Madonna Leads 2008 Hall of Fame Class

Madonna will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland-based foundation announced yesterday. "The Material Girl" is among five musicians who will join the ranks of the more than 200 Hall of Famers. John Mellencamp, the Ventures, Leonard Cohen, and the Dave Clark Five round out the list of next year's honorees.

"The 2008 inductees are trailblazers, all unique and influential in their games," the president and chief executive of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Joel Peresman, said in a statement. "From poetry to pop, these five acts demonstrate the rich diversity of rock and roll itself."

Madonna, who will turn 50 in August, rose to fame in the early 1980s with the release of her hit single "Like a Virgin." Since then, she has released seven No. 1 albums and has continued to reinvent her always envelope-pushing act — donning a cone-shaped brassiere for her 1990 "Blonde Ambition" tour and descending on a cross, wearing a crown of thorns, for last year's "Confessions" tour.

Each year, 600 music industry professionals choose five veteran solo performers or musical acts to induct into the Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1983. To be eligible for the honor, artists must have released their debut single or album 25 or more years ago. This year marked the silver anniversary of Madonna's signing with Sire Records.

The 56-year-old Mr. Mellencamp — who, during the course of his decades-long career has also performed under the names John Cougar and John Cougar Mellencamp — became a sensation in the early 1980s with catchy tunes such as "Jack and Diane" and "Hurt So Good." His most recent album, "Freedom's Road," yielded the hit song "Our Country."

In the 1960s, Mr. Cohen, now 73, made the transition from poet to folk-rock singer and songwriter with hits such as "Suzanne" and "Dress Rehearsal Rag." His first album, "Songs of Leonard Cohen," made him a cult sensation. In the years since, he has released more than a dozen albums, including last year's "Blue Alert."

The Ventures formed in 1958, and the five-man instrumental guitar rock group — including two original members — tours to this day. "Walk Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O" are among the band's well-known tunes.

The Dave Clark Five was a popular "British Invasion" band of the 1960s, whose many hit singles include "Over and Over" and "Glad All Over."

Other Hall of Fame honorees include harmonica player Little Walter in the sideman category, and music producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff of the Philadelphia International label in the nonperfomer category. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held March 10 in New York.