Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has made his stance on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame crystal clear following the band’s latest nomination, calling the institution “for wankers” in a blunt social media post.

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The Britpop icon reacted to the news after Oasis was named among the 2025 nominees, joining a list that includes New Order, Cyndi Lauper, The White Stripes, Mariah Carey, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Outkast, Maná and the late Joe Cocker.

“RNR hall of fame is for WANKERS,” Gallagher posted on X under a flyer of the list of nominees on Feb. 12. He didn’t hold back when responding to a fan who asked what he’d do if Oasis were inducted, cheekily replying, “Obv go and say it’s the best thing EVER.”

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This isn’t the first time Gallagher has taken aim at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When Oasis was nominated last year, he dismissed it entirely, writing, “F*** the Rock n Roll hall of fame its full of BUMBACLARTS LG.” He also told fans not to “waste your time” voting, calling the whole process “a load of bollox.”

Gallagher doubled down in a 2024 interview, scoffing at the Hall of Fame’s inclusions. “As much as I love Mariah Carey and all that, I want to say: do me a favour and f*** off,” he told The Sunday Times. “It’s like putting me in the rap hall of fame, and I don’t want to be part of anything that mentally disturbed. Besides, I’ve done more for rock n’ roll than half of them clowns on that board.”

Like The White Stripes, Oasis seemed like a strong contender upon its first nomination in 2024 but didn’t make the cut. This time, their odds look better after announcing their highly anticipated reunion tour, which sparked near-Taylor/Beyoncé-level demand.

With the possibility of their first new music in over 15 years, Oasis stands out as one of the most likely inductees in the 2025 class—if Gallagher is willing to accept the honor.

Gallagher also recently found himself at the center of controversy surrounding Oasis’ reunion shows after Ticketmaster’s decision to cancel thousands of resold tickets.

On Monday (Feb. 10), Billboard reported that fans had indeed begun to see their tickets being cancelled, with Ticketmaster getting in touch with some ticket holders to inform them that their tickets have been refunded. Ticketmaster’s message to these ticket holders claimed that “it has been identified that bots were used to make this purchase,” meaning they “violate the tour’s terms and conditions.”

With some fans venting their anger on social media, one X user named Karen Kelly reached out to Gallagher, asking “Liam what do you think of the ticket situation? Thinking fans are bots and getting their money returned?”

The rocker was less than sympathetic when asked about the situation, writing, “I don’t make the rules. We’re trying to do the right thing. It is what it is, I’m the singer. Get off my case.”

Oasis’ Rock Hall nomination comes as anticipation builds for their reunion tour, which marks the first time Liam and Noel Gallagher will share a stage in over a decade.

Black Crowes‘ frontman Chris Robinson acknowledges, with a laugh, that “I’ve been cynical in the past about institutions” in general — and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame specifically. 
But he’s unreservedly pleased about the band’s first Rock Hall nomination. 

“We’re just very excited,” Robinson, who formed the group with younger brother Rich Robinson, drummer Steve Gorman, bassist Johnny Colt and guitarist Jeff Cease in 1989 in the Robinson’s native Atlanta, tells Billboard. “I don’t think we ever really would have thought about it, so for it to be in front of us, it’s incredible. We’re thrilled.

“All sarcasm aside, it’s amazing to be thought of. It’s amazing to be included. We love music, and we understand the real magical, alchemic process in it, and that we’ve managed to still be here this many years later and still be making records and in a lot of ways having a level of recognition and success that we haven’t felt before. 

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“Just to be mentioned (alongside) some of the names of the greatest artists, it’s fantastic,” he says of the band’s first nomination.

Robinson is well aware of his May 2017 remarks to SiriusXM’s Howard Stern, when he said he would not attend a Black Crowes’ induction and that “the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to me is like going to the mall or something.”

“As if an interview with Howard Stern’s a deposition,” Robinson says with another laugh. “I think like anything with age… To say what I’m saying today is sincere. This isn’t one of those situations where I’ll grudgingly, ‘Oh, if we get in, I’ll go…’ If it happens for us, then I’ll be there with bells on my feet.”

The Black Crowes flew out of the box strong, of course, starting with two multi-platinum albums — 1990’s Shake Your Money Maker and 1992’s The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion  — and a rash of 16 Mainstream Rock chart hits that includes “Jealous Again,” a rendition Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle,” “She Talks to Angels,” “Remedy” and “Thorn in My Pride.” The group has released nine studio albums, selling more than 30 million copies worldwide. Its latest, 2024’s Happiness Bastards, was nominated for a Grammy Award for best rock album, losing out to the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds. “If you’re gonna lose a Grammy, lose it to Mick (Jagger) and Keith (Richards). We were just happy to be included,” Robinson says.

The Crowes have gone through three distinct eras during the band’s career — 1984-2002 and 2005-2015, with the Robinsons regrouping in 2019. More than two dozen musicians have played in the group during that time; in addition to the original lineup, guitarist Marc Ford and the late keyboardist Eddie Harsch are part of the nomination. There has been rancor over the years; Gorman published a revealing memoir, Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of the Black Crowes, in 2019 and subsequently sued the Robinsons for unpaid royalties, in a case that was settled during 2022. Chris Robinson says any amends prior to a Rock Hall induction is a matter for “down the road,” while the current state of the band remains strong.

“I think where our career has led us since Rich and I got back together… I think it just adds to how deeply we’re interested in our career and our band,” he explains.

The Black Crowes are planning a “light” year of performing, Robinson says, and the brothers have already started to write new songs. “We probably have another 20 new songs already, sketches,” he says. “I think Happiness Bastards was kind of the ignition, a very positive step. It was like, ‘Wow, that was fun’ and ‘Wow, now we have some new ideas. I think getting in the studio this spring is something that we feel we want to do. It’s very exciting.”

Robinson, a Los Angeles resident for more than two decades, is also still glowing about the FireAid benefit concert on Jan. 30 at the Kia Forum, where the Black Crowes performed “Remedy” and backed John and Shane Fogerty on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” before the Robinsons teamed with Slash for a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California.” 

“It was a super, super special event,” Robinson recalls. “Los Angeles gets this rap for being so shallow and vapid and stuff… but it just goes to show the real heart and soul of a place like Los Angeles. That’s what happens when you’re in a show business industry town. That’s where this town is pointed towards. So it was just spectacular.

“And to do it with Slash, who’s a friend but he’s synonymous with the Los Angeles music scene… I thought it was a really nice moment. And Jimmy (Page) saw it and he thought it was great. So, win-in.”

The Class of 2025 will be revealed in late April. That announcement typically details which artists are inducted as performers, which names are entering the Rock Hall in the musical influence or musical excellence categories and who the year’s Ahmet Ertegun award recipient will be. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall.