ASSOCIATED PRESS John Mellencamp will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year.

‘Hawaii Five-O’ band makes rock history

CLEVELAND » The group that made the "Hawaii Five-0" theme song a lasting icon of its day was announced as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee yesterday.

The Ventures defined instrumental guitar rock in the '60s with surfer anthems like "Walk Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O."

The band will be inducted along with Madonna, John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen and the Dave Clark Five.

A panel of 600 industry figures selected the five acts to be inducted at the annual ceremony, to be held March 10 in New York.

"The 2008 inductees are trailblazers -- all unique and influential in their genres," Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President and CEO Joel Peresman said in a statement. "From poetry to pop, these five acts demonstrate the rich diversity of rock and roll itself."

To be eligible, artists must have issued a first single or album at least 25 years before nomination.

Madonna Louise Ciccone signed with Sire Records in 1982 and became one of MTV's first stars two years later with "Like a Virgin." She has constantly altered her image and appearance ever since, showing staying power that few '80s stars could muster.

From rosaries and bare midriffs to cone-shaped bras, Madonna's reinvention of herself has been as prolific as her chart dominance, which included seven No. 1 hits and three No. 1 albums in the '80s alone.

The actress and fashion icon created plenty of controversy along the way, drawing the ire of religious leaders in 2006 for a scene of Madonna on a mirrored cross and wearing a crown of thorns as part of her worldwide "Confessions" tour.

Mellencamp, the Indiana native with the ever-changing name, hit the scene as John Cougar in the early '80s with "Jack and Diane" and "Hurts So Good." He later became John Cougar Mellencamp -- and the voice of America's heartland -- with hits like "Pink Houses" and "Small Town" before finally settling into his given name, John Mellencamp.

Cohen went from acclaimed poet in Canada to a folk rock icon with "Suzanne" and "Dress Rehearsal Rag" in the late 1960s, making him a big part of the singer-songwriter movement.

The Dave Clark Five was one of the most successful British invasion bands of the 1960s, with the iconic "Glad All Over."

The Rock Hall also will honor Little Walter in its sideman category for helping establish the modern blues harmonica on recordings with legends like Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley.

Producers Gamble & Huff will be honored in the nonperformer category. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International label, which had artists that included the O'Jays, McFadden & Whitehead and Lou Rawls, featured powerful rhythms with a disco beat.

They won a Grammy for best R&B song on Simply Red's cover of the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me by Now."

www.rockhall.com