For the first time since 2022, Los Angeles rolled out the red carpet Saturday for the 40th Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The night blended nostalgia and raw emotion as artists across generations celebrated the power of music.
This year’s Hall of Fame class was among its most eclectic, reflecting how broad the definition of the genre has become. Newly inducted members included Cyndi Lauper, OutKast, Soundgarden, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and The White Stripes.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The Musical Influence category spotlighted Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon, while Carol Kaye, Nicky Hopkins and Thom Bell were honored for Musical Excellence. Producer Lenny Waronker received the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Per the Hall’s website, artists must have had their first commercial release at least 25 years prior to induction. They also must demonstrate “musical excellence,” a distinction determined by a nominating committee of more than 1,200 industry experts.
Cyndi Lauper brings the house down
Lauper delivered one of the most powerful performances of the night. The pop icon began with a heartfelt “True Colors,” then teamed up with British singer RAYE for “Time After Time.” She closed her set with an all-female-band rendition of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” featuring RAYE, Avril Lavigne and Salt-N-Pepa that brought the crowd to its feet.
“My shoulders are broad enough to have the women who come after me stand on mine,” Lauper said while accepting her honor.
OutKast proves ‘the South got something to say’
OutKast’s long-awaited induction honored their influence on hip-hop and popular music alike. Thirty years after André 3000 first declared, “The South got something to say,” the duo’s impact still resonates.
André referred to a comment by Jack White of The White Stripes about “little rooms.”
“He said something about little rooms. And we started in a little…” André said before tearing up. “Little rooms. Great things start in little rooms.”
Although André did not join the musical tribute, Big Boi performed with Tyler, the Creator, Killer Mike and Janelle Monáe. The set drew roaring applause and reminded fans just how far Southern hip-hop has come since OutKast’s early days.
Absences and tributes
Not every honoree was able to attend. Chubby Checker, who had once criticized the Hall for overlooking him, chose not to appear at the ceremony.
“Back in the day,” he told Billboard in May, “I said, ‘I don’t want to be in the Rock Hall when I’m dead. I want to smell my flowers when I’m here.’ And I’m smelling my flowers … a little late in the game, I would admit, but I’m still alive to see Chubby Checker in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
During a live Q&A, he admitted he preferred to celebrate his achievement in front of a live audience, not on television. In July, a fan video captured Checker holding his own mini-ceremony and accepting his trophy in person.
The White Stripes were also inducted, but drummer Meg White did not attend. Her former bandmate, Jack White, accepted the honor on behalf of his ex-wife and told the audience she was “grateful” for the recognition, and even helped him write his speech.
“I spoke with Meg White the other day,” he said, “and she wanted me to tell you that she’s very grateful. It really means a lot to her.”
Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers was the third performer absent. Earlier this year, he was candid about serious health struggles after suffering multiple strokes.
“I had 11 transient ischemic attacks, and three major strokes, the last one just last year,” Rodgers told Forbes. “It’s hereditary, runs in my family, unfortunately. My father passed at 60, likely due to a stroke. I’m 75, so I’ve had a lot more life than he did.”
Breaking barriers and making history
Salt-N-Pepa’s induction brought the crowd to its feet with a celebratory performance of “Push It.” The duo was joined by longtime collaborator Spinderella, who made history as the first female DJ inducted into the Hall.
Their inclusion in the Musical Influence category marked a milestone for hip-hop and women in music. The trio spoke about empowerment and the importance of honoring the women who changed the sound of modern pop.
Artifacts from this year’s inductees are now on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. Fans can see everything from iconic stage outfits to instruments that helped define generations of music.
