Bad Company, Joe Cocker Lead Rock Hall Class of 2025 Inductees
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Bad Company (Photo via the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
The Rock Hall announced its Class of 2025 on Sunday night April 27, during a live broadcast of ABC TV’s American Idol. The inductees were led by Bad Company, Joe Cocker and Warren Zevon, each of whom had been overlooked for years, and finally chosen decades after they first became eligible.
Zevon, ignored again on the Performers ballot, got in via the Musical Influence category.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame‘s choices continued a welcome trend in recent years when core rock artists like Peter Frampton and Foreigner were finally selected in 2024, along with such giants as the Doobie Brothers (2020), Def Leppard (2019), the Moody Blues, Bon Jovi, Dire Straits, and the Cars (all in 2018), YES, Journey and ELO (2017), and so on. Still, during those same years, non-rock acts such as Mary J. Blige, Dolly Parton, The Notorious B.I.G., and more were also chosen.
Other performers selected for the Class of 2025 were Chubby Checker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and the White Stripes. The late keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, Wrecking Crew bassist Carol Kaye and producer Thom Bell were named in the Musical Excellence category. Salt-N-Pepa were chosen for Musical Influence. Longtime Warner Bros. Records in-house producer and senior executive, Lenny Waronker, was the recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award, named after the co-founder of Atlantic Records who was also the primary architect of the creation of the Hall of Fame.
The other nominees in the performers category—who failed to be chosen—were the Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Oasis, Mariah Carey, Joy Division/New Order, Maná, and Phish. The 14 nominees, announced on February 12, were the result of the nominating committee that convened in January and then put forth to the voting panel of more than 1200 artists, historians and music industry professionals.
Cocker, who died in 2014, was the subject of a significant PR blitz from many of rock’s biggest stars, led by Paul McCartney. In a letter dated February 25 and addressed “Dear Rock and Rollers,” he urged the voting panel to check Cocker’s name on their ballots. “I know he would be extremely happy and grateful to find himself where he deserves to be amongst such illustrious company,” he wrote. In the following weeks, Billy F. Gibbons and Billy Joel also publicly pushed for Cocker’s selection.
The 2025 Performer Inductees, announced on April 27, will be joined by those Inductees entering the Hall under three special committee categories: Musical Influence, Musical Excellence, and the Ahmet Ertegun Non-Performer Award.
This year’s Induction Ceremony will take place in Los Angeles in the Fall, with the exact date and ticket sale details still to be announced.
The essentially meaningless fan vote, announced on April 22, was won by Phish. They were trailed in the top five by Bad Company, Idol, Lauper and Cocker. Phish’s victory gave them a single extra vote to be counted along with those from the official 1200+ voting panel.
When the nominees were announced in February, many of artists that were named cheered the news, including the surviving members of Bad Company. “If I were a gambling man I would wager that Bad Company fans and friends had something to do with this nomination for The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” said Paul Rodgers. “I’ve been told there has been a movement afoot for some time, and we salute them for their persistence and dedication. Hopefully we are triumphant and get inducted and their efforts are realized. It would be an honor to join the great company already inducted.”
“Paul called and gave me the brilliant news about Bad Company’s nomination,” said Mick Ralphs. “I am elated and think it is fantastic. If we are inducted it will be part of our Rock and Roll Fantasy!”
“I am very happy and honored that we have finally been nominated,” said Simon Kirke. “It’s been a long time coming! I’m happy to dedicate this honor to Boz [Burrell], who left us too soon. Congrats to Paul and Mick!”
Billy Idol wrote, “It is a honor and a privilege to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025!”
Lauper wrote, “It was amazing news to wake up to after last night’s show at the O2 in London. The audience showed me so much love, like all the audiences have all along this, my Farewell Tour. I am so grateful to my fans for my career. From the start, I’ve just wanted to make music that means something to people, that lifts them up and makes them feel seen. This honor, should I get in, is as much for them as it is for me. Thank you, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
Among the prominent acts that are still on the outside looking in: Jethro Tull, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Phil Collins (as a solo artist), the Monkees, and Meat Loaf.
Both Bad Company and Cocker have long been included on Best Classic Bands’ list of 100 crucial omissions. (Our list is so long that we even have a Part 2 of 100 more.)
9 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationNot yet Jethro Tull but instead Mariah Carey…
Still waiting for Uriah Heep.
The Black Crowes really are a great band and much more interesting than boring Oasis so I hope they get in there
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD not yet either sad that RRHOF is messed up
Los Lobos?
Jethro Tull?
Little Feat?
Chubby Checker (yes, I can see this) but no Monkees (because they didn’t play their own instruments) Oh, the irony.
Are you kidding no Johnny winter are you people kidding me what a joke.
About damn time. Paul is in my top three front men in the history of R+R. He should have been in 30 years ago.
C’mon y’all. Gotta include POCO!