Dear listeners,
On Sunday night, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2024 inductees. And while I find this year’s class a tad less exciting than last year’s, there are still quite a few names I was pleased to see: A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige and the artist who would have been at the top of my ballot, if I were a Rock Hall voter: Cher.*
In recent years, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been in something of a transitional period, as it expands its definition of “rock & roll” to include country legends (last year’s inductees included Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson) and hip-hop stars (like Eminem in 2022, and Missy Elliott, who in 2023 became the first-ever female rapper inducted). Last September, the Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he espoused sexist and racist comments in a New York Times Magazine interview; shortly after, he was removed from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s board.
The Billboard writer Andrew Unterberger took stock of all this in an astute column about this year’s inductees, which he believes strike a balance between the hall’s more old-fashioned view of rock and a fresher, wider definition that is less beholden to tradition. Artists like Tribe, Cher and Blige are in step with the institution’s drift toward becoming “a less hemmed-in, genre-specific institution,” but the presence of acts like Foreigner, Peter Frampton and the Dave Matthews Band also suggest that “there are still plenty of voters primarily concerned with rock representation.”
All of this variety, though, means that this year’s inductees make for a thrillingly eclectic playlist. Check it out below, featuring some recognizable hits, a few rollicking live cuts and in my humble opinion, a very underrated Cher single.
Allllll aboard!,
Lindsay
*Last month, the hosts of the excellent podcast “Who Cares About the Rock Hall?” had me on to discuss why I believe Cher belongs in the pantheon, as well as my obsession with the outrageous cover of her 1979 album “Take Me Home.”
Listen along while you read.
1. A Tribe Called Quest featuring Trugoy the Dove: “Award Tour”
The beloved rap group A Tribe Called Quest appeared on two previous Rock Hall ballots before getting the nod this year. Celebrate with this victory lap of a single from its classic 1993 album, “Midnight Marauders.”
2. Kool & the Gang: “Hollywood Swinging”
The funk legends Kool & the Gang — the prolific hitmakers behind this oft-sampled 1974 track, among many others — have been eligible for decades now, but after their first nomination this year, they’ll finally take their rightful place in the Rock Hall. Said Robert Bell, the last surviving member of the group’s original lineup, “It’s about time.”
3. Cher: “Just Like Jesse James”
Here’s another legend who had never been nominated before this year, as a solo artist or as a part of Sonny & Cher. The big question now is whether Cher — who is justifiably salty about how long it took for her to be recognized — will show up to the ceremony. As she said on Kelly Clarkson’s show just a few months ago, “I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I’m never going to change my mind. They can just go you-know-what themselves.” Rock star attitude if I’ve ever heard it!
4. Foreigner: “Cold as Ice”
The producer Mark Ronson, who is the stepson of Foreigner’s Mick Jones, led an unofficial campaign to get the rockers on this year’s ballot, asking some of his famous acquaintances — including Paul McCartney — to post on social media expressing shock that the band was not yet in the Rock Hall. It looks like it paid off.
5. Mary J. Blige: “Real Love”
Two years after her commanding performance during the Super Bowl halftime show, Mary J. Blige will receive another high-profile honor when she’s inducted into the Rock Hall this year. This hit from her 1992 debut album “What’s the 411?” still sounds as fresh as the day it was released.
6. Peter Frampton: “Show Me the Way (Live)”
When Sheryl Crow was inducted last year, she selected Peter Frampton as one of the artists she got to jam with — perhaps to draw attention to the fact that, after nearly three decades of eligibility, he still wasn’t in the Rock Hall. In a Rolling Stone interview after news broke that he was in this year’s class, Frampton said, “Sheryl was the first person I called when I found out.”
7. Dave Matthews Band: “Crash Into Me (Live at Continental Airlines Arena)”
In 2020, the Dave Matthews Band won the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s fan vote, but it didn’t help it get in. The group won it again this year, and this time it will be inducted, too.
8. Ozzy Osbourne: “Crazy Train”
And finally, though he was inducted as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006, Ozzy Osbourne was basically a shoo-in for this year’s Rock Hall class, given both his iconic status and his recent health troubles. As Osbourne, whose parting with Black Sabbath was infamously acrimonious, told Billboard after the news broke, “Not bad for a guy who was fired from his last band.”
The Amplifier Playlist
“8 Songs From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024” track list
Track 1: A Tribe Called Quest featuring Trugoy the Dove, “Award Tour”
Track 2: Kool & the Gang, “Hollywood Swinging”
Track 3: Cher, “Just Like Jesse James”
Track 4: Foreigner, “Cold as Ice”
Track 5: Mary J. Blige, “Real Love”
Track 6: Peter Frampton, “Show Me the Way (Live)”
Track 7: Dave Matthews Band, “Crash Into Me (Live at Continental Airlines Arena)”
Track 8: Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train”
Bonus Tracks
Today’s recommended reading includes two new Times profiles of artists I love. The first is Amanda Hess’s vivid portrait of the “punk trickster” Kathleen Hanna, who will release her memoir “Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk” on May 14. And the second is a sharp and urgent piece by Ben Sisario, who spoke with the Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar about his band’s forthcoming album, “Funeral for Justice.” Describing the blistering wail of his guitar, Moctar said, “If you hear a siren going ‘wee-oo, wee-oo,’ that tells you that something terrible is happening, right? So I want you to know how serious this is.”
The post 8 Songs From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 appeared first on New York Times.