Village People Want Induction Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The Village People are making a play for two of the biggest musical honors in the U.S. of A. -- induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Kennedy Center Honor.

The V.P.'s Facebook page makes the case ... "For those who doubt Village People brought influence on other artists, Rolling Stone's song influenced by Village People. Clearly the group has had major influence on other artists, thus satisfying the prerequisite for inclusion [in the HOF]."

Fact is ... the Village People have had a string of iconic hits, most notably "Y.M.C.A.," which has had a resurgence courtesy of Prez Trump. But the list is long -- "In the Navy," "Macho Man," "San Francisco," "Go West" and "Can't Stop the Music."

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Committee looks at various factors, including legacy, name recognition, influence on other musicians, quality of the music and how well it's aged.

As for influence on other musicians, Mick Jagger was so obsessed with "Y.M.C.A.," it inspired him to do "Miss You," one of the Stone's biggest hits.

More than 800 fans have jumped on the group's Facebook page to voice support for a Hall of Fame nod.

Here's the deal ... "Y.M.C.A." is approaching half a billion streams on Spotify alone. When you add in Apple, the song's closing in on a BILLION streams!

The song has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry ... touting it as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

But wait ... there's more. Victor Willis and co. also are angling for a Kennedy Center Honor, and they may have an in. Trump has axed the Board of Directors and he'll be the decision-maker on who gets the nod.

As we reported, Willis is threatening to sue comedian Jim Jeffries for claiming the song is code for sex. Willis says he fine if the gay community considers "Y.M.C.A." a gay anthem, but calling it code for sex crosses the line. He's demanding an apology.