Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, the White Stripes and Soundgarden were among this year’s inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, adding their names to the pantheon of music’s most esteemed and beloved acts.
New Yorker Lauper, who burst onto the pop scene with colourful punk looks and infectious tunes like Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, True Colours and Time After Time, was inducted by Pink Pony Club singer Chappell Roan.
Praising her “four-octave range” and unapologetic style, Roan thanked Lauper for being an icon for any artist who may be called “too much, too loud, too eccentric or all of the above – their honesty becomes their greatest strength”.
To induct Detroit rock band The White Stripes – known for sports arena favourite Seven Nation Army and Fell in Love with a Girl, among others – singer Iggy Pop gave an exuberant speech peppered with curse words and his own screeching impressions of the band’s raucous sound.
“The White Stripes music was coming from a foundation of love, not revolution,” Pop said.
Singer-guitarist Jack White accepted on behalf of himself and drummer Meg White, who did not attend. He named a long list of industry heavies and bands before adding: “To the homeless and the powerless and the forgotten, we always say thank you.”
Other inducted American performers included Atlanta’s hip-hop duo Outkast, who topped charts with Hey Ya, Ms. Jackson and The Way You Move, and Seattle’s grunge band Soundgarden, who had hits with Black Hole Sun and Spoonman.
English singer Joe Cocker, who died in 2014, was inducted posthumously to honour his bluesy music, including You Are So Beautiful, his cover of the Beatles’ With a Little Help from My Friends and the Grammy-winning duet with Jennifer Warnes Up Where We Belong.
Other inductees included arena rockers Bad Company, who sang Can’t Get Enough, and The Twist singer Chubby Checker.
Groundbreaking New York hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa was honoured with a Musical Influence Award for their hit songs Let’s Talk About Sex, Push It and Shoop, which celebrate women’s independence with playful sexuality in a male-dominated genre.
“These three women are the bricklayers to the foundation that holds hip-hop together,” Grammy-winning singer Missy Elliott told the audience before introducing their performance. “They gave us their shoulders to stand on.”
English session pianist Nicky Hopkins was honoured with the Musical Excellence Award for his work with superstars including The Rolling Stones, The Who, David Bowie and The Beatles.
“That song started off as a kind of slowish song, and then Nicky started playing this samba piano with this percussion, that’s like the hook of the song,” Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger said of Hopkins’s work on the song Sympathy for the Devil.
Along with awards and heartfelt acceptance speeches, the event featured performances by Elton John; Bryan Adams; Olivia Rodrigo; Twenty One Pilots; Doja Cat; Tyler, the Creator; and many more.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, now features an exhibit with artefacts and memorabilia from this year’s inductees.
