Hall and Oates nab Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination

(UPI) -- It may have taken Hall and Oates decades, but the duo finally earned a nomination into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Rumors that the group might be nominated began in 2008, when Daryl Hall and John Oates were nominated for a Grammy for pop performance by a duo or group with vocals for "Sara Smile," a then-34-year-old track from their fourth album.

#grammynoms what's with "Sara Smile" getting a nom? What year is this?

— annkpowers (@annkpowers) December 3, 2009

The song was featured on a 2008 live album, making them eligible for the Grammy. The duo did not win, and has still never won one.

The Philadelphia pair had already had six No. 1 singles and seven platinum albums, but had still not been inducted, much less nominated to go into the Hall. But in 2008, the group had a bit of a resurgence.

Their song "You Make My Dreams" was featured in "(500) Days of Summer." Travis McCoy of the band Gym Class Heroes got them tattooed on his hands -- one hand with Hall, one hand with Oates.

In 2011, an emergency Hall and Oates hotline -- in case you need some late 1970s or early 1980s jams immediately -- called Callin' Oates launched and went viral. (It still exists, at 719-26-OATES.) Hall launched his own Internet video series, "Live from Daryl's House," in 2007.

With persistent YouTube tributes, movie and TV references and a lengthy backlog of hits, the duo has experienced something of a resurgence.

"In order for an artist to really achieve significance you have to go out of your own generation, and luckily, I think I've pulled that off," Hall said.

The duo joins Nirvana, Linda Rondstadt, Peter Gabriel, The Replacements, YES, Link Wray and the Zombies as first-time nominees.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is allowing fans to officially participate in the induction selection process. Go Vote: http://t.co/Q4D5m2EDfV

— John Oates (@JohnOates) October 16, 2013