Jack White, of The White Stripes, speaks at the ceremony. Photo / Getty Images, AFP
Singer-guitarist Jack White accepted on behalf of himself and drummer Meg White, his former wife, 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 performers included Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast, who topped the charts with Hey Ya, Ms Jackson and The Way You Move, and Seattle 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 were 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.”
Andre 3000, of Outkast, speaks at the ceremony. Photo / Getty Images, AFP
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.
Mick Jagger praised his work on the Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil, saying, “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.”
The event featured performances by artists including Elton John, Bryan Adams, Olivia Rodrigo, Twenty One Pilots, Doja Cat and Tyler, the Creator.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, now features an exhibit with artefacts and memorabilia from this year’s inductees.
– Agence France-Presse