The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has long been known as a baby boomer mecca where musicians from the 1960s and 1970s are honored and respected. But one thing is clear from the 2025 ceremony: It’s Gen X’s turn.
The Concert/Core Ceremony, held at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on Saturday, honored several artists who began their careers in the 1980s and 1990s. OutKast is an edgy southern rap duo. Female hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa performed a vibrant medley including their hits “Push It” and “Let’s Talk About Sex.”
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It was a great and perhaps inevitable passing of the baton to the Hall of Famer. Artists become eligible 25 years after the release of their first recording. And while the latest inductees included artists from the 1950s to 1980s (rock and soul pioneers Chubby Checker, British band Bad Company, raspy-voiced vocalist Joe Cocker, etc.), it was only a matter of time before the institution began to include musicians from the days of Sub Pop and Spin magazines.
Iggy Pop, the godfather of Detroit punk who introduced garage rock revivalists the White Stripes, recalled seeing an old photo of band members Jack and Meg White that made him realize a new era was coming. “Basically, I was looking at a 21st century Adam and Eve who formed a rock ‘n’ roll band,” he said. “I thought, ‘Sweet kids, they’re going to go far.’ And they did!”
Meg White, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight since the band’s last show in 2007, wasn’t in attendance, but Jack White brought a message from a colleague. “She wanted me to know that she was very grateful to everyone who supported her over the years.”
Introducing Salt-N-Pepa, Missy Elliott praised members Sheryl James (Salt), Sandra Denton (Pepa), and Deirdre Lauper (DJ Spinderella) as “building the foundation that supports hip-hop.” “They came in and said, ‘Please don’t close this door. There are female rappers coming after us, and we want to make sure they can come in without a problem.'”
In her speech, Cheryl James mentioned that Salt-N-Pepa are currently in a legal battle with Universal Music Group over the rights to their original music. “While we celebrate this moment, our fans can’t even stream our music,” James said. “The industry still doesn’t want fair play, so it has been removed from all platforms.”
Outkast members Andre “3000” Benjamin and Antwon Patton (aka Big Boi) then took to the stage, joined by many of their collaborators and friends. Andre, who did not attend the subsequent performance along with artists like Tyler, the Creator and Janelle Monáe, expressed his gratitude to those who supported the rappers when they were teenagers in the early 1990s, working out of an Atlanta basement known as The Dungeon.
“Big things start in small rooms,” he said with emotion.
As per tradition, young musicians paid homage to older artists. Olivia Rodrigo and Feist performed the White Stripes’ “We Are Going to Be Friends,” and Twenty One Pilots covered “Seven Nation Army.” Chapel Lawn paid tribute to Cyndi Lauper and talked about performing “True Colors” at a talent show in Missouri when she was 14 years old. Accompanied by Ray and Avril Lavigne on stage, Lauper delivered a message of musical hope: “The child inside me still believes rock and roll can save the world.”
David Letterman delivered a touching eulogy after Warren Zevon’s death, saying that Warren Zevon gave him a guitar after Zevon’s last appearance on a late-night show in 2002 (Zivone died the following year). “Here’s the guitar,” Letterman said, “and by God, it’s going to be used again tonight.” He handed the instrument to Dave Keuning of the Killers, who played Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money.”
Jim Carrey paid tribute to Soundgarden by sharing his story with the band. Soundgarden was so impressed by his performance on Saturday Night Live in 1996 that he gave him an autographed Telecaster. He then introduced Lily Cornell, the daughter of singer Chris Cornell, who passed away in 2017. She emphasized the support her father felt in the Seattle music scene of the 1990s. It’s his friend. ”
The remaining members of Soundgarden collaborated with Taylor Momsen on “Rusty Cage” and Brandi Carlile on “Black Hole Sun.” Cornell’s daughter, Toni, performed an acoustic version of “Fell on Black Days” accompanied by Nancy Wilson of the band Heart.
The show opened with a tribute to Sly Stone led by Stevie Wonder and ended with a jam session of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” by Joe Cocker, filling the stage with musicians from different scenes, styles and eras. As Jack White observed earlier in the evening, there was room for more.
“I would say to young artists, get to work, put down your canvas, go out to your garage or your little room, and go crazy.” He added, “We all want to be a part of what you can create.”
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