Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect; Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPress.comWherever Metallica may roam these days, Cleveland will definitely be on the itinerary.
The chart-dominating headbangers join hip-hop pioneers Run-D.M.C. as the top acts to be enshrined in this year's class at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The list of inductees, announced today, also includes guitar god Jeff Beck, 1950s doo-woppers Little Anthony and the Imperials and soul man Bobby Womack. Wanda Jackson, the so-called "First Lady of Rock and' Roll," will be admitted in the early influence category, while Spooner Oldham and Elvis cohorts Bill Black, DJ Fontana are the newcomers in the sidemen section.
"Wow...what a great way to start off 2009! We are beyond proud," Metallica gushed on its website. "Cleveland really rocks."
"I can't even comprehend this is happening," Daryl "D.M.C." McDaniels told Rolling Stone. He will be inducted alongside fellow emcee Joseph "Run" Simmons and their late DJ, Jam Master Jay, who was gunned down in a recording studio in 2002.
The hip-hopsters were among the first genre acts to crossover to the pop charts with hits like "My Adidas," "It's Tricky," and their cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," which helped revive the latter's career. Run-D.M.C. will be just the second rap act to enter the Rock Hall, following Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five's induction two years ago.
Beck, meanwhile, has influenced generations of guitarists, first with venerable '60s rockers the Yardbirds (for which he has already been inducted) and now as a solo act.
Iggy Pop and the Stooges failed to make the cut for the umpteenth time. Also passed over: oft-sampled disco kings Chic and "Lowrider" enthusiasts War.
To be eligible for entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, nominees must have released their debut recording at least 25 years ago.
This year marks the first time the inductions will be held in the Hall of Fame's museum in Cleveland, long heralded as the birthplace of rock 'n' roll. The ceremony will air live on Fuse April 4.