Inductees Include Phil Collins, Joy Division, Sade, And More
Last night, April 13, during “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night” on Season 24 of American Idol, inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were unveiled.
While the definition of what rock is has been broadened over the years, it remained true that artists who are eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame released their debut recordings at least 25 years ago.
Admission into the Rock Hall of Fame is divided across four categories, including:
- Performers;
- Musical Influence;
- Musical Excellence; and
- The Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The members of the Class of 2026 are…
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Members Of The Class Of 2026
Since 1986, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been inducting artists who have made significant contributions to the musical genre, and music at large. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honoring icons of the genre.
One of the most celebrated categories of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is the Performers.
The Performers in the Class of 2026 include:
- Iconic pop-rock artist Phil Collins;
- New Wave punk Billy Idol;
- Heavy metal gods Iron Maiden;
- Post-punk bands Joy Division and New Order;
- British group Oasis;
- R&B group Sade;
- R&B artist Luther Vandross; and
- Hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan.
Responding to being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Phil Collins wrote on social media, “Obviously I’m pleased and honored to be inducted. It wraps up what has been a wonderful life in music.”
The inductees in the Musical Influence category are:
- Celia Cruz;
- Fela Kuti;
- Queen Latifah;
- MC Lyte; and
- Gram Parsons.
The inductees in the Musical Excellence category are:
- Linda Creed;
- Arif Mardin;
- Jimmy Miller; and
- Rick Rubin.
Lastly, the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors non-performing professionals from the music industry, was bestowed upon:
- Ed Sullivan.
Later this year, on Nov. 14, an induction ceremony will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Hear a sampling of each of the inductees’ work in this montage made by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, here:
Learn more about the inductees and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by visiting its official website.
Watch Lionel Richie, a member of the Rock & Roll of Fame; and Ryan Seacrest unveil the Class of 2026, here:
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Who Was Nominated But Not Inducted Into The Hall Of Fame?
Notably, there were several artists who had been nominated for inclusion who were not inducted in this cycle, including:
- The Black Crowes;
- Jeff Buckley;
- Mariah Carey;
- Melissa Etheridge;
- Lauryn Hill;
- INXS;
- New Edition;
- P!NK; and
- Shakira.