Van Halen was chosen as an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today, joining R.E.M., hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, punk rock poet Patti Smith, and '60s group the Ronettes.

But the real question on many fans' minds centered on who would be joining Eddie Van Halen at the March 12 induction ceremony in New York.

Will there be another awkward onstage reunion with David Lee Roth, a la the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards? Will Sammy Hagar be back in the mix? Short-term front man Gary Cherone? How about Eddie's 15-year-old son Wolfgang, who reportedly replaced Michael Anthony on bass?

When asked about the possibility by TMZ.com last month, David Lee Roth had this to say: "A Van Halen reunion is a lot like NASCAR--are you there to see the winner or the crash?" mused Dave. "In this aspect, we're a lot closer to Jerry Springer-meets-Knots Landing which, to me, sells T-shirts."

That potential soap opera notwithstanding, R.E.M. was voted into the hall in its first year on the ballot. The Athens, Georgia-based band--singer Michael Stipe, bassist Mike Mills, and guitarist Peter Buck--will likely be joined by founding drummer Bill Berry, who quit amicably in 1997 but has occasionally reunited with his bandmates over the years.

Pioneering DJ Grandmaster Flash--credited with being first to use the turntable as an instrument, cutting and mixing vinyl records to create extended breaks--founded his hip-hop group in the late 1970s. The Furious Five included MCs Kid Creole, Cowboy, Melle Mel, Mr. Ness, and Raheim.

Smith became a major figure on the New York punk-rock scene in the 1970s, thanks to such singles as "Hey Joe"/"Piss Factory" and her 1975 album Horses," which mixed Beat poetry and primal rock.

The Ronettes were formed by Ronnie Spector, a one-time spouse of legendary rock producer Phil Spector, along with her sister Estelle Bennett and their cousin Nedra Talley. They landed hits in the 1960s with the songs "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You."

Those who did not make the cut were Iggy Pop's punk rock band the Stooges, English pop combo the Dave Clark Five, funk/disco group Chic, and late soul singer Joe Tex.

Inductees are chosen by a panel of 600 industry experts from a short list of acts who become eligible for consideration 25 years after their first recording. The March 12 induction ceremony serves as the main fund-raiser for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.