The official announcement wasn’t supposed to be made until Wednesday, but lucky for us, the Associated Press has reported an early list of final nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2011.  Check out the stars who made it after the jump.

AP‘s given list inductees include Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Dr. John, and Darlene Love.   A few artists, including Diamond, Love, and Cooper were being considered; some even previously nominated as joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Tom Wait shares his excitement with the public in a statement: “I am still recovering from the news,” Tom Waits said in a statement. “I never really cared about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but now I am surprised to discover how much I DO care. Frankly, I’m wondering if I did something wrong?”

Eligibility for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame requires the nomination to be made once the musician has been out for 25 years since his or her debut record release.  This makes all this year’s nominees from the mid 80s or before.

The official induction ceremony takes place March 14, 2011 in New York and will be televised via Fuse.

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