What happens when you put some wild-eyed Southern boys up against a barracuda? Well, we don't really know, but we can tell you this much: After racking up more than 56 percent of the vote, Heart have defeated 38 Special to become the newest inductees into the 100 percent fan-voted Ultimate Classic Rock Hall of Fame.

Inductions like these are becoming something of a habit for Heart, who joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 -- the same year they celebrated their 40th anniversary by touring behind a new box set, a joint memoir written by bandleaders Ann and Nancy Wilson and their hit 14th studio album, 'Fanatic.' With 20 Top 40 singles to their credit and more than 35 million albums sold worldwide, it's easy to see what all the fuss is about.

Of course, the fans have known for years, and have been turning out in droves since Heart's debut album, 'Dreamboat Annie,' arrived worldwide in 1976. 'Annie' served as the first of five consecutive gold or platinum releases. The band's momentum slowed in the early '80s, but even 1982's 'Private Audition' and 1983's 'Passionworks' broke the Top 40, and Wilsons rebounded in a big way with their self-titled eighth studio LP in 1985, followed by the multi-platinum smashes 'Bad Animals' (1987) and 'Brigade' (1990). 1993's 'Desire Walked On' signaled the return of softening sales, and was followed by a decade that found the band focusing on touring rather than releasing new material, but Heart returned with 2004's 'Jupiters Darling,' followed by 2010's Top 10 'Red Velvet Car' and the No. 24 'Fanatic,' released two years later.

They've resumed recording activity without breaking stride in their busy live schedule, and true to form, this summer and fall will see Heart performing across the U.S. Go see 'em live in 2014, and say congratulations from all of us at Ultimate Classic Rock.

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