On Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame welcomed its 2025 class of inductees.
This year’s lineup included Bad Company, Soundgarden, Cyndi Lauper, the White Stripes, Warren Zevon, Chubby Checker and Joe Cocker. Some of those people, of course, are no longer with us, but their careers and memories lived on through fellow artists and their friends.
The ceremony was streamed live on Disney+, but for those of you that missed it, a primetime special will air on ABC on Jan. 1, followed by it being available on Hulu the next day.
In the meantime, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best and most moving moments from the show — whatever you might think of this year’s inductees, these were pretty special to see.
1. An All-Star Tribute to Sly Stone
In June, Sly Stone passed away at 82 years old, but on Saturday, his spirit filled the room when Stevie Wonder led a group of fantastic musicians through some of Stone’s biggest hits. Wonder was joined by Roots drummer Questlove, Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck, Jennifer Hudson, Leon Thomas III and others. It was a perfect way to start the show, getting the audience warmed up and on their feet.
2. David Letterman’s Touching Induction Speech for Warren Zevon
May we all have a friend like David Letterman was and still, in many ways, is to Warren Zevon. Letterman even brought along the very guitar that Zevon had given him prior to his 2003 passing. “You know, in music, many pretend, but Warren is a poet leaving few of life’s vagaries unaddressed,” Letterman said in his induction speech. “Warren’s music is dense with historic illusion, love and sadness, tinted with unexpected whimsy. Delivered with third-rail voltage rock ‘n’ roll, or sweet, heartbreaking, lush, symphonic melodies, either version of the man’s music is classic. … Warren Zevon is in my Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, actually his own wing.”
Kevin Kane, Getty Images
3. Salt-N-Pepa’s Electrifying Performance and Push for Regaining Their Masters
If there was one performance from Saturday’s show that got the entire audience dancing along, it was Salt-N-Pepa’s. But perhaps even more impressive was what the women of Salt-N-Pepa emphasized in their acceptance speech. Earlier this year, the group sued Universal Music Group for the right to their master recordings.
“As we celebrate this moment, fans can’t even stream our music,” Cheryl “Salt” James said (via Rolling Stone). “It’s been taken down from all streaming platforms because the industry still doesn’t want to play fair. Salt-N-Pepa have never been afraid of a fight. This is the Influence Award. We have to keep using our influence until the industry honors creativity the way the audience does — with love, respect and fairness — and that includes streaming platforms too.”
4. Toni Cornell’s Moving Soundgarden Cover (Plus, Women Sing Soundgarden)
Several of the late Chris Cornell‘s children were in attendance on Saturday night, supporting Soundgarden‘s induction. One particularly special moment came in the form of Cornell’s daughter, Toni, covering “Fell on Black Days,” backed by Nancy Wilson on guitar.
And not for nothing, some excellent decisions were made by whoever decided to have the Soundgarden segment sung by only women. Taylor Momsen sang “Rusty Cage,” while Brandi Carlile handled “Black Hole Sun.”
5. Jim Carrey and Taylor Momsen Reunite
Speaking of Momsen, here’s a wonderful little moment that actually doesn’t involve rock ‘n’ roll at all. Many years ago, when Momsen was seven years old and a child actress, she played Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, also starring Jim Carrey. At this year’s ceremony, Momsen performed and Carrey provided the induction speech for Soundgarden. When the two met up backstage, it marked the first time they’d seen one another since making Grinch.
“As a young person watching an artist at work and taking their craft so seriously, that left a really powerful, lasting impact on me as an adult now,” Momsen said (via People). “And I’m excited to be able to tell him that as a grownup.”
Frazer Harrison, Getty Images for RRHOF
READ MORE: 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Photo Gallery
6. Jack White’s Poem for Meg White
Since the White Stripes split up in 2011, Meg White has kept a very low profile, so it was not a surprise that she did not attend the band’s induction. But her former bandmate and husband Jack White was there to accept the award, and he took a moment during his acceptance speech to read a beautiful poem he’d written specifically for her:
“One time, a girl climbed a tree, and in that tree was a boy — her brother, she thought. … Many of the blocks they traveled were empty, but some had people. And some of those people cheered, some laughed and some even threw stones. And with their bare hands, the two started to clap and sing and make up songs.
And some people kept watching and swaying and moving. And then one person even smiled. The boy and the girl looked at each other, and they also smiled, and they felt — they both felt — the sin of pride. But they kept on smiling. Smiling from a new freedom, knowing that they had shared and made another person feel something.”
Amy Sussman, Getty Images
7. 21 Pilots Do ‘Seven Nation Army’ Justice
Jack white himself did not perform at the ceremony, but 21 Pilots – appropriately as a duo — offered up a great version of “Seven Nation Army.”
8. Chappell Roan’s Incredible Outfit Homage to Cyndi Lauper
This year, Cyndi Lauper was inducted by pop star Chappell Roan, who described Lauper as someone who “embodies every quality of an artist that I admire.” In Lauper’s honor, Roan wore a newspaper dress and an enormous crystal headpiece like the kind Lauper wore in the “True Colors” music video all those years ago.
Theo Wargo, Getty Images for RRHOF
9. Cyndi Lauper Performs With an All-Female Band
Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was even more fun when you consider that every single person performing it on stage Saturday night was a woman. Lauper’s all-female band included Gina Schock of the Go-Go’s, Lisa Coleman on keyboards, Raye and Avril Lavigne.
10. A Rousing Conclusion With a Little Help From Friends
You can’t conclude a Rock Hall ceremony without an all-star jam. This was not the first time the show ended with a cover of the Beatles “With a Little Help From My Friends,” but this year it was done in the soulful style of one of the late inductees, Joe Cocker.
2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Red Carpet Photo Gallery
Inductees, guest performers and more looking ready to rock.
Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp
