Say hello to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. The museum will induct seven new musicians and bands in the performer category this year:
- Bad Company
- Chubby Checker
- Joe Cocker
- Cyndi Lauper
- Outkast
- Soundgarden
- The White Stripes
Additionally, Salt-N-Pepa and longtime Rock Hall snub Warren Zevon will both get in by receiving the Rock Hall’s Musical Influence Award, while Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye will receive the Musical Excellence Award. Record producer Lenny Waronker earns the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The inductees were announced on Sunday night’s episode of American Idol, revealing a diverse batch of musicians earning the Cleveland-based honor.
“Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of Rock & Roll forever,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock Hall, said in a statement. “Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”
Of all of this year’s inductees, Soundgarden had been nominated the most, with three nominations leading up to its induction this year — which will take place more than seven years after Chris Cornell died.
Lauper, known for her ‘80s pop-rock hits “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” and “Time After Time,” is currently on her farewell tour, which swings by Blossom Music Center on July 30. She was previously nominated once before in 2023.
Surprisingly, Phish — a clear favorite in the Rock Hall’s fan vote, amassing more than 330,000 votes — will not be inducted this year. The groovy psych-rock band encouraged its far-reaching fan base to vote daily after it was nominated, and it ended up standing far above second-place finisher Bad Company (at 281,000 votes) and third-place finisher Billy Idol (at 260,500 votes).
While winning the fan vote typically leads to an artist’s induction into the Rock Hall, it isn’t always a sure thing. Dave Matthews Band notably won more than a million fan votes in 2020, but wasn’t inducted until 2024.
Though it ultimately didn’t make it in, Mexican pop-rock group Mana made history as the first Spanish-language band to earn a Rock Hall nomination.
RELATED: 9 Highlights from the 2024 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony
This year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 8. It will also live stream on Disney+, and will be available to view on Hulu the following day.
Find more details about the new class of inductees at rockhall.com.
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