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Joe Cocker‘s older brother Victor had something of a front row seat for his sibling’s first steps toward the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame while they were growing up in Sheffield, England.
“We had a little skiffle group — this was when Joe was only around 12 or 13 and I was a teenager,” the elder Cocker, who still resides in England, tells Billboard. “He used to love and come and listen, and once or twice he sang. It just made him so excited, really, the idea of performing. He had a very natural talent. He always had a powerful voice, and a really soulful voice.”
That voice — and Cocker’s accomplishments over a 46-year recording career prior to his death in 2014 at the age of 70 — will be honored on Nov. 8 when he’s inducted into the Rock Hall some 32 years after he first became eligible.
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Best known for Billboard Hot 100 hits such as “Delta Lady,” covers of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” and “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window,” “You Are So Beautiful” and the chart-topping “Up Where We Belong,” a Grammy Award-winning duet with Jennifer Warnes from An Officer and a Gentleman, Cocker will be one of seven performers voted into the shrine, joining Chubby Checker, Bad Company, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and the White Stripes. Cocker, a first-time nominee whose induction received public support from Paul McCartney and Billy Joel, also finished fifth on the fan ballot with more than 232,000 votes.
“I was really surprised,” says Cocker’s widow Pam. “I voted every day and watched his standing on the fan vote. ‘Long overdue’ — those were my daughter’s first words when we heard the news.”
Vic Cocker, meanwhile, is “quite thrilled” by the induction news. “It’s an important piece of recognition for Joe, I think. I think he would have been really delighted about it, so I’m really pleased. And of course he grew up in that age where the first generation of members of the Hall of Fame were his heroes; he was part of the second wave, so to be recognized there with his heroes and those of the second wave — like the Beatles, who he knew, and so on — would’ve delighted him.”
Pam Cocker adds that while her husband “wasn’t obsessed with the fact he wasn’t in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he did want it. But he didn’t prioritize it. He was always surprised at what other people were not in it more than himself.”
Because he was at university and then married, Vic Cocker watched his brother’s ascent from a distance. “When he found Ray Charles, of course, that was a big thing for him,” the elder Cocker remembers. “Then (keyboardist) Chris Stainton came along and they had (the 1968 single ‘Marjorine’) and then ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ was the big change. I used to get so wound up when I’d go to see him; I just wanted him to succeed, really. It was such a thrill seeing him go and get better and better and more and more famous.”
He adds that the Cockers’ mother, Madge, was particularly engaged in his brother’s career, while their more stoic father was a bit more reserved about it. “He very much thought (Cocker) was crackers sometimes,” Vic recalls with a laugh. “He never went to a performance, whereas my mum used to go and see Joe sing.” Harold Cocker did help his younger son deal with Inland Revenue tax issues in the U.K., however, while Vic recalls finding a six-figure check for royalties from 1970’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen album that his brother never deposited.
“I think he’d decided he was going to split with A&M (Records) and he didn’t want to be obligated to them or something,” Vic Cocker says. “When I gave it to him many years later he goes, ‘God, what was I thinking?!’”
The family was also surprised by the spasmodic physical performing style that became a Cocker trademark — which many first witnessed in the 1970 Woodstock documentary. “That was something that developed…and became a little more extreme, yeah,” his brother says. “Nobody ever really commented on it. What he did was up to him, really.” He was nevertheless “upset” by Joe’s drug addictions, however, though he gives him credit for ultimately cleaning himself up.
“He did most of that himself,” Vic says. “He just had a quiet time at home. I remember he went to Scotland and did some fishing. I challenged him as to whether he was on heroin, because I’d heard rumors he was, and he told me he wasn’t and showed me his arms were clean. Afterward he admitted he was taking it another way…but he got himself off that on his own. He had a fantastic constitution, which in some ways was his savior but it was also his downfall in that he could abuse it.”
In addition to the Rock Hall induction, Cocker received an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in 1995, and during 2017 he was named to the Order of the British Empire (OE). His last album, Fire It Up, came out during 2012.
All of the Cockers are planning to attend the induction ceremony in November and are anticipating, in Pam’s words, “a brilliant evening.” Vic expects that gratitude will be expressed to the musical peers who helped push Cocker to this point.
“I thought it was exceptional for them to put that amount of time into recognizing Joe and supporting him,” he says. “There were quite a lot of the sort of British rock n’ roll establishment who liked Joe. They’d seen him perform and were always impressed by him, I think. They recognized what he had.”
As those who learned they will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year receive congratulatory messages from numerous friends and colleagues, the seven artists who were passed over for induction are likely get messages from friends and supporters along the lines of “you were robbed” or “you’ll get in eventually.”
If you missed the announcement on American Idol on Sunday night (April 27), Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes are this year’s inductees in the performer category. Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon are set to receive the musical influence award; Philly Soul producer Thom Bell, English studio pianist/organist Nicky Hopkins and studio bass guitarist Carol Kaye will receive the musical excellence award; and producer and executive Lenny Waronker will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The other seven nominees in the performer category were denied admission to the Rock Hall – this year, anyway. Oasis and Mariah Carey were both passed over for the second year in a row. Both were surprising snubs – Oasis is reuniting for a global tour in 2025; Carey’s profile, never low, has been boosted in recent years by her status as the uncontested Queen of Christmas. Of the other passed-over artists, Joy Division/New Order were previously on the ballot in 2023; this was the first time on the ballot for The Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Maná and Phish.
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The voters showed no love for brother acts this year. Oasis includes Liam and Noel Gallagher; The Black Crowes includes Chris and Rich Robinson.
Maná was vying to become the first rock en español act to make the Rock Hall. Joy Division/New Order was vying to join the short list of two related acts being inducted in tandem, following Parliament/Funkadelic in 1997 and The Small Faces/Faces in 2012.
Phish, which won this year’s fan vote, has never landed a Hot 100 hit, but the band is a powerhouse live attraction, as evidenced when it played the Sphere in Las Vegas in April 2024.
Idol was a mainstay of early MTV – as was Lauper, who did get in. In an interview with Vulture, Idol said of his guitarist Steve Stevens, “Because of our special relationship, if I get in, they will induct him as well.” This would have echoed Pat Benatar’s induction three years ago, where the Rock Hall inducted both Benatar and her husband and musical partner, Neil Giraldo. But it’s academic, as Idol didn’t make it this year.
Critics and pundits are already weighing in with their opinions, but we want to hear from you: Which of the seven artists who were nominated in the performer category, only to be passed over, do you think constitutes the biggest snub? They’re listed here in alphabetical order. Vote!
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There’s an aspect to the late Warren Zevon finally being honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that strikes his son, Jordan Zevon, as very much on brand.
“It’s a comedy of how it seems like the minute that I gave up on it, he got nominated (in 2023, for the first time ever),” the younger Zevon tells Billboard. After his father, who died in 2003, didn’t get in, “I’d gone back to giving up on it, and now he’s in. I think that’s kind of perfect.”
Long considered one of the Rock Hall‘s most egregious exclusions by fans and peers alike, Zevon — who passed away at the age of 56 from mesothelioma — will receive one of two musical influence awards at this year’s induction ceremony on Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa is the other.) The honor is selected by the Rock Hall and not by voters, and it comes 30 years after Zevon was first eligible for Rock Hall consideration.
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During his career, which included 13 studio albums, the Chicago-born Zevon was celebrated as a songwriter as well as a performer. Linda Ronstadt in particular had hits with his “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” and “Hasten Down the Wind.” Zevon’s greatest success was 1978’s Excitable Boy, his lone platinum release and the home of “Werewolves of London,” which peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. He also collaborated with three-quarters of R.E.M. on 1990’s Hindu Love Gods, while his final album, 2003’s The Wind, was recorded after his cancer diagnosis and released just two weeks before his death; featuring guest appearances from Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, Joe Walsh, Don Henley, Ry Cooder, Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam and more, it won a pair of Grammy Awards.
Zevon’s acerbic and highly literary songcraft set Zevon apart from others in the Southern California rock scene of the ‘70s, and he periodically collaborated with writers, serving as the musical director of the Rock Bottom Remainders, an ad hoc band that included Stephen King, Amy Tan, Matt Groening and more. Billy Joel, meanwhile, supported Zevon’s 2023 nomination by writing a letter to the Rock Hall recommending his induction. Zevon also filled in for Paul Shaffer on David Letterman’s late-night TV shows, and Letterman turned over his entire hour for Zevon’s final interview on Oct. 30, 2002.
“In the same way you’ll hear Philip Seymour Hoffman called an actor’s actor, to musicians (Zevon) is a musician’s musician,” notes his son, who’s a singer and songwriter himself. “He was in his own separate box. It’s that Stravinsky influence and classical background he had…that made him think a little different than everyone else. I’ve had instances where I’ve had to cover his songs and you go, ‘Wait, he went to THAT chord? That’s the wrong chord,’ but it works.
“When you listen to an artist who does that it makes you think, ‘I should think a little different, too, not use the same four chords and change the melody, as it’s been done throughout history.’ It makes you think more musically, about going deeper and darker, maybe.”
The younger Zevon is confident that his father would “be very happy in the company of the musical influences,” and being recognized by the Rock Hall in any capacity. “He didn’t scoff at credit or adulation,” Zevon notes. “Just because he was outside of the mainstream he didn’t necessarily hate everybody in the world and in the music industry. He would’ve appreciated it. He liked people coming up to him and telling him they were fans of his music. He liked when other musicians acknowledged him. I think he would’ve definitely felt some pride in that.”
Zevon says that, given his history, his father being honored at a Los Angeles induction ceremony is also appropriate. “He was definitely one of those guys,” Zevon says, referring to the well-populated community that included Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and a great many others. Who will participate in Zevon’s honor is still to be determined, but Jordan Zevon is planning to touch base to at least celebrate the news with Browne, Joel, Henley, longtime Zevon collaborators Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Minnesota Governor and 2024 Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, an outspoken fan.
Zevon was recently celebrated with a pair of Record Store Day releases — a reissue of the Hindu Love Gods album and the box set Piano Fighter — The Giant Years, featuring the three albums he released for that label 1991-95. Jordan Zevon says both will eventually receive wider release, while there’s more coming, as well.
“We’re working around a project around (1982’s) The Envoy and getting that out. There’s some live stuff that’s been bootlegged here and there, so we’re trying to get official releases to put out. We just want to get everything on real high-quality vinyl and make sure the collection is complete and treated with care.”
Kim Thayil says that even before Chris Cornell‘s death in 2017, the members of Soundgarden would have conversations about the band being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“Sometimes ideas have been tossed out — sometimes as a lark, just general chatter among buddies, and sometimes as a more serious, sincere thing,” the guitarist tells Billboard. “We would joke around like, ‘Hey, if we ever got in the Rock Hall, what special thing would we do? Who would we want to induct us?’ We’d throw out all sorts of things; some of it was bulls–t clowning around, some of it was serious.
“So we’ve given a little bit of thought to it.”
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Thayil and company are definitely thinking more seriously about it now that, after two previous nominations, Soundgarden has been named as part of the Rock Hall’s class of 2025, which will be inducted on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. First and foremost, he’s happy the Seattle band’s time has finally come.
“I felt fairly confident that there was absolutely no reason why we wouldn’t qualify for induction — from how I appraised the work we did and from what I received over the years from our peers and the music industry,” Thayil says. “I’m much more appreciative now, especially when I saw the response people have given me when they learn about the nominations.”
Nevertheless, he acknowledges, his own enthusiasm for the Rock Hall honor took some time to evolve.“I kinda came from a subculture of rock that didn’t quite get what all the fuss is about,” Thayil tells Billboard. “Back in the ’80s, ’90s, when the Hall started, I probably was not alone in being part of a punk rock or indie metal scene that had an aversion to the idea. It was kind of hard to wrap my head around both a qualitative appraisal and a quantitative assessment.”
His view changed first after Cornell inducted Seattle rock precursors Heart into the Rock Hall in 2013, and then later after friends from Nirvana and Pearl Jam (including Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron) were inducted during 2014 and 2017, respectively.
“Chris lived the experience and said the enthusiasm of the fans was eye-opening for him, and understanding how important that was — and Matt seconded it,” Thayil explains. “In so many ways the fans got some kind of validation by having a band that was important to their heart and that they championed get (the honor). I know I felt that way about bands I believed in, whether the MC5 or the Ramones or Kiss.
“Chris explained that to me, and that kind of changed things. Plus I heard this from the Nirvana guys, the Pearl Jam guys, other friends and other bands. So it really changed my perspective.”
And Thayil is confident that Cornell — who died by suicide in May of 2017 following a concert in Detroit — would “definitely be stoked” about Soundgarden being inducted.
“He’s the one who convinced me how appreciative the fans and our peers and the Soundgarden community — that includes the people that we work with and work for us — would be about it,” Thayil says. “He realized how important that was, and he understood that would be important to us because it’s important to people who cared about us and helped us and supported us all along.
“That’s how I believe Chris would respond to this. I think he’d be very appreciative and thankful to all the people who have believed in him and believed in the work he did and the work that we all did, collectively.”
Thayil says Cameron and bassist Ben Shepherd are both “very happy” about the induction news, and the guitarist is also pleased that original bassist Hiro Yamamoto — who was with Soundgarden from 1984 to 1989 and played on its first two EPs and first two albums — is being included in the induction.
“It’s the classic lineup and the foundational lineup,” Thayil says. “[Yamamoto] was really enthused, too. You have to reflect upon our formation and all the hard work, just the weird things we went through — walking miles and stapling posters to telephone poles for a gig 40, 50 people will be at, the van tours — not just of the U.S. but in Europe — sleeping on floors in Motel 6. It’s a long way, and I enjoy sharing and seeing enthusiasm from my bandmates and our people in the Soundgarden community — management, crew, everybody. It’s great.”
During its 34-year run, Soundgarden released six studio albums, including the six-times platinum Superunknown in 1994, and won two Grammy Awards. The group was the first of the so-called Northwest grunge bands to sign with a major label (A&M Records in 1989) and spearheaded a movement out of Seattle. The late Cornell also released five studio albums and joined members of Rage Against the Machine in the band Audioslave during Soundgarden’s 1997-2010 hiatus. Its final release to date was King Animal in 2012.
Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd have played together only a handful of times since Cornell’s death, including at a charity tribute concert for him during January 2019 and as part of the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in September of 2022, both at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
Soundgarden’s previous Rock Hall nominations came in 2020 and 2023, and Thayil says Cornell’s absence has always been top of mind when the honor has been broached.
“It’s a high bar, not just technically, but emotionally,” he acknowledges. “There has to be a reverence for the missing brother and founder, and there also has to be reverence for the legacy — both for Chris’ work and Chris’ creativity, as well as the regard and reverence we have for ourselves collectively and for each other. Some suggestions have come out; I’m not prepared to share that, but I’ll just say it’s a higher bar than the usual composite of guitarists and drummers or singers.”
Also lurking, of course, is the specter of seven unreleased Soundgarden recordings that were the subject of legalities between the band and Cornell’s widow, Vicki Cornell. The matters were settled during the spring of 2023, but there’s no word about plans to release that material. “Certainly the catalog will continue to be addressed,” Thayil promises. “It’s been kinda shelved for a few years, but it will be addressed.”
In the meantime, Cameron is currently on tour with Pearl Jam, and work with Thayil in the band 3rd Secret — which also Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and others — has so far released two albums. Thayil also guests on albums for a variety of other artists, which he’ll continue as Soundgarden prepares for November’s festivities.
“We always wanted to be the kind of band for our fans that we looked up to and inspired us — that’s always been a context in which Soundgarden understood its own work,” Thayil says. “We wanted to be that kind of band would make decisions with regard to that community that had supported us or that we had worked to build, and I think we did a great job of that.”
Chubby Checker, whose “The Twist” was a global smash in 1960, has been eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since the first class was inducted in 1986, but he was never even nominated until this year. Despite having been ignored for decades, he made it in his first time on the ballot.
So did first-time nominees Bad Company, Joe Cocker and Outkast, as well as Cyndi Lauper and The White Stripes, who had each been nominated once before, and Soundgarden, which had been nominated twice before. These seven acts were all inducted in the performer category.
The inductees were announced by Ryan Seacrest on ABC’s American Idol on Sunday night (April 27).
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There are six other inductees this year in other categories. Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon are set to receive the musical influence award; Philly Soul producer Thom Bell, English studio pianist/organist Nicky Hopkins and studio bass guitarist Carole Kaye (who was part of the fabled Wrecking Crew of top L.A. studio musicians) will receive the musical excellence award; and producer and label executive Lenny Waronker will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Sadly, several of these people didn’t live to see their inductions. Hopkins died in 1994 at age 50; Zevon in 2003 at 56; Chris Cornell of Soundgarden in 2017 at 52; and Bell in 2022 at 79.
Checker had to wait even longer for induction than Cher, who was finally inducted last year, 59 years after Sonny & Cher’s breakthrough smash “I Got You Babe.”
With Outkast and Salt-N-Pepa both being inducted this year, this is the sixth consecutive year that one or more rap acts has been in the induction class.
With Lauper, Salt-N-Pepa, Meg White of The White Stripes and Carol Kaye being inducted this year, this is the fourth consecutive year that four or more female acts were in the induction class.
Bell won the first Grammy Award ever presented for producer of the year, non-classical, in 1975. By coincidence, Waronker was among the other nominees in the category that year. Waronker was also nominated for record of the year that year for producing Maria Muldaur’s classy and sexy “Midnight at the Oasis.” Waronker’s many other hits as a producer include Gordon Lightfoot’s Hot 100-topping “Sundown,” Rickie Lee Jones’ “Chuck E.’s in Love” and Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.,” which Dawes performed as the opening song on this year’s Grammy telecast.
Carol Kaye, 90, is this year’s oldest inductee. Checker and Waronker are both 83, but will both be 84 by the time of the Nov. 8 induction ceremony.
All of the artists who were induced in the performer category have landed top five albums on the Billboard 200. Three of them reached No. 1: Bad Company (Bad Company, 1974), Outkast (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, 2003) and Soundgarden (Superunknown, 1994). Three more reached No. 2: Chubby Checker (Your Twist Party, 1962), Joe Cocker (Mad Dogs and Englishmen, 1970) and The White Stripes (Icky Thump, 2007). Lauper climbed as high as No. 4 twice, with She’s So Unusual in 1984 and True Colors in 1986.
Both of the artists who are receiving musical influence awards made the top 10. Salt-N-Pepa reached No. 4 with Very Necessary in 1994. Zevon hit No. 8 with Excitable Boy in 1978.
Lauper won the Grammy for best new artist in 1985. She’s the sixth artist who was a past winner of that award to go on to a Rock Hall induction.
Outkast won the Grammy for album of the year in 2004 for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. André 3000 was nominated again in that category at this year’s ceremony for New Blue Sun.
Two of the inducted acts are duos – Outkast (André 3000 and Big Boi) and The White Stripes (Jack White and Meg White).
The other seven nominees in the performer category were denied admission to the Rock Hall – this year, anyway. Oasis and Mariah Carey were both passed over for the second year in a row. Both were surprising snubs – Oasis is reuniting for a global tour in 2025; Carey’s profile, never low, has been boosted in recent years by her status as the uncontested Queen of Christmas. Of the other passed-over artists, Joy Division/New Order were previously on the ballot in 2023; this was the first time on the ballot for The Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Maná and Phish.
The voters showed no love for brother acts this year. Oasis includes Liam and Noel Gallagher; The Black Crowes includes Chris and Rich Robinson.
Maná was vying to become the first rock en español act to make the Rock Hall. Joy Division/New Order was vying to join the short list of two related acts being inducted in tandem, following Parliament/Funkadelic in 1997 and The Small Faces/Faces in 2012.
Phish, which won this year’s fan vote, has never landed a Hot 100 hit, but the band is a powerhouse live attraction, as evidenced when it played the Sphere in Las Vegas in April 2024.
Idol was a mainstay of early MTV – as was Lauper, who did get in. In an interview with Vulture, Idol said of his guitarist Steve Stevens, “Because of our special relationship, if I get in, they will induct him as well.” This would have echoed Pat Benatar’s induction three years ago, where the Rock Hall inducted both Benatar and her husband and musical partner, Neil Giraldo. But it’s academic, as Idol didn’t make it this year.
The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will be live on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The 2025 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+, with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day. The 2024 ceremony aired on New Year’s Day.
Here’s the full list of 2025 inductees:
Performer Category
Bad Company
Chubby Checker
Joe Cocker
Cyndi Lauper
Outkast
Soundgarden
The White Stripes
Musical Influence Award
Salt-N-Pepa
Warren Zevon
Musical Excellence Award
Thom Bell
Nicky Hopkins
Carol Kaye
Ahmet Ertegun Award
Lenny Waronker
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
Despite their treasure chest of songs, style and, in their late-80s heyday, the ability to fill stadiums a long way from home, INXS is one of many bands waiting for a Rock Hall nod.
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A dedicated group of fans is trying to change that.
A change.org petition, simply titled “Induct INXS into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” is well on its way to reaching its target of 15,000 signatures.
At the time of writing, more than 11,000 fans have joined the petition, which declares: “After many years of amazing music and dynamic “live” performances, it’s time to ensure the legacy of one of the greatest bands in the world – INXS!”
The campaign was established by “Team Induct INXS,” comprised of fans Dina Ghram, Shanon Steele and Jim Skivalidas.
“All three of us are big music fans and have a deep appreciation of bands that have touched our lives and inspired us throughout the years,” the trio write in a message to Billboard.
“INXS is at the top of all three of our lists – we’ve grown up with them, seen them ‘live’, bought all their albums, and come to think of INXS as a family of sorts.”
Alongside the Rock Hall petition, the team invested in a website at inductinxs.com. “We wanted to make sure that the fans knew we were taking this induct campaign seriously,” they explain.
Despite Australia’s renowned pedigree in rock music, few acts from the great southern land have graduated to the Rock Hall.
The Bee Gees and AC/CD are both immortalized, as is Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea, who was born Michael Balzary, in Melbourne. The Bee Gees, AC/DC and INXS are all members of the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Formed in Perth, Australia in 1977, and fronted by the charismatic Michael Hutchence, INXS kicked on to become one of the most popular alternative rock bands of the ‘80s.
Across their career, the new wave act sold over 60 million record sales worldwide, according to their label, Petrol, and bagged No. 1s on both sides of the Atlantic.
The rockers scored six U.K. top 10 albums (including a best-seller with Welcome To Wherever You Are from 1992) and five U.S. top 20 albums.
The 1987 album Kick went on to become the group’s highest and longest-charting album in the U.S., with a peak of No. 3 on the Billboard 200. It remained on the survey for 81 weeks, and four of its singles cracked the top 10 on the Hot 100: “New Sensation,” “Never Tear Us Apart,” “Devil Inside” and the “Need You Tonight,” which led the chart.
INXS was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001, four years after the death of Hutchence, aged 37. The band has been eligible for induction into the Cleveland, Ohio-based Rock Hall since 2006, though, to date, their name hasn’t been called.
Though the surviving members of INXS have called time on touring, a popular podcast, INXS: Access All Areas, led by Haydn Murdoch and Bridgit “Bee” Hewitt, explores the band and their many hits, which include “Original Sin,” “What You Need,” “Don’t Change,” “Burn For You,” and others.
The recently-inducted 2022 Rock Hall class included contemporaries Pat Benatar, Eurythmics and Duran Duran, who tapped Nile Rodgers to produce their 1983 hit “The Reflex” after hearing his slick sonic work on “Original Sin.”
“We are not stopping this campaign until INXS is nominated and inducted,” note Team Induct INXS. “This should have happened years ago.”
The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony brought a handful of legends to Los Angeles on Saturday night (Nov. 5) to commemorate and celebrate one another. And as John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, revealed, L.A. will now join Cleveland and New York as a regular home for the annual honors.
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The 2022 class included Dolly Parton, Eminem, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis also joined the Rock Hall with the “award for musical excellence.”
Yet they were far from the only stars in the room: attendees included Dave Grohl, Mary J. Blige, Gwen Stefani, Ed Sheeran and Bruce Springsteen (whose longtime manager, Jon Landau, is stepping down as chairman of the Rock Hall, which he co-founded).
Also being honored: Elizabeth Cotton, who rose to prominence for playing the guitar both upside down and left handed; Sylvia Robinson, singer, producer and co-founder of Sugar Hill Records; singer and activist Harry Belafonte; legendary producer and executive Jimmy Iovine; and famed entertainment attorney Allen Grubman.
Though long — clocking in at five-and-a-half hours — the unrushed evening allowed for a surplus of special moments, from superstar jams to the recounting of beautiful memories from music’s greatest talents.
Ahead of the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony airing Nov. 19 on HBO, here are the highlights.
Dolly Parton Live Debuted New Music
“If I’m gonna be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I’m gonna have to earn it!” exclaimed Dolly Parton. Prior to performing, she spoke about how she had initially declined the honor, saying at the time she didn’t feel worthy enough. “Back when they tried to put me in, I didn’t think I had done enough, but I get it’s a little bit more than that now,” she said in her speech.
Yet, the country icon still felt she had something to prove, and as such live-debuted a brand new song off her upcoming rock album (How many of you rockers are gonna help me out?” she asked the room, surveying the audience). Rocking a black latex jumpsuit with large colored jewels and a matching guitar — on which she shred through a solo — Parton performed the new track with Zac Brown on guitar and backing vocals. “I still got rock and roll down in my country soul,” she sang.
Her set included P!nk and Brandi Carlile duetting on “Coat of Many Colors,” Sheryl Crow and Zac Brown Band singing “9 to 5” and a grand finale featuring every inductee (minus Eminem, naturally) for a whopping rendition of “Jolene.”
Parton put it best: “We’ve got a star studded stage up here, don’t we?“
Eminem Ripped Through a Hits-Filled Medley
During Dr. Dre’s induction speech for his longtime friend and collaborator Eminem, the super producer recalled their first session. The rising rapper came to Dre’s home studio, listened to an unfinished track and immediately got on the mic to say: “Hi, my name is…” thus creating a soon-to-be mega hit.
Eminem fittingly opened his set with the track, before even more appropriately showing off his hyper-speed skills with “Rap God.” And it just kept getting better. Steven Tyler made a surprise appearance for “Dream On,” which Em samples on “Sing for the Moment,” only to be replaced by another guest star, Ed Sheeran. The pop icon, with his acoustic guitar in hand, helped deliver an impassioned “Stan.” The medley then moved into “Forever” before closing out with “Not Afraid.”
For a rapper whose piercing eyes and vicious verses could kill, his speech — for which he put on his glasses — was less of an attack and more of a thank you note, especially to Dr. Dre. Or, as Em called him, “the man who saved my life.”
Duran Duran Shared Some Heavy News
While Duran Duran was arguably met with the evening’s loudest cheers, not every moment the band spent on stage was a celebratory one. Following an induction from Robert Downey Jr., in which he revealed the band played a short set at his 50th birthday party (seven years ago) and shared the secret to longevity — “consistent quality over time, plus headbands” — frontman Simon Le Bon sang a powerful though accidental a cappella opening to “Girls On Film.” Despite the band’s sound not working, he remained in good spirits, joking, “We just had to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.”
The band then played “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Ordinary World,” complete with an orchestra, before delivering a moving — and unexpectedly sad — speech. Simon began by reading a letter from former member Andy Taylor, in which he explained his absence and revealed he has stage four prostate cancer.
“I’m truly sorry and massively disappointed I couldn’t make it. Let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing, even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy!” the letter read. “I often doubted the day would come. I’m sure as hell glad I’m around to see the day.”
Lionel Richie Had a Belt-Off With Dave Grohl
The story Lenny Kravitz told while inducting Lionel Richie of how, 25 years ago, his grandfather interrupted their first jam session was hard to top. But halfway through Richie’s beautifully arched set — which opened with “Hello” and closed with a fun-filled dance along to “All Night Long” — he delivered a show-stopping moment.
During “Easy,” Dave Grohl made a surprise appearance — wearing a velvet blazer perhaps inspired by the one Richie himself was wearing — to offer support as lead guitarist. It wasn’t his shredding that stole the show, but rather the growling belt-off that ensued between the two after Richie held the mic to Grohl. And though without context it may have seemed like a heated debate over who is lower maintenance, the conviction on both ends is what sold the spontaneity of it.
“We are celebrating one of the funniest jokes in my life,” said Richie, “because all of the songs I wrote and recorded, so many people told me, ‘These are the songs that will destroy your career.’”
Olivia Rodrigo and Sara Bareilles’ Embodied Carly Simon
Sara Bareilles pulled double duty, both inducting and performing on behalf of Carly Simon, who was unable to attend the ceremony. Bareilles beautifully belted the Grammy-awarded “Nobody Does It Better” before welcoming another performer to the stage: Olivia Rodrigo.
Rodrigo performed the classic Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, “You’re So Vain,” which was called “the biggest hit that has kept everyone guessing for 50 years” in Simon’s celebratory montage. And yet, Rodrigo sang with a convincing clarity, like she knew exactly who was at fault. In the same video package, Taylor Swift praised “Vain” for being “the best way anyone has addressed a breakup.”
As Simon wrote in a letter, read by Bareilles: “I am humbled, shocked, proud, overachieved, underqualified and singularity grateful.”
Judas Priest Brought The Pyro
The only (light) pyro of the evening came courtesy of none other than metal rockers Judas Priest. As Alice Cooper said in his induction speech, “I don’t want to hear rock is dead, because it isn’t,” he teed up the band nicely to demonstrate why it’s very alive and well. “Judas Priest,” he continued,” are truly the definitive metal band. Heavy metal didn’t have a look until Judas Priest.”
During lively performances of “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight,” sparks served as an electrified backdrop to the band’s iconic twin guitar sound. “People underestimate just how popular heavy metal is,” Glenn Tipton said. To which Richie Faulkner admitted, “You rebel against the establishment until you realize you are the establishment… and here we are, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame… I’m honored and proud to be a part of it.”
Rob Halford delivered a similarly touching take on metal and this moment, though opened with more of a zinger: “I’m the gay guy in the band,” he said with a laugh. “The heavy metal community is all inclusive, everybody’s welcome… We’re all about the power and the emotion and the dedication and the love.”
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Proofed Love Can Be Long Lasting
Sheryl Crow inducted the duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo by holding up the couple’s 1980 Rolling Stone cover. “They were hot!” she exclaimed, noting she was 18 years old when that issue came out. A clear longtime and avid fan, Crow insisted, “They should have been inducted many years ago… Finally, they get what they long deserve.”
To celebrate, the pair performed a roaring set that included “All Fired Up,” “Love Is a Battlefield” and “Heartbreaker.” But when delivering their speech, that ferocity that vibrates through Benatar’s hits was soon replaced with tenderness. As Giraldo spoke of their beautiful and expanding family (they just welcomed an 11-day-old grandson) and called his longtime love “Patricia,” she looked on with wide-eyes as if they had only just met.
Eurythmics Shimmered in Matching Sparkling Suits
After The Edge opened his speech by praising the women of Iran, he loosely quoted Oscar Wilde, saying “the duty of the artist is to make beautiful things.” And no better act, he felt, embodied that sentiment than Eurythmics.
The two seemed intent on proving as much with a set that included a vibrant and rallying performance of “Sweet Dreams.” And when the two insisted, “Keep your head up!” it was clear this song arguably resonates now more than ever — the sign of any true classic.
When it came time for Annie to speak after the set, she was met with a thunderous standing ovation, to which she said in awe: “Oh wow.” The rest of her speech packed more punch, as she spoke about how, by nature, “We musicians are peaceful people… we spread love around the world, not hate and division. We bring people together.”
Terry Lewis Shared More Than He Ever Has Before
To honor the great Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, longtime friend and collaborator Janet Jackson rocked the same look of her 1986 Control cover art — fitting, considering how she said that album was the first time anybody had asked her what she wanted to talk about. With Terry and Jimmy, she said, “it felt like we were kids playing in a sandbox,” plus they listened. “Those stories [I shared] became the foundation of the Control album, and that album sounds fresh to this day,” she said.
Perhaps inspired by her speech — in which she also detailed the pair’s impressive resume, having worked with Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, George Michael, Usher, “my brother Michael” and so many more — Terry took the mic next. He spoke at length of his gratitude, especially for his mom, who used to yell at him and Jimmy to “turn that s–t” down whenever they would make music in the basement. “So thank you, mom, for tolerating all of that noise.”
Jimmy’s reply was simple: “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry talk in my whole life.”
Jimmy Iovine Passed On a Key Lesson
As Bruce Springsteen joked in his induction speech for Jimmy Iovine, referencing their first few encounters when Iovine was working in a studio, “[Jimmy] came with the furniture.” As it turned out, being embedded into the studio proved unbelievably beneficial when, one day, Springsteen’s manager came in asking Iovine if he could producer. “Jon [Landau] looked at me and said, ‘Can you do this?’ I’d like to thank myself for having the balls to say, ‘YES.’”
Turns out, he could do it — thanks to those who had taught him a thing or two. And now, the idea of passing it on informs Iovine’s every day life. “Technically I retired five years ago… not,” he jokes. “Thank the people who mentored you and try to be a mentor for somebody else whenever you can, because the truth is, no one gets to a moment like this alone.”
On Saturday night (Nov. 5), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted its 2022 class in grand fashion. Inductees included Dolly Parton, Eminem, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are also joining the Rock Hall with the “award for musical excellence.”
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And while little was known about what Eminem in particular would do to commemorate his induction — as is expected from the reserved rapper — the surprises, plural, made for an even more impactful showing.
Longtime friend and collaborator Dr. Dre had the pleasure of inducting Eminem, recalling the first time Jimmy Iovine called to let him know that Eminem was a white guy. “That completely f—-d me up,” said Dre with a laugh.
He continued to recount how nearly everyone tried to discourage him from working with the then-unknown rapper, saying no one believed or saw the vision. “I knew that his gifts were undeniable,” Dre affirmed. “Each of us was what the other one needed — and I was willing to bet my entire career on it.”
As Dre said, Eminem “brought hip-hop to middle America.” In doing so, he became one of the best-selling and most celebrated rappers in music, evidenced by the Rock Hall video montage that included clips from Adele, Elton John, Rihanna and more all praising his unmatched skills.
There was only one way to follow such a hefty induction, and that was with an even meatier performance. Em delivered just that, ripping through hits like “My Name Is,” “Forever,” “Not Afraid” and more — while also featuring unexpected guests from Steven Tyler to Ed Sheeran.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” said Eminem following his set. “One, I’m a rapper; two, I almost died from an overdose; and three, I really had to fight my way through… I’m a high school drop out with a hip hop education.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air on Nov. 19 on HBO.
On Saturday night (Nov. 5), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted its 2022 class in grand fashion. Inductees included Dolly Parton, Eminem, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are also joining the Rock Hall with the “award for musical excellence.”
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See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
P!nk had the honor of inducting Parton, delivering a moving speech in which she called the evening “one of the most magical nights I’ve witnessed in the history of me being in music.”
She walked the audience through Parton’s groundbreaking career, especially as it pertains to being a woman not only in entertainment but in America. P!nk highlighted the hits that speak most to not only Parton’s truths, but universal ones, from “Coat of Many Colors” to “9 to 5,” the latter of which she even briefly belted the chorus of.
“[Dolly is] one of the greatest storytellers of our time… of all time,” P!nk continued.
As Parton walked on stage to accept her honor, she and P!nk — both dressed head to toe in sparkles — exchanged a warm embrace before Parton joked, “I’m a rockstar now!”
In a speech of her own, Parton teased her upcoming rock album and even treated the audience to her as-yet-unreleased new rock song… in which she emphatically declares: “I still got rock and roll down in my country soul.”
And while a host of friends helped perform hits in Parton’s honor, the final sequence of both her set and of the night was the best, in which almost every inductee — and a few special friends — joined forces for a winding rendition of “Jolene.”
The 2022 ceremony is the first time in the Hall’s 37-year history that six female acts — Benatar, Parton, Simon, Cotten, Robinson and Annie Lennox (as part of Eurythmics) — were inducted in one class.
The show will air on Nov. 19 on HBO.
