By Armando

Bon Jovi will certainly have a nice day today as the veteran rockers earned a spot for induction into the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Jersey band that rose to prominence in the 1980s will be inducted alongside British rock bands Dire Straits and The Moody Blues, new wave rockers The Cars, social activist Nina Simone and rock and roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe who will be given an Early Influence award posthumously.

Meanwhile, third time’s definitely a charm for three-time nominee The Cars. The popular band from Boston have appeared on the ballot twice before but failed to get inducted. This is the second nomination for Bon Jovi, while first for Simone, Tharpe, Dire Straits and The Moody Blues.

Guitarist Richie Sambora has not played with Bon Jovi since 2013, and the induction could possibly see a band reunion. The Cars are still intact as a band, though they have not been active since their tour ended in 2011. Dire Straights officially broke up in September 1988, though some of the band’s members Alan Clark, Chris White, and Phil Palmer performed at a charity show in 2011 with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ drummer Steve Ferrone.

Today’s announcement of the class of 2018 inductees certainly looks favorable towards vintage rock artists with more recent acts such as Rage Against The Machine missing the cut. Radiohead, whom many thought was a shoo-in in their first year of eligibility also missed the cut, though their recent statements about not wanting to attend the ceremonies if inducted probably didn’t help.

Throughout the past, inductees include some of the most influential names in rock history, such as Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Jackson 5. Last year, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupak Shakur, and Yes comprised the 2017 Hall of Fame class.

The artists will be honored during the Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Cleveland’s Public Auditorium on Saturday, April 14 and will be aired on HBO and SiriusXM.