Cars

The Boston rockers have stood the test of time with songs such as Just What I Needed, My Best Friend's Girl and Drive, and reunited for 2011's Move Like This album after Benjamin Orr died from pancreatic cancer in 2000.

Chaka Khan

Hailed as the "Queen of Funk," the emotive songstress has won 10 Grammy Awards, including best female R&B vocal performance for I Feel for You.

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Chic

With dance-floor classics Le Freak and Good Times, Nile Rodgers and company gave disco a brilliant, soulful upgrade and inspired generations of pop and hip-hop artists.

Depeche Mode

Frequently cited as a major influence on artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Coldplay and Arcade Fire, the British electronic outfit is slated to return with its 14th album, Spirit, next year.

Electric Light Orchestra

The band famous for wedding classical instruments with rock 'n' roll holds the record for having the most top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart without ever hitting No. 1.

J. Geils Band

The Massachusetts bar band fully embraced pop on 12th album Freeze Frame in 1981, which spawned the suggestive No. 1 smash Centerfold.

Janet Jackson

A dance/pop icon and the youngest child of the Jackson family, the Rhythm Nation singer mysteriously postponed her world tour earlier this year, only to recently confirm that she's pregnant with her first child at age 50.

Jane’s Addiction

The Los Angeles-bred alt-rockers earned critical acclaim and a cult following for albums Nothing's Shocking and Ritual de lo habitual, the latter of which they celebrated with a slew of 25th anniversary shows last month.

Joe Tex

Heralded as the "Clown Prince of Soul," the '60s trailblazer melded gospel and comedy in hits such as Hold What You've Got, Skinny Legs and All and Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman).

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Journey

The lineup of this San Francisco-based band has frequently shifted since its heyday in the late '70s and '80s, but its 1981 power ballad Don't Stop Believin' remains a quintessential karaoke pick.

Kraftwerk

The hugely influential synth-rock outfit, founded in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider, has shaped every electronica-shaded act of the past 40 years.

MC5

The Lincoln Park, Mich., natives courted controversy with incendiary 1969 debut album Kick Out the Jams, which includes fan favorites Motor City is Burning, Ramblin' Rose and the title track.

Pearl Jam

Voted the greatest American rock band ever in a 2005 reader poll at usatoday.com, the Eddie Vedder-fronted grunge group wrapped a North American tour this summer, which included festival stops at Bonnaroo and New Orleans Jazz Fest.

Tupac Shakur

Two decades after his shooting death in 1996, the mythic West Coast rapper/actor (and bitter rival of the Notorious B.I.G.) still resonates with his vivid lyrics and unflinching honesty, epitomized on his best-selling All Eyez on Me.

Steppenwolf

The John Kay-led group charted 12 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1968 and 1974, including top 10 hits Born to Be Wild, Magic Carpet Ride and Rock Me.

Yes

Largely responsible for bringing progressive rock to the mainstream, these symphonic, experimental Englishmen are considered the forefathers to other beloved synth-driven bands such as Rush and Dream Theater.

The Zombies

Famed for hazy vocals accompanied by psychedelic guitar riffs and jazz-inflected electric piano, the band's Odessey and Oracle album was ranked one of the 100 all-time greatest by Rolling Stone.

Contributing: Edna Gundersen