Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘s primetime airing on ABC was a hit on New Year’s Day, drawing 13 million total viewers and a 0.38 rating among people people aged 18 to 49, according to Nielsen data. The Jan. 1 airing, which was the ceremony’s first time on a broadcast network after decades on HBO, […]
Under the stellar leadership of John Sykes, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has broadened its definition of what constitutes rock and roll to include, well, pretty much anything that has a young, contemporary, rule-breaking attitude and spirit.
Which makes us wonder why Cher has never even nominated for the Rock Hall. She has always had a young attitude, even today, at age 77. Telling the Rock Hall to “you-know-what themselves” as she did last week on national TV, is a pretty rock and roll thing to do.
Appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Friday Dec. 15, Cher said “And I’m not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!.” After the studio audience let out a collective groan, Cher told them it was okay with her. “You know what, I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I’m not kidding you. I’m never going to change my mind. They can just you-know-what themselves,” Cher said to applause.
Who can really blame her for feeling that way after so many years of being bypassed? Sonny and Cher, as a duo, and Cher solo, have been eligible for the Rock Hall since 1990 – which was 25 years after their breakthrough hits, “I Got You Babe” and “All I Really Want to Do,” respectively.
Some of the female artists who Cher paved the way for, with her irreverence and artistic boldness, are already in the Hall – most notably Madonna. When Madonna was still in grade school, Cher became adept at turning controversy to her advantage. As Sonny Bono once said “She liked to do things for the shock they created. She still does. She’ll create some controversy and then tell her critics to stick it.” Sound familiar?
It’s a safe bet that the Rock Hall will embrace Miley Cyrus soon after she becomes eligible in 2031. Like Cher, Cyrus has had an unorthodox career, with some missteps and head-scratching moves, but also flashes of brilliance.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour and accompanying film, with its focus on fashion and style, shows Cher’s influence. Lady Gaga’s entire career owes a debt to Cher.
The Rock Hall’s expansion of its definition of rock and roll was essential if the Hall was to avoid becoming a museum recognizing a niche genre; the sound of a previous generation. But it has made it far harder to get a sense of who qualifies as rock and roll and who doesn’t. If ABBA, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton are in, what’s the rationale for leaving Cher out?
Cher is still active. She released her first Christmas album on Oct. 20. It features duets with Cyndi Lauper, Michael Bublé, Tyga and Rock Hall members Stevie Wonder and Darlene Love. And as her blast at the Rock Hall shows, Cher still knows how to speak her mind and attract attention.
Here are 12 reasons Cher belongs in the Rock Hall.
Sonny & Cher were part of the mod pop/rock scene of the mid-1960s.
Image Credit: George Wilkes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Cher vehemently doesn’t want to be a member of any club that doesn’t want her. The “Believe” legend said so in no uncertain terms on Friday’s (Dec. 15) Kelly Clarkson Show, when the host asked how a legend who has scored No. 1 hits over seven decades is somehow not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
With a sly smile, Cher corrected Clarkson’s claim that she’s the only act to ever have that kind of chart dominance across the decades, noting that she’s not, technically, alone. “Two of us have,” Cher said, with Clarkson replying, “Are you gonna say a band? Don’t say a band.”
“It’s a band,” Cher noted of her fellow chart champs the Rolling Stones, as Clarkson clarified that that doesn’t count. “It took four of them to be one of me,” the 77-year-old icon added with a twinkle in her eye, prompting Kelly to jump out of her seat and clap. “And I’m not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!” Cher added.
After the studio audience let out a collective groan, Cher told them it was okay. “You know what, I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I’m not kidding you,” she said, laughing that she almost dropped an f-bomb in her answer.
“I’m never going to change my mind. They can just you-know-what themselves,” Cher said to applause, while casually noting that she “changed music forever” with her 1998 dance pop hit “Believe,” one of the best-selling singles of all time and the track that is widely credited with introducing the world to AutoTune.
Cher’s first holiday hit, “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart last month (and topped the Adult Contemporary Chart this month), making her the first female artist to have a top hit for seven straight decades; that milestone put her in rarified air with the Stones, who have had at least one new No. 1 hit on the Billboard charts in every decades between the 1960s and 2020s.
A spokesperson for the RRHOF had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment at press time.
Cher’s first No. 1 hit was 1965’s “I Got You Babe” with late partner Sonny Bono and she has been eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame since 1991.
While Cher has not been nominated to date, it’s worth noting that last year country icon Dolly Parton was nominated fro the RRHOF and initially turned down the offer. She later accepted and was inducted in Nov. 2022 alongside Eminem, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis; she followed up by releasing her all-star, chart-topping first rock album, Rockstar, album last month.
Watch Cher on the Kelly Clarkson Show below.
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Bob Dylan made a rare public remark from the stage during his show at the Beacon Theatre in New York on Thursday night (Nov. 16) in which he offered up unequivocal support for his embattled friend, Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner.
“All right, like to say hello to Jann Wenner who’s in the house. Jann Wenner, surely everybody’s heard of him,” Dylan can be heard saying in a recording tweeted out by Dylan.FM Podcast of his comments to the crowd at the show. Billboard has confirmed the accuracy of Dylan’s quote. “Anyway, he just got booted out of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame – and we don’t think that’s right, we’re trying to get him back in.” At press time a spokesperson for the RRHOF Foundation had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.
Dylan, 82, was referring to Wenner’s removal in September from the board of directors of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation after the organization’s 77-year-old co-founder made remarks in a New York Times interview that many labeled racist and sexist. While Wenner is still a member of the RRHOF as a non-performer, the organization’s board removed him from the Foundation after a Times interview to promote Wenner’s The Masters book in which the interviewer asked why there were no conversations with women or people of color in his collection.
Wenner, the former chairman of the RRHOF Foundation, conducted interviews with all white men for the book, including Bono, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Pete Townshend. In the introduction, Wenner explained that women and POC were not in his “zeitgeist.”
“When I was referring to the zeitgeist, I was referring to Black performers, not to the female performers, OK? Just to get that accurate,” Wenner told NYT writer David Marchese. “The selection was not a deliberate selection. It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way. The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them. Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level.”
Wenner attempted to clarify his stance, saying he was not suggesting that “they’re not creative geniuses. It’s not that they’re inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest. You know, Joni [Mitchell] was not a philosopher of rock ’n’ roll. She didn’t, in my mind, meet that test. Not by her work, not by other interviews she did. The people I interviewed were the kind of philosophers of rock … Of Black artists — you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as ‘masters,’ the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level.”
Shortly after his removal from the board — and an unsuccessful plea to remain on it during an emergency meeting — Wenner issued an apology in which he noted that his comments in the Times, “diminished the contributions, genius, and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks.”
He said the book is a collection of interviews he’s done over the years that seemed to him to be represent “an idea of rock ‘n’ roll’s impact on my world; they were not meant to represent the whole of music and it’s diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews I felt illustrated the breadth and experience in that career. They don’t reflect my appreciation and admiration for myriad totemic, world-changing artists whose music and ideas I revere and will celebrate and promote as long as I live. I totally understand the inflammatory nature of badly chosen words and deeply apologize and accept the consequences.”
The apology and walk-back, however, did little to calm the fury over Wenner’s original comments, with few, if any, artists or friends speaking out publicly to support him. Wenner left Rolling Stone in 2019 when the publication was acquired by Penske Media Corporation, which is also Billboard‘s parent company.
The magazine, whose president and CEO is Wenner’s son, Gus Wenner, issued a statement amid the controversy distancing itself from the RS founder. “Jann Wenner’s recent statement to the New York Times do not represent the value and practices of today’s Rolling Stone,” the publication tweeted. “Jann Wenner has not been directly involved in our operations since 2019. Out purpose, especially since his departure, has been to tell stories that reflect the diversity of voices and experiences that shape our world. At Rolling Stone‘s core is the understanding that music above all can bring us together, not divide us.”
Listen to Dylan’s comment below.
“All right, like to say hello to Jann Wenner who’s in the house. Jann Wenner, surely everybody’s heard of him. Anyway, he just got booted out of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame – and we don’t think that’s right, we’re trying to get him back in.”— Bob Dylan 11/16/23 pic.twitter.com/Vkgt8klzYS— Dylan.FM Podcast (@TheFM_Dylan) November 17, 2023
Sheryl Crow is all about supporting young artists, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee opened up about working with 20-year-old Olivia Rodrigo, who performed with Crow during the ceremony and participated in presenting her with the honor.
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“It’s really cool,” Crow told ET of working with Rodrigo. “I mean, you know, I got to sort of lift her up a little bit, because she’s got a new record [out]… I know how hard the second record is, the sophomore. You’re competing with the success of your first record, and she nailed it.”
She also revealed the piece of advice she gave the “Vampire” singer. “I said, you know, ‘If you can, just write down one sentence every day, of what happened during that day, because you will someday look back [at] this, and try to remember all the things.’”
“The other thing [I told her] is to just stay in the work and stay out of the chatter,” she continued. “That’s a major thing.”
After performing “If It Makes You Happy” with Crow at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, Rodrigo appeared in a video montage about Crow’s career that featured Stevie Nicks and Maren Morris. In the clip, the “Get Him Back!” singer praised Crow’s lyricism, and especially the line “scrape the mold off the bread and serve you French toast again” from “If It Makes You Happy.”
“Nobody could say that besides Sheryl. She says things I would have never thought of in the most beautiful way,” Rodrigo said. The love is mutual, with Crow naming Rodrigo “the real deal” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon the night before.
After her onstage moment with Crow, Rodrigo described the experience in a statement to Billboard. “It was an honor to join Sheryl on stage and I am so excited for her to be inducted into the RRHOF! I am a massive fan of hers and her incredible songwriting. She’s equally as kind as she is talented and I feel so lucky that I was able to be part of celebrating such a legend.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – which began 40 years ago and started inducting artists into its ranks in 1986 – welcomed the Class of 2023 to its extensive roster on Friday (Nov. 3) evening at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners were all inducted, along with DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray for musical influence; Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin for musical excellence; and Don Cornelius for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The eclectic Rock Hall Class of 2023 brought out performers and presenters who spanned hip-hop, rock, pop, R&B and country: Adam Levine, Brandi Carlile, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Common, Dave Matthews, Elton John, H.E.R., Ice-T, LL Cool J, Miguel, New Edition, Olivia Rodrigo, Queen Latifah, Sia, Stevie Nicks and St. Vincent.
For the first time ever, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame livestreamed its induction ceremony, giving fans the chance to watch the ceremony in real time. The 2023 RRHOF ceremony streamed live on Disney+ starting at 8 p.m. ET, and is still available on-demand. Audio from the ceremony streamed live on Apple Music 1. In previous years, fans had to wait until the show was broadcast at a later date. Those who do want to watch it on TV can catch an edited broadcast of highlights on ABC on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2024, from 8-11 p.m. ET.
The 2023 ceremony marked another first. Willie Nelson – who recently celebrated his 90th birthday — becoming the oldest living inductee to accept his honor in person. Harry Belafonte was older (95) when he was inducted, but he didn’t attend the ceremony.
These are the best moments from the Class of 2023’s induction.
Sheryl Crow Opens the Show With Olivia Rodrigo
Music greats from around the world gathered at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in New York City on Friday (Nov. 3) to celebrate and welcome a new class into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the annual induction ceremony. The 2023 inductees were Sheryl Crow, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, George Michael, Missy Elliott, […]
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The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will stream live on Disney+ on Friday (Nov. 3). The event will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners are among this year’s inductees.
Additional inductees include Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, along with DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray, who will be honored in the category of musical influence. Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, Bernie Taupin will receive awards for musical excellence.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will feature a star-studded list of presenters and performers including Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Common, Ice-T, LL Cool J, Miguel, Queen Latifah, Sia, Elton John, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Dave Matthews, H.E.R., St. Vincent and New Edition.
Read on for more details.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: When to Stream
For the first time ever, fans will be able to watch the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony live on Disney+, or stream it on-demand after the premiere. The ceremony will begin streaming at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Audio from the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will stream live on Apple Music 1 on Friday. Class of ’23 Rock Hall of Fame, a four-part audio series, is also available to stream on Apple Music and Apple Podcasts.
Additionally, ABC will air a primetime special 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights and standout moments from the ceremony, on Jan. 1, 2024. The two-hour primetime special will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will be available the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
If you’re not subscribed to Disney+, streaming packages start at $8/month for the basic package with ads and $14/month for the ad-free package. Disney+ also offers bundle deals and annual plans.
Disney+ subscribers can stream movies and TV shows including Loki, Ahsoka, Goosebumps, Haunted Mansion, Elemental, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Frozen, The Simpsons, Dancing With the Stars and upcoming releases such as Percy Jackson And the Olympians dropping on Dec. 20.
Music lovers will also find documentaries and concert specials on Disney+ such as The Beatles: Get Back, J-Hope in the Box, Bono & The Edge: A Sort Of Homecoming with Dave Letterman, Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All and Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium.
On Nov. 3, 11 musical acts, one hit-generating songwriter and Don Cornelius, the creator-host — from 1971 to 1993 — of groundbreaking syndicated Black music showcase Soul Train, will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
This year’s list of honorees includes a crop of legendary performers: British art-pop legend Kate Bush, hip-hop trailblazer Missy Elliott, late megastar George Michael, pop-rock hitmaker Sheryl Crow, outlaw country icon Willie Nelson, rap-rock firebreathers Rage Against the Machine and smooth soul group The Spinners.
Elsewhere, two individuals are set to be inducted under the “musical influence” category, including “Father of Hip-Hop” DJ Kool Herc and guitar pioneer Link Wray; while the “musical excellence award” will be given to three others: funk idol Chaka Khan, veteran studio musician Al Kooper and longtime Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin.
Notably, four of the seven performers are being inducted on their first nomination: Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson. Among those, Elliott was the only artist eligible for the first time in 2023.
While the achievements of many of the above-named inductees — performers like Elliott, Michael, Crow, Nelson, Rage and Khan — are well-known to many, others on the list require more of an introduction. Below, we’ve compiled quick facts on each of the honorees, from the trails they’ve blazed in the industry to the hit songs that shot them to fame and fortune.
Below, a look at their musical milestones and chart achievements.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday (Nov. 3). Viewers can watch the event live on Disney+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Kate Bush
Image Credit: TV Times/Getty Images
Missy Elliott still can’t quite believe that she will be the first female rap artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday night (Nov. 3). Speaking to Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts on Thursday morning (Nov. 2), Elliott said she always dreamed of being a “superstar… I never wavered. I never changed. I said it every time,” but after three decades in the music business the 52-year-old Grammy-winning rapper said her latest accolade is unfathomable.
Elliott said “words cannot describe” how honored she is to take the stage tomorrow night alongside fellow 2023 inductees Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners. She told Roberts that as an artist from the hip-hop world, Rock Hall enshrinement seemed “so far out of reach.” Plus, with this being the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop, Elliott said the Hall of Fame kudos is further proof that “no matter what people say the hip-hop world is something special and unique.”
Joking that as a kid her family once convinced her that she was related to another one of this year’s inductees, musical excellence honoree R&B legend Chaka Khan, Elliott said being ushered in alongside the likes of Nelson and Crow is indescribable. “To be even at a table with them is a blessing, past a blessing, there’s got to be a bigger word than that,” she said.
After tomorrow night, Elliott will be among just a handful of rappers whose plaques are on display at the RRHOF museum in Cleveland, joining such icons as Jay-Z, LL Cool J, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, N.W.A, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, Run-DMC and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. And though some critics might quibble at the elastic definition of rock and roll that has found artists who don’t play what is traditionally considered amplified, guitar-based rock music, Elliott said in her mind rock, like hip-hop, is a “gumbo of different styles of music.”
Elliott will be inducted by her friend of 20 years, Queen Latifah, who she praised as someone who, “come before me, open that door, left it open… And I owe so many flowers, bouquets. It’s not enough bouquets for those women that came before me. And she’s one of those women.” In addition, Elliott’s mother will be in the house at the 38th annual induction ceremony on Friday night (Nov. 3) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Believe it or not, Elliott’s mom has never seen her perform live before. “She’s never been to a show because, you know, I had some little words I didn’t ever want her to hear,” Elliott told GMA. “And so she’s comin’ for the first time.”
Tomorrow night’s event will feature presenters and performers Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Elton John, Brandie Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, H.E.R., New Edition, St. Vincent, Common, Ice-T, LL Cool J, Miguel, Latifah and Sia. Other inductees this year include DJ Kool Herc and Link Wrap for musical influence, Khan, Al Kooper and Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin for musical excellence and Soul Train host Don Cornelius for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The induction ceremony will be broadcast live coast-to-coast on Disney+ on Friday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC will air a three-hour prime-time special, 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights and standout moments on Jan. 1 (8-11 p.m. ET), available the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
Check out Elliott’s interview below.