CLEVELAND (AP) — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will delight fans of some long-overlooked acts with the induction of its class of 2025 later this year.
Announced Sunday night during ABC’s “American Idol,” this year’s inductees include first-time nominees Bad Company, Joe Cocker, and Chubby Checker. They are joined by Soundgarden, on its third nomination, and the White Stripes and Cyndi Lauper, each on their second. The hip-hop duo Outkast also joins the Performers category as a first-time nominee.
Warren Zevon, who passed away in 2003 and was nominated once in 2023, will receive one of two Musical Influence Awards, with Salt-N-Pepa receiving the other. Musical Excellence Awards will be presented to Carol Kaye, bassist for Phil Spector’s Wrecking Crew, the late pianist Nicky Hopkins, and celebrated Philadelphia soul songwriter and producer Thom Bell.
Lenny Waronker, a veteran Warner Bros. and DreamWorks executive and producer known for signing artists like Randy Newman and James Taylor, will also be honored.
Eligibility for the Rock Hall begins 25 years after an act’s first commercial recording. Checker has been eligible since 1984, Cocker and Zevon since 1994, Bad Company since 1999, and Soundgarden since 2012.
The Performers list includes five of the top seven finishers on the Rock Hall’s Fan Ballot. Bad Company was second with 279,012 votes, followed by Lauper in fourth with 235,438, then Cocker (232,063), Soundgarden (231,611), and Checker (201,835). Phish led fan voting with 327,304 votes, and Billy Idol was third with 258,718, but neither made the final list. Other nominees included the Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, and Mana.
The Performers category is selected by a voting body of music industry professionals, while the fan ballot counts as a single vote for the top seven acts. Other categories are chosen by committees within the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
The induction ceremony is set for Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will stream live on Disney+. It will be available on Hulu the following day and will be edited for an ABC special to air later.
“Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that profoundly impacted culture and helped to change the course of Rock & Roll forever,” said Rock Hall Chairman John Sykes in a statement. “Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”
The 2025 inductees span a wide range, from Checker’s first singles in 1959 to Soundgarden’s work until frontman Chris Cornell’s death in 2017. Salt-N-Pepa remains active, and Lauper is on a farewell tour. Jack White has pursued a solo career since the White Stripes disbanded in 2011 and is currently touring North America. Andre 3000 and Big Boi have been working independently since Outkast’s short 2014 reunion tour.
Hopkins, who worked with numerous classic rock luminaries, died in 1994, while Cocker passed away 20 years later. Bad Company, whose bassist Boz Burrell died in 2006, has been inactive since 2019, though frontman Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke remain active; a tribute album is expected later this year, and Rodgers is writing a memoir.
The “American Idol” episode featured finalists performing songs by Rock Hall inductees, with a guest mentor appearance by 2000 inductee James Taylor.
