Singer O’Connor, who shot to fame with the global hit Nothing Compares To U died last year of natural causes.
The 56-year-old Dubliner was found dead by UK police at her apartment in south London on July 26.
The Grammy-winning singer was also mother to four children, one of whom, Shane, died tragically in July, 2022.
Ozzy Osbourne, who led many parents in the 1980s to clutch their pearls with his devil imagery and sludgy music, gets the nod as a solo artist, having already gone into the hall with Black Sabbath.
Nominations were also handed to hip-hop duo Eric B & Rakim, soft rockers Foreigner, singer-guitarist Peter Frampton, alt-rockers Jane’s Addiction and Dave Matthews Band, and dance icons Kool & the Gang.
“Continuing in the true spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, these artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in a statement.
Ten of the 15 nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including Carey, Cher, Foreigner, Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Kravitz, Oasis, O’Connor, Osbourne and Sade. Sade, whose 1980s soft rock hits include Smooth Operator and The Sweetest Taboo, is having a moment, having last year been inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.
Carey, with 19 No 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Blige with eight multi-platinum albums and nine Grammys and Cher — the only artist to have a No 1 song in each of the past six decades — would help boost the number of women in the hall.
Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction. The induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland, Ohio this autumn.
Nominees will be voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals. Fans can vote online or in person at the museum, with the top-five artists picked by the public making up a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied with the other professional ballots.
Last year, Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, Kate Bush and the late George Michael were some of the artists who got into the hall.
