The party's long over, and I've just shown up. I'm finally weighing in on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony for 2025. I mostly echo the sentiments first stated by others on various podcasts, people who were there. I was not there, and I only saw it on Disney+. And in fact, the livestream itself I was about ten minutes late for, because I had trouble logging on. I caught the final number of the Sly Stone tribute. Watching it a second time, I've already noticed that Disney+ has done some post-production work for its streaming life. For instance, all occurrences of asking people to sit down because they're blocking the teleprompter---gone. They also did some post-production tampering (use of AI maybe?) to make it sound like Doja Cat didn't stumble at all during "Ms. Jackson," during the Outkast tribute. So how did it look to someone who wasn't there?
Starting with the Sly Stone tribute, they picked the obvious pick to open up with, "Dance To The Music," but that doesn't make it any less correct or awesome. Stevie, ?uestlove, Flea, Beck, and the whole ensemble knocked it out of the park. Watching it on Disney+ is maybe a bit disadvantageous, as opposed to being there. Okay, maybe very disadvantageous. "Everyday People" was a great follow-up, and Maxwell and Stevie nailed the vocals. "Thank You (Fahlettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"... another great performance. Admittedly, I probably would have closed the segment with "Family Affair," although I get why they went with "I Want To Take You Higher." It's a more energetic song, and Jennifer Hudson got to give the Rock Hall ceremony performance she'd really been wanting to give. Looking at it through the screen, though, I don't think this necessarily lifted Beck's profile for re-nomination next year. He gave a great harmonica solo, and added a couple perfunctory vocal bits. But overall, I think he got overshadowed in the lineup. But he's still Beck, so don't rule him out.
Mick Fleetwood's speech for Bad Company did indeed give hints of shade, as there seemed to be an inside joke between the members of Bad Company and Fleetwood Mac, a friendly competition, perhaps. That said, it wasn't an awful speech either. A bit mediocre. The video package's drawing on footage from Free was perhaps the Hall's way of making the statement that there would be no second induction for Paul Rodgers via Free. The array of rockers giving testimonies for this band is pretty much what one would expect. I think the talents of Boz Burrell got buried, sadly. And also Simon. Mick got a little bit more love than those two, but of course, it's mostly about Paul. One almost gets the impression that Bad Company was a mediocre band with a nonpareil of a singer. As far as the performance, I agree with some of those who commented on the podcasts that maybe Chris Robinson and Bryan Adams should have switched songs. "Feel Like Making Love" has a build-up to it to a peak, a style that definitely plays right into Adams' strengths, and Robinson could have met the energy head-on for "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love." As far as how indistinguishable Bryan Adams looks... I mean, it's cheap to comment on it, given he still sounds pretty good. That said, take a good look, Rivers Cuomo... that'll be you in about ten to fifteen years. But let's give Joe Perry credit for the homage paid to Mick Ralphs with that solo on the second song. Simon's speech was a little awkward, but sincere. And thanking the road crew is truly gracious and grateful. Road crew people will never get the Ahmet Ertegun Award, and they are considered easily replaceable, but the gratitude to them, as well as the wives of the band members, was genuine. For a not-Paul-Rodgers member giving the speech, his was the appropriate length, in my opinion. Paul's video speech was short and lovely, and edited down, if I understand correctly. Oh well.
In my opinion, they should have done a video induction next instead of launching into straight into Salt-N-Pepa. But I think Paul's video speech was the cover for the stage crew that the people running the show needed. Missy Elliott gave an awesome speech, decked out in classic Salt-N-Pepa apparel. On "Hall Watchers," Eric and Mary described her speech as a soul preacher giving a feisty message. Unfortunately, the congregation was clearly CRC (pause for a rimshot for a joke that only a couple readers will get). The video package was great. It really drove home the point about how thick that glass ceiling they shattered was. It's easy for me to take it for granted, since I was a elder tween/younger teen during they heyday. I was still too naive to think about how hard it was for a rap group at that time to have songs that people in rural Michigan would have heard of and maybe even could recognize, or how much harder that was for women to accomplish, and sadly still is. The performance brought it and thensome. They all sounded amazing and on top of their game, including En Vogue. Getting to the speeches, judging by the way they appeared to be standing on the stage (again, through a TV screen), I'm almost surprised they didn't ask to the Hall to Neil-Giraldo Hurby Azor when they found out they were getting inducted. The speech segment seems like the three ladies were unofficially calling Azor an inducted member of the group. Anyway, their speeches were great, each one touching unique points, and a big congrats to Spinderella for being the first female deejay inducted. I don't know how many deejays the Hall will induct going forward, but it's amazing they did right by Spinderella.
Nicky Hopkins' video package induction was really informative. I do wish though, that they would go back to having someone in the room give a quick speech, even if only for two minutes, just to remind everyone that these contributions to the evolution and perpetuation of rock and roll were just as consequential. But with the tail wagging the dog, just having Moira Hopkins in the room and acknowledged by the camera for a brief moment was still sweet.
David Letterman's speech for Warren Zevon had some great moments, but he made the classic cringe cliche of "my personal Hall Of Fame." But yes, I loved the three categories bit as well. The video package was great, covering a wide variety of songs, and including the clip of his last time on the Late Show. Glad to see the members of his family that could be there. The second part of David's speech felt long the first time I watched it, but knowing the stories he's telling, it didn't seem as long the second time. The Killers joke could've been omitted though. As for the Killers, a solid tribute, including the three howls.
Thom Bell's video induction was beautiful, but also a little sad, knowing that the Stylistics and Delfonics have pretty much no chance of induction. Or really any other artists that he worked with. At least we got the Spinners and Bell. And of course, beautiful that Tia could be there to honor him.
Iggy Pop was just absolutely charming, and the crowd's energy was almost on command, but no less genuine. I loved his point of "But the kids liked it, and that's what counts!" I especially appreciate how they tried to make it clear that the band was equal parts Jack and Meg. Seeing the footage of Meg play drums and seeing her face as she's playing, it reminded me of watching footage of Eddie Van Halen playing "Eruption" onstage. Just a face with a look of transcendent understanding that they have found their calling and have connected to it. I loved Jack's acceptance speech, and one thing I have to point out is when he calls his inductor "Uncle Iggy." If you don't know, that's such a Michigan thing. Our rock stars are uncles and aunts. Uncle Bob, Uncle Ted, Uncle Alice, Uncle Iggy, Aunt Madge, and of course, Uncle Jack and Aunt Meg. Jack's giddy, nervous energy was endearing. Olivia Rodrigo and Feist singing together was magical. They sounded very similar when they sang in unison, and tracks-halting beautiful singing in harmony. Twenty-One Pilots... was an interesting choice. Using a bass instead a guitar with a full range definitely felt sterile when hitting the peak of the crescendo. And while I wasn't a fan of their Mummenschanz-esque visual pun headwear, at least it didn't interfere with their ability to perform like Sia's did for Chaka Khan two years prior.
Moving onto Lenny Waronker's video package, it was a good package. The problem with a lot of these record execs, when they get inducted, the inductions are cookie-cutter, making their credentials all seem kinda mid, as they're frequently hailed for their ability to understand their artists, and thus be able to give them the space to create. To be willing to take risks and bet on creativity, knowing that it's okay if something doesn't sell big, and yet, it still often pays off. It's almost as predictable as a Hallmark Christmas movie, but it's still the right call to induct such executives and encourage more executives to be like them. His video speech was good; I guess he was too nervous to get onstage, or just didn't want to take up more time than necessary. And he looks a little like he could've been related to Rene Auberjonois.
Donald Glover was the right choice to induct Outkast, but his speech felt very standard. Nothing wrong, but little that was memorable, especially since they edited out the part about asking those blocking the teleprompter to sit down. I caught it on the night of the event, and noticed its absence on rewatching. I feel like I'm being very redundant, but the cross sections in the video package were solid as well, showing the diversity of their sound. The acceptance speeches were a lot of fun, between the game of rock, paper, scissors, to the beard picking, to the entire Dungeon family being up there. I think Andre's speech was a little long, but it wasn't as bad as Q-Tip's last year. And it probably felt longer when you could tell it wasn't prepared at all. Like everyone else, I wish Andre would have performed too, but the tribute was phenomenal. Doja Cat seemed to have a communication breakdown with the deejay (fixed in post, shown as decent on the stream now). Tyler The Creator was absolutely the highlight of the night for me. Janelle's performance of "Hey Ya" kinda paled in comparison, but her energy was undeniable, especially once she got down in the pits with the crowd. In my humble opinion, "The Whole World" could have been the jam at the end, everyone singing the chorus from Bryan Adams to Cindy Lauper to Jack White. If it wasn't for its non-album status, no one would question it as the closer for the set of the Outkast tribute.
The commercial... okay cool
Jim Carrey's speech for Soundgarden was fun. Back in the day, I was too young to stay up and watch "In Living Colour," so I didn't get some of the bits, other than just him being goofy. He seemed healthy, but he looked like he was going through chemotherapy (that coat/robe didn't help). That said, his passion for the music was authentic. I actually liked his comment about their music making rock and roll come alive again. It's what John C. Reilly said in the White Stripes package about believing in it again, and it's a lot of what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's mission is about. It's about the evolution of rock and roll and how it finds the youth in their culture, in their moment, and it's not owned by any single demographic. Both his speech and the package tried to find a balance between talking about Chris and celebrating the rest of the band, but didn't quite manage. Matt got the most love other than Chris in terms of what he brought to the band. The live performances really worked for television. I don't know that I could have handled an actual concert, but this was really cool. Hiro getting political for a brief moment was classic. It's a true mark of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremonies, right or wrong (right, in this case). All the Soundgarden speeches were good, really, as were the performances.
I'm always impressed at how thorough the In Memoriam segment is for me. The harder hitting deaths for me were Connie Francis, Jerry Butler, John Edwards, the two members of the Flamingos, Sonny Curtis, Mark Vollman, Quincy Jones, Lou Christie, Richard Perry, Bobby Sherman, Sly Stone, Sam Moore, and of course, Brian Wilson. I also found it interesting that both members of Brewer And Shipley passed the same year. Elton sounded like he was struggling. But also, watching it a second time, it really seems like they tried to clean up some of the messiness that actually happened. It seemed fine second time around, but still a little off.
The Carol Kaye package was phenomenal for its bits of "without bass" and "with Carol Kaye on bass." Demonstrations that spoke louder than words. But as others have said, why include the disputed records, especially the Motown records? Her indisputable catalog is just too impressive to commit unforced errors like that.
Moving on to Cyndi Lauper, Chappell Roan was a good choice. Not wearing contacts was not a good choice, and you could hear it in how her voice changed after she got past the opening lines that she clearly memorized. Other than that, her speech was fine. Cyndi comes off as an absolute sweetheart in the video package: bold, yet self-deprecating; passionate, but not without whimsy. One of the more fun video packages of the night. Admittedly, I wasn't thrilled with the set list for Cyndi, but given the statements she was making during the performance, the setlist was optimal. Personally, I could've gone for "Money Changes Everything," or even just a moment of youthful silliness with "Taffy Butt." Despite her getting into names and going a little long, Cyndi's speech was perfect.
The Chubby Checker situation... it basically came off as Chubby inducting himself via video. I agree with Darren that the Hall did their best under the circumstances. It looked like a proffering of an olive branch, including showing his being onstage at the first induction ceremony. And when they showed his speech from the Des Plaines concert, you could see the joy in his eyes and on his face. And closing it out with going back to "The Twist" was an apt closing to his segment. It's just sad that it happened that way. If I had bought tickets to the ceremony, his bailing on the ceremony would have really pissed me off, because he was the inductee I was happiest about finally being enshrined. However, if the Hall wanted to subtly puncture Chubby's ego, they could induct Cameo/Parkway founder Bernie Lowe next year to remind him that the world wouldn't know who he is without Lowe, while also making it look like introducing Chubby Checker to the world is reason enough to induct him. A nice subtle touch, right? Teehee.
Sidebar: a lot of speculation has been made about why it went down the way it did. I probably could have devoted an entry to it. I mentioned in a couple places my thoughts, but let's put it here. The short version is Chubby's ego got in the way. That surprises exactly no one, but the way it did hasn't quite been stated by anyone the way I've articulated it. Checker's got an ego; we know that from his ads and stunts, and even the audacity to claim disco moves and breakdancing draws direct lineage from the twist, pony, fly, or limbo. It's not too far removed to say the dance craze of the early '60s, of which Chubby is THE symbol, broke down the doors for greater individual expression via dancing, but there were other rock and roll dances before Hank Ballard And The Midnighters' version of "The Twist," the bop and the stroll, for example. But I digress. With this induction, I think Checker wanted top billing, in this case, closing, but he also wanted to be the first one inducted. He wanted to be first and last for the night. I also think he wanted to be paid to be inducted... that inducting him was so essential for the Hall's credibility that they had to pay him to be allowed to induct him. And that line about being in front of a paying audience? I bet he wanted a cut of the ticket sales for the induction ceremony. He wanted preference and deference, and the Hall had to work in the real world. So when he didn't get what he wanted from the Hall, he got it in Des Plaines. He got his induction in front of an audience that was paying to see only him, at an event he was being paid to be at. He got his trophy and made his induction speech months before the ceremony, cutting the line and being first in a way, and the Hall put his segment in the penultimate spot, almost letting him close it out too. Plus, returning perceived spite with perceived spite, as the "private gig in Santa Barbara" has yet to be denied or refuted. That's my hypothesis. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.
When I realized they were closing with Joe Cocker, I realized it was actually a smart move for the ceremony managers. That way, they weren't gonna end on a speech like they did with Missy, and they could end with a song that had massive jam potential, instead of a massive song by a jam band, like last year. Bryan Adams' stage presence during his speech for Joe was stiff. His words were personal, while highlighting what made Cocker unique and special, but the body language was that of someone who was trying not to panic. Between his speech and his performance during the Bad Company set, I really don't think Bryan won over too many people for next year. It might be enough to get him nominated, but I think not enough people were impressed enough to vote for him. We'll see though. I have to admit, I was only moderately swayed by the video package, but you can't deny the validity of the credentials. If you're going to laud Linda Ronstadt's talents as an interpreter, you must afford Cocker the same courtesy, just not as consistent a catalog. And again, it was lovely to see his widow in the audience. The Tedeschi Trucks Band nailed it, as did Nathaniel Rateliff and Teddy Swims. Chris Robinson overshadowed Bryan and Cyndi on the final number, and that may help the Black Crowes' chances for next year. I'm still not sold on their credentials, but Chris played ball, you've got to give him that.
So those are my observations from the behind the screen. The Chubby debacle may go down as one of the biggest "WTF?" events in Rock Hall ceremony history. And I don't think Bryan Adams is going to rocket to the top of the list at the next Feast Of Hoagie. The Black Crowes may fare a little better, given how Chris brought it at the end. Beck's contributions were lost in the middle of a talent-packed tribute, but he's a past nominee, so impact: neutral. He may get another nomination. But those are all the thoughts I currently have about what may happen in 2026. And that wraps it up for me for now. A good ceremony overall. Best performance was the Outkast tribute. Best induction speech was given by Iggy Pop. See you all when the cycle begins anew next year.
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