The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2025 inductees: Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, OutKast, Soundgarden, and the White Stripes are officially joining the ranks of rock’s elite.
Alongside the main inductees, Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon will snag the Musical Influence Award. Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins, and Carol Kaye are up for the Musical Excellence Award, and former Warner Bros. Records president Lenny Waronker will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
John Sykes, Chairman of the Hall of Fame, summed it up: “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,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”
The induction ceremony will go down on November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It’ll be streamed live on Disney+ and will air on ABC a little later on.
Fans might be in for some reunion magic. While a White Stripes reunion seems pretty unlikely due to Meg White’s low-key lifestyle, Soundgarden’s surviving members have teamed up a few times since Chris Cornell’s tragic passing, including a December 2024 performance. Salt-N-Pepa’s induction might bring DJ Spinderella back into the fold, as the group has been patching things up after her departure in 2019—Pep even joined Spinderella for a Halloween performance last year.
OutKast’s induction is another chance for a reunion, but it’s unclear whether André 3000 will join Big Boi. Though André has been focusing on solo instrumental work, Big Boi’s been out there touring. André’s thoughts on revisiting the past are clear: he’s thankful for OutKast’s legacy but not looking to step back into it.
“I knew when I was, like, 25, that at a certain age I wouldn’t want to be onstage doing those songs,” he told Rolling Stone‘s Andre Gee in December 2024. “They required a certain energy. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of looking back. I’m just not. I’m grateful for everything that’s happened, but it was a time. To me, that’s what it is. That was a great time, and I wish y’all were there.”
Love Music?
Get the latest news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox.
Meanwhile, Cyndi Lauper’s induction comes hot on the heels of her ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour’. “I am so grateful to my fans for my career,” she told Billboard From the start, I’ve just wanted to make music that means something to people, that lifts them up and makes them feel seen. This honor, should I get in, is as much for them as it is for me. Thank you, Rock Hall.”
