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The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled its Class of 2025 inductees during a live episode of American Idol, featuring mentorship from renowned artist James Taylor. While Gold Derby correctly forecasted six Performer inductees, the final list includes some unexpected entries.
This year’s Performer inductees hail from a diverse array of musical backgrounds, including arena rock icons Bad Company, dance legend Chubby Checker, late British blues singer Joe Cocker, pop sensation Cyndi Lauper, southern hip-hop trailblazers Outkast, grunge pioneers Soundgarden, and Detroit garage rock duo the White Stripes. Notably, Bad Company, Checker, and Outkast are being inducted for the first time, whereas Lauper, the Stripes, and Soundgarden were on the previous year’s ballot. Soundgarden had also received a nomination back in 2020.
Among those not selected this year are artists like Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Maná, Oasis, and Phish. The exclusions of Carey, Joy Division/New Order, and Oasis possess a degree of surprise, especially with Phish’s omission stirring particular discontent among its fanbase. The acclaimed jam band notably topped the fan voting leaderboard by a substantial 330,000 votes, marking the second-largest margin in Rock Hall history. Although fan votes only account for one ballot among 1,200 cast by industry professionals, the disconnect between fan support and official nominations is striking.
In a more uplifting development, the Musical Influence Award has been given to the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon and the hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa. Zevon has often been cited as a significant oversight in past inductions, having received only a single nomination in 2023, despite notable advocacy from artists like Billy Joel and David Letterman. Salt-N-Pepa, who had never been nominated until now, stand out as the first female hip-hop group to be inducted, following Missy Elliott, who became the Hall’s first female rapper two years ago.
Salt-N-Pepa’s inclusion is particularly noteworthy given the limited representation of female inductees for this year; the only other nominees are Lauper and Meg White of the White Stripes. Also recognized in this class is legendary Wrecking Crew bassist Carol Kaye, who will receive the Musical Excellence Award, acknowledging artists whose impacts on music are profound and lasting.
This year’s additional Musical Excellence Award recipients are renowned Philadelphia soul producer Thom Bell and British keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, while the Ahmet Ertegun Award will be presented to esteemed record producer and executive Lenny Waronker.
Rock Hall chairman John Sykes praised the inductees, stating, “Each of these individuals crafted their own unique sound and had a significant cultural impact, shaping the course of rock ‘n’ roll for generations.”
The induction ceremony for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025 is set for November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The event will be streamed live on Disney+, with an edited version to be aired later on ABC and Hulu.
Source
www.goldderby.com