First-time nominees Prince [ tickets ], George Harrison [ tickets ], John Mellencamp [ tickets ], Traffic [ tickets ] and ZZ Top [ tickets ] are among 15 acts on the ballot for induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year.

The new names join Black Sabbath, Jackson Browne, The Dells, The "5" Royales, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gram Parsons, Bob Seger, The Sex Pistols, Patti Smith and The Stooges, all of whom have appeared on at least one previous Rock Hall ballot.

Prince issued his debut album, "For You," in 1978. The Minneapolis funk-rock star--whose recording name was for a time an unpronounceable glyph--is best-known for '80s hits like "Little Red Corvette, "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy."

Harrison, who died in 2001, was a 1988 Rock Hall inductee as a member of The Beatles. He's now under consideration for induction as a solo artist.

Mellencamp found most of his popular success in the '80s, scoring hits with tracks including "Jack and Diane," "Pink Houses" and "Paper in Fire." His 1976 debut, "Chestnut Street Incident," was released under the moniker Johnny Cougar.

British rock group Traffic, which was fronted by Steve Winwood, issued six studio albums from the late-'60s through the mid-'70s. Among its best known LPs are 1970's "John Barleycorn Must Die" and 1971's "The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys."

Texas southern-rock trio ZZ Top, which recently released a new album titled "Mescalero," gained widespread attention with their third album, 1973's "Tres Hombres." Thanks to the unique look of the band's bearded guitarists, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, the group proved very video-friendly in the '80s, scoring MTV hits with tracks like "Legs" and "Sharp Dressed Man."

Artists become eligible for induction into the Rock Hall's ranks 25 years after the release of their first record. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation's nominating committee, which is "composed of rock and roll historians," selects eligible nominees, and ballots are then sent to "an international voting body of about 1,000 rock experts," according to the Rock Hall's official website.

The new inductees are typically announced in December, and the ceremony usually takes place in New York City in March.

The 2003 Rock Hall inductees were AC/DC, The Clash, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, The Police and The Righteous Brothers.