Nile Rodgers "Perplexed" to Be in the Rock Hall of Fame Without Chic

Today it was announced that disco legend Nile Rodgers will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, but the influential band he co-founded, Chic, will not. He will join the Hall's prestigious roster under the Award for Musical Excellence category, which is not decided by voters like the Performer category but adjudicated by a special committee. Chic was nominated for the Performer category for 2017; if they are nominated again next year, they will hold the record for the most nominations, with 12.

Rodgers has described the news as "bittersweet" in an interview with Rolling Stone, expressing his appreciation for the award but saying that he doesn't understand why Chic as a whole was not inducted. "I'm a little perplexed because even though I'm quite flattered that they believed that I was worthy, my band Chic didn't win," he said. "They plucked me out of the band and said, 'You're better than Chic.' That's wacky to me. The only reason why I met Bowie and Madonna and Duran Duran and INXS is because they all loved Chic."

Chic is best known for the material they produced between 1977, when they were signed to Atlantic Records, and 1979, when they had their last number one record, "Good Times."During that period, every single they released went gold or platinum; "I Want Your Love" went double-platinum, while "Le Freak" went triple platinum. Rodgers went on to make a name for himself as a producer, working with the aforementioned artists in decades past as well as artists like Daft Punk more recently.

In the interview, Rodgers points out that for a whopping 37 years, "Le Freak" was the highest-selling single in the history of Atlantic Records. "I feel like somebody put me in the lifeboat and told my family they can't get in," he said.

Joan Baez, Electric Light Orchestra, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, and Yes will be inducted into the Hall next year under the Performer category.

Today Chic also announced that next year they will release their first new album in 25 years, titled It's About Time. In a blog post on Rodgers' website, he explained that the album is distinctly about life after a year of so many deaths in 2016.

The official ceremony will take place Friday, April 7, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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