The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation has announced its Class of 2025. To be eligible for induction, artists are required to have released their first record 25 years prior to Induction.
Those elected for induction in the following categories are:
Performer Category: Artists who have created music whose originality, impact and influence has changed the course of rock and roll. Four first-time nominees were elected. Here’s who got in:
- Bad Company – first nomination
- Chubby Checker – first
- Joe Cocker (deceased) – first
- Cyndi Lauper – second
- Outkast – first
- Soundgarden – third
- The White Stripes – second
Musical Influence Award: Artists whose music and performance style have directly influenced, inspired and evolved rock & roll and music impacting culture.
- Salt-N-Pepa
- Warren Zevon – deceased
Musical Excellence Award: Given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.
- Thom Bell (producer) – deceased
- Nicky Hopkins (keyboardist) – deceased
- Carol Kaye (The Wrecking Crew bassist)
Ahmet Ertegun Award: Given to non-performing industry professionals who have had a major influence on the creative development and growth of rock and roll and music that has impacted culture.
- Lenny Waronker – former president of Warner Brothers Records
The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 8th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will stream live on Disney+ and will be available the next day on Hulu followed by a condensed version on ABC at a later date.
The seven artists who were nominated but failed to garner enough votes are:
- Phish – first in Fan Vote
- Billy Idol – third
- The Black Crowes – eighth
- Mariah Carey – ninth
- Joy Division + New Order – 10th
- Oasis – 13th
- Mana – 14th and last in Fan Vote
Hot Takes:
- This list will please rock purists with the election of Bad Company and Joe Cocker, and what some say is the overdue honoring of the late Warren Zevon.
- Among the criteria taken into consideration for voting are an artist’s musical impact and influence on other artists, length and depth of career, body of work, innovation, and superiority in style and technique. So, do you feel this list of artists meet this criteria?
- Warren Zevon posthumously receiving the Musical Influence Award is a way for the Rock Hall Foundation to save face as clearly many felt he should have been nominated and never was. And, he really should be in the Performer Category. Shame on the Hall.
- With Bad Company guitarist Mick Ralphs disabled by a stroke in 2016, and singer Paul Rodgers having had 13 strokes since 2016, it’s nice to see them get their due while still with us. Sadly, the same can’t be said for Bad Company bassist Boz Burrell who died from a heart attack in 2006.
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