The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its class of 2025 on Sunday night, touching on British rock, hip-hop and one longstanding omission.
Chubby Checker, 83, once protested outside of the induction ceremony. This fall, he'll be welcomed into the Rock Hall. The man who touched off the 1960s “twist” craze with his string of hits has been eligible since the ‘80s. Acts qualify for nomination 25 years after their first recording.
He’s joined this year by '70s hard-rockers Bad Company plus the late Joe Cocker, whose nomination was supported by Paul McCartney.
More recent acts joining the Rock Hall reflect what CEO Greg Harris has called “a spirit that is inclusive and ever-changing,” as the music was born from “the collision of rhythm & blues, country and gospel.” When the 2025 nominees were announced in February, John Goehrke, director of fan experience at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, said the diversity showed that rock is “a big tent.”
“Rock 'n’ roll has never sounded one way,” he said. “It’s never looked one way. I always say that I couldn't imagine working at a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that defined rock 'n’ roll in a narrow lens.”
This year, guitar-driven rock from the ‘90s (Soundgarden) and beyond (The White Stripes) will be recognized alongside iconic ‘80s pop star Cyndi Lauper and hip-hop duo OutKast.
Hip-hop is also in the Musical Influence category, as Salt-N-Pepa made the cut this year. The group features heavily in the Rock Hall’s “Holla If Ya Hear Me” exhibit.
Singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, who died in 2003, has been eligible for 30 years. His friend, David Letterman, who frequently participates in the induction ceremonies, posted a video in 2023 lamenting that Zevon’s nomination that year had been unsuccessful.
Two other categories were announced Sunday, highlighting the people behind-the-scenes of rock.
In the Musical Excellence category, Thom Bell, architect of the ‘70s “Philly Soul” sound, and British keyboard legend Nicky Hopkins are being inducted posthumously. Bassist Carol Kaye, 90, gets the nod as well. As a member of the L.A.-based Wrecking Crew of studio musicians, she played on the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” and hundreds of other classic records.
The Ahmet Ertegun Award, for music business executives, goes to Lenny Waronker. He started as an industry gofer at Liberty Records, founded by his father. Eventually, he produced hits for acts including Randy Newman, James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot (“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”) on his way to becoming president of Warner Bros. Records.
About 1,200 artists, historians, previous inductees and music industry professionals voted on this year’s class, along with the online fan vote. In the past, groups such as Yes and the Dave Matthews Band have made strong showings online without making the cut — only to be inducted later.
This year, Phish led the internet poll with more than 327,000 votes, but is not being inducted. However, the Vermont jam band is still part of the Rock Hall: Visitors to the museum’s atrium are greeted by a massive hot dog from their 1994 stage set.
The 40th inductions take place Nov. 8 in Los Angeles, part of a rotating slate of venues in recent years.
From 1986-2008, the ceremony was held at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, with two exceptions. In 1993, the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles hosted the inductions. In 1997, after much lobbying by Northeast Ohio leaders, the ceremony moved to the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland.
After that — from 2009 until the COVID-19 pandemic — the ceremonies generally took place in April with one year at Cleveland’s Public Hall followed by two years in New York City. The Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles hosted the 2013 event. The 2020 ceremony was virtual.
Since then, the event has moved to the fall. Rock Hall Foundation Chairman John Sykes has suggested in the past that London and Nashville could be added to the rotation, too.
