Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2024: The Best Moments

What better way to celebrate the 2024 Rock Hall Awards than with the world’s biggest pop star covering another pop star’s biggest hit song in the world? Dua Lipa, wearing a figure-hugging black dress, brought the audience to its feet as she performed Cher’s “Believe.” While crossing the bridge, Cher appeared in a leather corset and black pants, helping Dua finish the song in beautiful fashion. For those hoping to see the 78-year-old icon perform solo, Cher made sure to give them one more performance to a screaming crowd before accepting admission to the Rock Hall.

Known for her razor-sharp wit, Cher spared no one during her induction speech — including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself. When it came to her long-awaited induction hall, Cher said it felt more difficult than it needed to be. “It’s easier to divorce two men than to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” she joked. “I want to thank David Geffen because he wrote a letter and sent it to the directors and now, haha, here I am!”

When Kuhl was finally reunited with two of the gang’s original members in a ceremony on Saturday, you could feel the electric sensation. James JT Taylor and Robert “Kool” Bell made the most of their access to the concert hall, jumping into an absolutely thrilling medley of their biggest hits middle. The band jumped on stage in a dazzling array of shirts and collars and performed “Hollywood Swinging,” “Get Down on It,” “Ladies Night” and “Jungle Boogie,” before ending their set with a bang Performance.

In an extensive performance of some of her hits, legendary singer-songwriter Dionne Warwick enlisted Jennifer Hudson to assist her on her classic song “I’ll Never Love This Way Again”. The two sang back and forth through the closing verses of the iconic track, and when they finished, the audience gave them a standing ovation.

We could have had Rick Wills, Lou Gramm and Al Greenwood on stage and it would have been an amazing Foreigner show. But instead, in addition to the performing members of the legendary rock band, we also saw a host of rock and pop superstars come out to perform their biggest hits. Chad Smith played the drums, Slash strummed the guitar, and a rotating cast of pop stars took the stage to lend their vocals to these iconic songs. Demi Lovato joins in for “Feels Like the First Time,” Sammy Hagar appears on a raucous rendition of “Hot Blooded,” Kelly Clarkson closed the tribute with a remarkable version of “I Wonder What Love Is.”

After Pearl Jam’s Michael McCready declared him part of the “pantheon of guitarists” along with Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, Peter Frampton triumphantly took to the stage to perform some of his greatest hits, opening with “Baby (Something’s)” )” kicked off.

But the best moment of the show was when Keith Urban joined the legendary guitarist on stage to duet “Do You Feel Like We Do” on guitar. Trading tracks back and forth (even pulling out a talk box for the song’s signature breakdown), the two produced one of the best rock performances of the night.

Dave Matthews pulled double duty at Saturday’s ceremony, attending as both an inductee and an artist, paying tribute to one of the greats, Jimmy Buffett. Matthews took to the stage with an acoustic guitar in hand and said a tearful goodbye to the iconic tropical rocker. “I’m so happy to be here to honor Jimmy,” he said, fighting back tears. “He made everyone feel special; he made me feel special. I wish he could be here, but it’s too late.

Matthews launched into “a song he wrote about being too late,” a sweet and melancholic rendition of Buffett’s “Pirates Look at Forty.” With an image of rippling waves behind him, Matthews delivered on the promise of the performance and brought tears to the eyes of many in the star-studded audience.

In his opening remarks introducing seminal hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, comedian Dave Chappell explicitly addressed the group’s impact on music: “I know it’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but this hip-hop movement is “-Hop has produced a lot of great artists,” he said, pointing to the band. “It started with these people sitting around this table.”

In his impassioned speech, Chappelle laid out the band’s foundation and development, emphasizing their formation in their native language as a touchstone of modern hip-hop culture. But he saved his most touching remarks for last, thanking the band for everything they had done for him personally, especially after the death of founding member Phife Dawg. “Tribe, I want to thank you for your service. What you have done for our culture means the world to me, but what you have done for me has changed my life,” he said. “You shared your platform with me and invited me to be on Saturday Night Live with you, which brought me back to television after a 12-year hiatus. I will be forever grateful to you.

Even after Chappelle’s moving words and the orchestra’s moving speeches, the fun wasn’t over with “A Tribe Called Quest.” A veritable celebrity of hip-hop royalty takes the stage to celebrate the incredible influence of the hip-hop group. De La Soul’s DJ Maseo and Queen Latifah kicked off the show with The Roots, delivering a high-energy performance of “Can I Kick It?” with Latifah delivering an energetic rendition of Q-Tip’s verse energy.

Black Thought and De La Soul’s Kelvin Mercer followed up with a homage to “Check the Rhime,” swapping verses from Q and Phife back and forth, before Common topped off their performance with a song of his own, “Bonita Applebum.” In a fiery closing moment, Busta Rhymes appeared on stage to help the band deliver a stunning rendition of the band’s signature group cut “Scenario” that brought the house to its feet.

Mary J. Blige was introduced by Dr. Dre and Method Man as an artist who “single-handedly created a whole new genre of music,” and she proved it with her stellar performance. Wearing a diamond-encrusted bodysuit, Blige danced on stage with a group of back-up dancers to her hit song “My Life,” before Ella Mai joined her on stage to sing her impromptu song “Love No Limit” duet. But it was with her closing numbers – “Be Happy” and “Family Affair” – that Mary J. Blige earned praise from Method Man, who publicly yelled “You killed that bastard” as she exited the stage .

After refusing to “bore you with long, drawn-out monologues,” Ozzy Osbourne has seen his legacy as “the greatest frontman in history” (as Jack Black put it) be tempered by some of the greatest tribute to the people. Maynard James Keenan and Wolfgang Van Halen performed his iconic hit “Crazy Train.” Hail the arrival of the Prince of Darkness himself.

After a hilarious introduction from Julia Roberts, which included a story about her misadventures Googling a band she respected, the Dave Matthews Band opened with a glorious jam The performance concluded the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. There are no special guests or surprise moments; it’s just the band doing what their fans love to see them do. The band played a slew of their favorites (“Ants Marching,” “Crash Into Me,” “So Much to Say” and “Too Much”), treating the stage at Rocket Mortgage Field as another of their arena conquests . They did come out victorious – Matthews stopped singing multiple times to let the cheering crowd gleefully sing their song back to them.

Even with Matthews’ heartfelt speech thanking everyone involved in the band’s founding, the band’s work was still not done. Dave announced they were going to play some “go away music” – and they performed a passionate rendition of Talking Head’s “Burning Down the House” in remembrance stop making sense40th anniversary.