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NEW YORK – After snubs that drove Black Sabbath lead singer Ozzy Osbourne to dismiss the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame vote as “totally irrelevant,” the heavy-metal pioneers are finally in, joined by Miles Davis, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Sex Pistols and Blondie.

Ozzy’s 1970s group was first nominated in 1996. But until Monday, the panel of musicians, industry professionals and journalists who vote on inductees kept the door barred. Except for Led Zeppelin, the hall has largely ignored metal since the organization was founded in 1987.

In 1999, Osbourne requested that Black Sabbath be taken off the list of nominees.

“The nomination is meaningless, because it’s not voted on by the fans,” the soon-to-be reality TV star said at the time. “It’s voted on by the supposed elite of the industry and the media, who’ve never bought an album or concert ticket in their lives, so their vote is totally irrelevant to me.”

[…]

Davis, the late trumpeter, is the first jazz musician accepted as a full inductee. Louis Armstrong (1990), Dinah Washington (1993) and Billie Holiday (2000) were previously honored as being early influences on rock ’n’ roll.

Davis’ hard glare and restless innovation gave him a style that rockers appreciated, and he embraced rock and hip-hop sounds in his later recordings.