REM's hits include Man on the Moon and Everybody Hurts

Rockers Van Halen, singer Patti Smith, hip hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash and 1960s girl group The Ronettes will also be honoured at a ceremony in March.

Some 600 industry experts chose the artists for the annual induction.

Musicians for the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, based in Cleveland, Ohio, are considered for induction 25 years after their first recording.

REM released their debut single in 1982, later achieving worldwide fame with their 1991 album Out of Time which featured the songs Losing My Religion and Shiny Happy People.

Van Halen, founded by guitarist Eddie Van Halen, are one of America's most successful hard rock bands, with hits including Dance The Night Away and Jump.

Smith is best known for her 1975 debut album Horses, considered one of the most influential rock albums of all time, and the hit single Because the Night that she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen.

Grandmaster Flash is considered one of the founding fathers of hip hop, and was behind classic '80s tracks The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on The Wheels of Steel and The Message.

The Ronettes' hits included Be My Baby, Baby I Love You and Walking in the Rain.