Another year is slowly coming to an end and that means it’s time for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to get a new cast of characters cemented in history. This year’s ceremony did what it does best, connect iconic musicians from across generations and celebrate their storied careers and all the accomplishments that come with it. On Friday (November 3), the prestigious night took place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for a night brimming with surprises and special moments. Everything from moving speeches to jaw-dropping performances, all under one roof for one of the biggest nights in music. This year’s list included Missy Elliot, Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against The Machine, and The Spinners. DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray received 2023’s Musical Influence award while Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, and Bernie Taupin were awarded this year’s Musical Excellence Award.
Things kicked off with 2023 inductee Sheryl Crow being joined by Oliva Rodrigo for a stunning performance of “If It Makes You Happy”. With Crow on electric and Rodrigo taking acoustic duties, the pair put on a heartfelt performance before Laura Dern walked on stage for a touching introduction speech. Crow wasn’t done just yet as she reentered the stage along with fellow Hall of Famer Stevie Nicks for a duet of “Strong Enough”. The pair continued opening the show up with a bang as they welcomed the iconic Peter Frampton for a three-way performance of “Everyday is a Winding Road”. The next inductee to be celebrated was the late great George Michael who unfortunately passed a few years before he was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame. The likes of Miguel, Adam Levine, and Carrie Underwood were welcomed by Michael’s Wham confidant Andrew Ridgeley. Miguel put on a stirring rendition of the Wham classic “Careless Whisper” while Levine belted out “Faith” and Underwood took on the job of covering the gorgeous “One More Try”.
Big Boi of Outkast and St. Vincent were put in charge of inducting Kate Bush who recently got a new wave of fame thanks to the use of her “Running Up That Hill” track in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things. Big Boi was in charge of the induction speech while St. Vincent praised Bush before jumping into a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the aforementioned smash single. Willie Nelson’s induction was long overdue and the welcome the legend received did him justice. Dave Matthews was put in charge of the induction speech and stuck around for a performance alongside Sheryl Crow, Chris Stapelton, and Nelson himself. The all-star four-piece performed “On The Road Again” while Stapelton dueted “Whisky River” with the legend and fellow 2023 inductee Crow crooned “Crazy” with Nelson.
The speech everyone is talking about is that delivered by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello. Morello was the only member of the band present to accept the award, saying he was doing it for the fifth member of Rage, the fans. He was welcomed on stage by long-time RATM supporter and Hip-hop legend Ice-T, but it was Morello’s speech that was getting the buzz. In classic Rage fashion, Morello used his platform to call for change on a global scale and denounced the idea of authority. If you’re a human being, stand up for your planet before it’s too late…. It’s time to change the world or at the minimum stir up a shitload of trouble.” says Morello on how music can change the world.
Hip-hop was out in full force at this year’s ceremony with the legendary Missy Elliot being inducted into the Hall of Fame while the pioneer DJ Kool Herc received the Musical Influence Award. Elliot closed out the show as the likes of Justin Timberlake and Cardi B appeared in a video montage praising the rap trailblazer. Elliot made history as the first female hip-hop artist to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame and her performance proved it was well deserved, as if it was ever in question. Elliot performed massive hits like “The Rain” and “Get Your Freak On” before her moving acceptance speech. Kool Herc was moved to tears while accepting his award as his influence on music as a whole was finally recognized on a grand stage.
The rest of the night was filled with more special moments and surprise appearances. New Edition performed a medley of hits from The Spinners while the iconic Jimmy Page emerged from backstage for an unannounced appearance to induct the other Musical Influence Award winner Link Wray with a blistering version of “Rumble”. Crow and Chris Stapelton made another appearance along with Brittany Howard and Elton John for a touching performance dedicated to Robbie Robertson. Chakan Khan celebrated her Musical Excellence award with a medley of her own which featured appearances by Common, Sia, and H.E.R. Elton John introduced his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin who received the well-deserved Musical Excellence Award.
Check out some footage from the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony below:
