Story highlights The inductees were announced Wednesday

They include a band whose fans have been begging for its recognition

(CNN) Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, The Moody Blues, and Nina Simone are the 2018 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the organization announced Wednesday.

Gospel pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe was chosen to receive the Award for Early Influence.

For The Moody Blues, the honor comes after years of fans harping that the group deserved recognition. The band became eligible for the honor in 1989, and "in 2013, a Rolling Stone reader poll listed the Moody Blues as one of the top 10 bands that need to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," according to the organization

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to its induction year. That means the 2018 nominees must have released their first official recording no later than 1992.

To choose the 2018 inductees, an international voting body of more than 900 artists, historians and members of the music industry received ballots, and the top five artists selected comprised a "fans' ballot" that was tallied along with the other ballots.

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