The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has long been known as the Mecca for baby boomers, honoring and revering musicians from the 1960s and 1970s. But the 2025 ceremony made one thing clear: Now it’s Generation X’s turn.
The concert/drill concert, held Saturday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, honored several artists whose careers began in the 1980s and 1990s: grunge innovators Soundgarden; Hot Southern rap duo Outkast; and female hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa, who performed a vibrant medley that included the songs “Push It” and “Let’s Talk About Sex.”
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Passing the baton to the Hall of Fame was great, and perhaps inevitable. Artists become eligible 25 years after the release of their first recording. While the latest batch of inductees included artists from the 1950s to the 1980s (including rock and soul pioneer Chubby Checker, British band Bad Company, and raspy-voiced singer Joe Cocker), it was only a matter of time before the organization began including musicians who appeared in the days of Sub Pop and Spin magazine.
Detroit punk godfather Iggy Pop, who introduced the garage rock revival White Stripes, remembers seeing an old photo of band members Jack and Meg White and realizing a new era was coming. “Basically, I was looking at Adam and Eve in the 21st century who formed a rock ‘n’ roll band,” he said. “I thought: ‘Nice kids – maybe they’ll go further.’ And they did!”
Meg White, who has largely kept a low profile since the band’s last show in 2007, was not in attendance, but Jack White brought a message from his bandmate: “She wanted me to tell you that she is so grateful to all the people who have supported her over the years.”
Introducing Salt-N-Pepa, Missy Elliott praised members Cheryl James (Salt), Sandra Denton (Pepa) and Deirdre Roper (DJ Spinderella) as “builders of the foundation that supports hip-hop.” “They came in and said, ‘Don’t close that door. There are female rappers coming after us, and we want them to be able to come in freely, without any problems.’”
Cheryl James noted in her speech that Salt-N-Pepa is currently locked in a legal battle with Universal Music Group over the rights to their original recordings. “While we’re celebrating this moment, fans can’t even stream our music,” James said. “It has been removed from all platforms because the industry still does not want fair play.”
Outkast members André “3000” Benjamin and Antwan Patton (aka Big Boi) later took the stage, joined by a group of collaborators and friends. Andre, who did not participate in the subsequent performance alongside artists like Tyler, the Creator and Janelle Monáe, thanked those who supported the rapper in the early 1990s when they were teenagers working in the Atlanta basement known as The Dungeon.
“Big things start in small rooms,” he said as he moved.
According to tradition, young musicians paid tribute to older artists. Olivia Rodrigo and Feist performed the White Stripes’ “We Are Going to Be Friends,” while Twenty One Pilots covered “Seven Nation Army.” Chappelle Rowan paid tribute to Cyndi Lauper, speaking about her performance of “True Colors” at a talent show in Missouri when she was 14 years old. Lauper took the stage with Ray and Avril Lavigne, then delivered a musical message of hope: “The kid inside me still believes that rock ‘n’ roll can save the world.”
David Letterman paid a touching posthumous tribute to Warren Zevon, noting that the singer-songwriter gave him a guitar after his final appearance on his late-night show in 2002 (Zevon died the following year). “This is the guitar, and by God, tonight it’s going to be used again,” Letterman said. He handed the instrument over to Dave Keuning of The Killers, who performed Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money.”
Jim Carrey paid tribute to Soundgarden by sharing his story with the band: They presented him with a signed announcer after he admired a performance on “Saturday Night Live” in 1996. He then introduced Lily Cornell, the daughter of singer Chris Cornell, who died in 2017. She highlighted the support her father felt in the Seattle music scene in the 1990s: “I’m very, very happy that he had the opportunity to make music with his band.” Friends.”
The remaining members of Soundgarden performed 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 Heart’s Nancy Wilson.
The show began with a Sly Stone tribute conducted by Stevie Wonder, and ended with a jam session with Joe Cocker’s version of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” with the stage packed with musicians from different scenes, styles and eras. As Jack White noted earlier in the evening, there was room for more.
“To young artists, I want to say: Go to work, leave the paintings, go out into the garage or into your little room and pay attention.” “We all want to participate in what you can create,” he added.
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