LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has inducted its 2026 class of 18 musical luminaries into the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Artists become eligible for the hall 25 years after their first musical release.
Here’s a look at this year’s Rock Hall class, some of their defining songs and who inducted them.
The 75-year-old English singer, songwriter and drummer is already in the room as a member of Genesis and has re-launched a solo career that has brought him some of the biggest hits of the 1980s. Key songs: “Against All Odds,” “One More Night,” “You’ll Be in My Heart.”
Collins was inducted by Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who also played Collins’ famous drum fill as Cynthia Erivo sang “In the Air Tonight” in tribute.
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an epic hip-hop coalition from Staten Island, comprised of RZAGZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and before that, the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. They have been hip-hop innovators since their 1993 debut album, “Enter the Wu-Tang.” Key Songs: “CREAM,” “Protect Ya Neck,” “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit.”
The group was inducted by Chris Rock. The many members performed a medley of their hits, including late member Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “CREAM” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” backed by a large jazz band.
Queen Latifah
The 56-year-old, born in New Jersey Queen Latifah enjoyed unprecedented success for a female rapper, becoming a star at age 19 with the release of her 1989 album “All Hail the Queen” and the single “Ladies First.” Key songs: “Ladies First,” “When You’re Good to Mama.”
She enters the room as the recipient of the Early Influence Award.
She was inducted by Megan Thee Stallion and accepted in person. She and fellow contestant MC Lyte jointly performed a medley of their hits, including “UNITY.”
Billy Idol
The 70-year-old punk-coded English rock singer had major successes in the 1980s. He was inducted with his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens. Key Songs: “Dancing With Myself,” “White Wedding,” “Eyes Without a Face.”
Inducted by No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal, Idol performed “White Wedding” with Stevens and sang “Eyes Without a Face” as a duet with Stefani.
Luther Vandross
Vandross was an R&B singer whose velvet-voiced love songs made him a definitive voice of the ’80s and ’90s. Vandross died in 2005. Key songs: “Never Too Much,” “Dance With My Father,” “I’d Rather.”
He was inducted by Oprah Winfrey. Usher sang a medley of his songs, including “Here and Now” and “So Amazing.”
Rick Rubin
The 63-year-old producer was instrumental in popularizing hip-hop in the 1980s through his work with the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Run DMC and his label Def Jam Recordings. Rubin later worked in rock and country, producing Johnny Cash’s haunting final recordings in the 1990s.
He was inducted by Neil Young and entered the hall as the recipient of the Musical Excellence Award.
Rubin gave a one-sentence acceptance speech: “You can’t kill rock ‘n’ roll.” » The Red Hot Chili Peppers played a song he produced, “Give it Away”, in tribute while sporting long fake white beards in homage to Rubin’s look.
Iron Girl
The scorching rock band led the new wave of British heavy metal and became the quintessential metal band of the 1980s. Key songs: “The Trooper”, “Fear of the Dark”, “Run to the Hills”.
The group was inducted by Jack Black. A supergroup featuring members of Metallica, Rage Against the Machine and St. Vincent performed “The Trooper.”
Oasis
The overlords of 1990s Brit-pop are led by feuding famous brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. Key songs: “Wonderwall”, “Live Forever”, “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. They did not show up for the ceremony.
The group was inducted by actor Bob Odenkirk. Singer-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. played an acoustic rendition of “Wonderwall.”
Joy Division and New Order
The two British rock groups achieved a rare joint induction that makes sense given their members and circumstances. Joy Division was a seminal, dark post-punk band formed in 1976. When their charismatic singer, Ian Curtis, died in 1980, the remaining members formed New Order. Key Songs: “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” “Blue Monday,” “Bizarre Love Triangle.”
Inducted by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Both bands’ bassist Peter Hook, the only member present, played Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” with Deftones and Chvrches singer Lauren Mayberry.
MC Lyte
A pioneering Brooklyn rapper in the late 1980s, MC Lyte became the first female rapper to release a full-length solo album, “Lyte as a Rock.” His harsh rhymes brought a political consciousness that was growing in hip-hop at the time. Key Songs: “Keep on Keepin’ On,” “Cold Rock a Party,” “Ruffneck.”
She entered the hall as an Early Influence Award recipient and was inducted by rapper Remy Ma. She accepted the honor in person. Her medley with Queen Latifah included her “Ruffneck”.
Sadistic
Sade were a very important British group in the 1980s that mixed jazz, smooth and sensual R&B and sophisti-pop, led by a singer of the same name of Nigerian origin. Key songs: “Smooth Operator”, “No Ordinary Love”, “Like a Tattoo”, “Kiss of Life”. She didn’t appear.
Sade was inducted by singer Andra Day. Singer Sienna Spiro sang their biggest hit, “Smooth Operator.”
Parsons was arguably the most important figure in rock’s turn to country in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Parsons was a member of the Byrds, co-founded the Flying Burrito Brothers, and became a solo artist with Emmylou Harris as his duet partner and backup singer. He died in 1973. He entered the hall as the recipient of the Early Influence Award. Key Songs: “Hickory Wind,” “Love Hurts,” “Return of the Grievous Angel.”
Parsons was inducted via a video montage. Parsons performed a separate tribute Wednesday at the Troubadour club, featuring Harris, Sheryl Crow and Elvis Costello.
Fela Kuti
The Nigerian saxophonist, bandleader, ancestor and activist was born in 1938 in colonial Nigeria. His musical career, which spanned from the late 1950s to the 1990s, was a signature blend of high-octane horn, jazz and funk with Yoruba rhythms. Kútì, who died in 1997, was the first solo artist of African origin to enter the Rock Hall. He was inducted via video tribute and received the Early Influence Award. Key Songs: “Water No Get Enemy”, “Zombie”, “Let’s Start”.
Celia Cruz
Queen of salsa, innovator and disseminator of Afro-Cuban sounds and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century, Havana-born singer Cruz is the first Hall of Famer to sing primarily in Spanish. She died in 2003. Key songs: “Vasos Vacíos”, “La Vida Es Un Carnaval”, “El Último Adiós”. She was inducted via video tribute and entered the hall as the recipient of the Early Influence Award.
Jimmy Miller
Miller was known for producing rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s, including the Rolling Stones albums considered to represent their artistic peak: “Beggars Banquet”, “Let It Bleed”, “Sticky Fingers” and “Exile on Main St”. He died in 1994.
He was inducted via video tribute and received the Musical Excellence Award.
Linda Credo
The late songwriter and producer came into the room for helping define the Philadelphia soul sound of the 1970s, writing hits for the Stylistics, Teddy Pendergrass and the Spinners. Creed died in 1986 at age 37.
She also enters the hall as a recipient of the Musical Excellence Award and was also inducted with a video tribute.
Ed Sullivan
He was honored for bringing the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, James Brown and the Doors into American living rooms, and for consistently featuring black artists despite network pressure to maintain segregated television. He died in 1974.
Sullivan was inducted via video montage and entered the hall as the recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award for non-performers who have shaped rock and roll and youth culture.
Arif Mardin
Mardin receives this honor for his decades of work as a producer for Atlantic Records for his work in creating the soulful sound of Aretha Franklin and his production of Rock Hall of Fame members including Hall & Oates, the Bee Gees, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross and Cher. Mardin died in 2006.
He enters the hall as the recipient of the Musical Excellence Award.
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