Rock Hall of Fame: Meet the class of 2015

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its new class of inductees for 2015. Here's a refresher on the music acts who were nominated for the honor, starting with Green Day. The band, which started out as some East Bay punks, mocked the world on such 1990s albums as "Dookie" and "Insomniac."

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts hit the big time with 1981's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll."

The smooth-voiced Bill Withers broke out with the hit single "Ain't No Sunshine" in 1971 and the classic album "Still Bill" the next year, with such hits as "Lean on Me" and "Use Me."

The legendary Spinners had their biggest hits with such songs as "I'll Be Around" and "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love," many produced by Thom Bell.

The Smiths, led by vocalist Morrissey (second from left) and guitarist Johnny Marr (third from left), combined Morrissey's mordant lyrics with Marr's jangly guitar to produce such songs as "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Shoplifters of the World Unite."

The Chicago-based Paul Butterfield Blues Band took rock 'n' roll back to its roots while adding elements of jazz and psychedelia, particularly in its landmark 1966 album, "East-West."

N.W.A. were pioneers of West Coast gangsta rap. Its members included Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, and the group's albums -- notably 1988's "Straight Outta Compton" -- are considered classics.

The Southern California hit-makers War featured a funky, bluesy sound that infused such albums as "The World Is a Ghetto" and "All Day Music" and long-lived singles like "Low Rider" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Kraftwerk's synthesized sound first gained wide renown with 1974's "Autobahn," an electronic evocation of a ride down a German highway. Other notable works include "Trans-Europe Express" and "Computer World."

Chic, whose hits include "Le Freak" and "Good Times," helped define late-'70s dance music.

Texas bluesman Stevie Ray Vaughan entered the pantheon of guitar heroes with such albums as "Texas Flood" and "Couldn't Stand the Weather."

Lou Reed's band, the Velvet Underground, was inducted into the Hall in 1996. As a soloist, Reed's works include the song "Walk on the Wild Side" and the album "The Blue Mask."

Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor's grim, industrial sound appears on such best-selling albums as "Pretty Hate Machine" and "The Downward Spiral." In recent years, Reznor has turned to composing for David Fincher's movies, including the just-released "Gone Girl."

Sting first broke through as a member of the Police (inducted in 2003). As a solo artist, his albums include "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" and "The Soul Cages." His musical, "The Last Ship," is scheduled to premiere on Broadway on October 26.

The Marvelettes had hits with "Please Mr. Postman" (Motown's first No. 1 song), "Beechwood 4-5789" and "Don't Mess with Bill."

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces 2015 class


• It includes Green Day, Lou Reed, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts


• The final six came from a list of 15 nominees


• Green Day is being inducted in its first year of eligibility

(CNN) -- Drumroll, please: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2015 class of honored musicians.

Green Day; Bill Withers; Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble; Lou Reed; Joan Jett and the Blackhearts; and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band will all be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next spring.

Those six performers were selected from a list of 15 nominees, which also included acts like N.W.A., Nine Inch Nails, Sting, The Smiths and Chic.

Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, N.W.A. among Rock Hall nominees

The Beatles' Ringo Starr will also be honored at the 2015 induction ceremony with the award for musical excellence, while R&B quintet The "5" Royales will be recognized for their early influence.

"As we mark 30 years of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, we're proud to honor these artists," Rock and Roll Hall of Fame foundation president Joel Peresman said in a statement. "These Inductees epitomize rock and roll's impact over the past 50 years and continuing through today."

In order to be eligible for induction into the Rock Hall's 2015 class, an act had to release its first recording in 1989 or earlier. That means Green Day, which dropped its EP "1,000 Hours" in April 1989, has the distinction of being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the band's first year of eligibility.

"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has always held something for me because my heroes were in there," Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong told Rolling Stone.

When he heard the news that the band's being inducted, "I had to go for a walk," Armstrong continued. "I wound up at this cafe and I sat down and my son met up with me. I told him and he was like, 'Oh my God. No way.' It just took some time to sink in. We're in incredible company and I'm still trying to make sense of this. It's just incredible."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held in Cleveland on April 18, 2015. The event is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased for the 30th induction ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. ET on December 18.