Until a couple years ago we all had to wait a couple months for HBO to broadcast the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (except the lucky few who actually attended the event). Then in 2023, Disney+ started streaming the event live and the telecast moved to New Year’s Day on ABC. Since I’m not a subscriber to Disney+, I taped the ABC show to avoid the commercials. This wasn’t one of the strongest classes of inductees, although super fans of the bands might disagree. It’s undeniable, however, that the telecast is a shadow of its former self.
Here are the 2024 Inductees:
Performer Category
- Mary J. Blige
- Cher
- Dave Matthews
- Foreigner
- Peter Frampton
- Kool & the Gang
- Ozzy Osbourne
- A Tribe Called Quest
Musical Excellence Award
- Jimmy Buffett
- MC5
- Dionne Warwick
- Norman Whitfield
Musical Influence Award
- Alexis Korner
- John Mayall
- Big Mama Thornton
A brief rundown…Dua Lipa started the show singing “Believe,” as Cher joined her shortly for a duet. (I’ll let you wrestle with the image of Dua Lipa and Cher opening the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.) Zendaya took a quick break from movies and award shows to induct Cher. Rapper Chuck D inducted Kool & the Gang who can still throw a party with “Jungle Boogie” and “Celebration.” Sammy Hagar had the honors for Foreigner. The original band is no longer touring, so Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Slash, and Demi Lovato cranked out “Feels Like the First Time” and “Hot Blooded” while Kelly Clarkson took the lead on “I Want to Know What Love Is” with lead vocalist Lou Gramm. Dionne Warwick was inducted by Teyana Taylor (the actress who played her in the film biopic). Jennifer Hudson belted out “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and “Walk on By” accompanied by Warwick who still showed some chops. Roger Daltrey took the podium for Peter Frampton who performed a sit-down “Do You Feel Like I Do” with Keith Urban, complete with dueling guitars and the talk box. James Taylor honored Jimmy Buffett and performed a sweet version of “Come Monday” with Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally. Dave Chapelle heralded A Tribe Called Quest and Dr. Dre and Method Man welcomed Mary J. Blige. Ozzy sat in a black leather bat throne while Jack Black extolled the experience of discovering Ozzy as a young teenager. In what was easily the highlight of the evening for me, he spoke directly to today’s 13-year-olds, admonishing them first to put down their phones, followed by this wisdom, “Sure you could go stream Post Malone and Taylor Swift and get all the warm hugs you need for your broken hearts, or you can stay up all night and get your minds blown by Ozzy’s entire catalog for the first time.” Billy Idol, Chad Smith, Wolfgang Van Halen, and Jelly Roll collaborated on “Crazy Train” and “No More Tears.” For the closing act, super fan Julia Roberts gushed over Dave Matthews. As younger inductees, the full band was in good form on “Crash into Me,” “So Much to Say,” “Too Much,” and more.
The ceremony typically runs about five hours. Over the years, the HBO telecasts ran three to four hours. Of course, that was uninterrupted time devoid of commercial breaks. ABC devoted a three-hour block for the event that with advertisements equals about 2:15. While the HBO program was always seamless, ABC’s was a choppy mess. Compounding the awful editing of the presented material was what was left out. I would have enjoyed a brief acknowledgement of the “godfather of British blues,” John Mayall. When I saw Tom Morello in the audience, I knew he could only be there to induct the highly influential MC5. Nope. At least not for us to see on network TV. The In Memoriam tribute also met the chopping block. A given of the ceremony since its inception is the all-star jam finale with the inductees gathering to perform a rock classic. It can be cheesy, but still a fitting communal conclusion for the evening. There wasn’t one this year, but Dave Matthews came back for an encore and played “Burning Down the House.” To see them covering the Talking Heads would have been pretty cool. But not to be on ABC.
Well, there you have it, a little bit of everything – pop, country, rap, hip-hop, R&B, and oh yeah, rock and roll. The continual tilt away from rock, and now the diminished telecast, has me questioning my investment into the Rock Hall. But I’m a loyalist, especially when it comes to awards programs and the Hall of Fame ceremony has often uplifted me with its unifying spirit of rock and roll. So, I guess I need to sign up for Disney+ or just shut the f*&! up.
2024 Nominees Who Will Have to Try Again: Daft Punk, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Chaka Khan, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, The Smiths, Joy Division, and Iron Maiden
Trivia: Who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice?
Trivia: Who designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame building?
Answers below
Answers: Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac and solo) and I.M. Pei (designer of numerous monumental structures worldwide, most notably the glass-and-steel Louvre Museum pyramid)
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