The timing couldn’t have been worse for this. After Rock & Roll Hall of Fame co-founder Jann Wenner showed his ass by stating he felt female and Black musicians were never “articulate enough†compared to their white peers — leading to his ouster from the Hall’s board — the show still had to go on, somehow, a few weeks later at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. And it did, to mixed success. Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, and the Spinners were inducted as performers, while various backdoor categories nearly doubled the class with the addition of DJ Kool Herc, Link Wray, Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, Bernie Taupin, and Don Cornelius. Most performances worked. Others didn’t. And should it really clock in at four and a half hours with this many honorees? But if Jimmy Page shows up to your event, without warning, and starts shredding for the first time in nearly a decade, the transient property of rock means you’re doing something correctly.
Yes, the Rock Hall is rebuilding. It’s making a conscious effort to move away from the genre’s boomer era and, as it put it, honor “the artists whose music connects us all,†a blanket idea that will usher in more inclusive classes in the future. Vulture reported live from this year’s ceremony to witness that eternal connection up close. (The full ceremony is currently available to stream on Disney+, while a condensed special will air on ABC on New Year’s Day.) We walked away with a better understanding of all 13 inductees and a minor case of tinnitus.
WHOA: Bernie Taupin, the no-bullshit prophet
Yes, officer? We’d like to report an arson. Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s indelible songwriter (or as he prefers to call himself, an “observer and chroniclerâ€) of over 50 years, was inducted into the Rock Hall with the Musical Excellence Award — and was the sole inductee at the ceremony to condemn Jann Wenner, weaving together a three-part diss from the podium. “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, are you listening? I acknowledge all these people because they and so many others are why I write,†he stated. “I guess you could say my being inducted is a paradox, perhaps, but either way, I’m honored to be in the class of 2023 alongside a group of such profoundly articulate women and outstanding articulate Black artists along with all of the other music masters here tonight.†(Wenner’s book, the catalyst of his implosion, is called The Masters.) Taupin was reportedly incensed by Wenner’s comments prior to the ceremony and demanded his resignation.
LOW: A divided Rage Against the Machine
Tom Morello has been on the Rock Hall’s nomination committee for several years — take that as you will. His advocacy for the organization made his presence guaranteed, but for his other three Rage members, not so much. Zack de la Rocha, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk were no-shows who’ve made no public comments about the honor, linking them to the ultimate Rock Hall silent hater, Mark Knopfler. “Like most bands, we have differing perspectives on a lot of things, including being inducted into the Rock Hall,†Morello said from the podium. “My perspective is that tonight is a great opportunity to celebrate the music and the mission of the band and to celebrate the fifth member of the band, which is Rage Against the Machine’s incredible fans. The only reason we are here and the best way to celebrate this music is for you to carry on that mission and that message.†He also encouraged everyone to “crank up some Rage and head out and confront injustice†or “stir up a shitload of trouble.†Due to 75 percent of the band stirring that shit up by not attending the ceremony, no performance accompanied Morello’s speech.
HIGH: Willie Nelson should always be on our mind
You’re legally required to smoke a fat one to celebrate Willie Nelson’s milestone. (“Oh, I’ve been indicted,†the nonagenarian joked. “I haven’t even died yet and I’m being inducted.â€) Nelson now joins a growing number of country-music artists who are getting Rock Hall recognition, which famously crescendoed last year when Dolly Parton expressed skepticism that she was a worthy inductee. “I never paid much attention to categories and I’m not sure fans did either,†Nelson said. “We just sang the songs we loved.†He also advocated for his fellow Highwayman outlaws, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, to be considered for future inductions.
HIGH: Big Boi, the “White House press secretary for Kate Bushâ€
The bewitchingly reclusive Kate Bush didn’t show up at the ceremony, instead writing about the “huge honor†and thanking those who voted her in. “I’m only five foot three,†she warmly wrote, “but today I feel a little taller.†Big Boi, half of OutKast and noted superfan, didn’t let Bush’s absence cloud his speech, which he equated to the position of “the White House press secretary for Kate Bush.†He was also a bit confused why his childhood paralleled Stranger Things 4. “I fell in love with Kate Bush in middle school. My uncle Russell, my favorite uncle, turned me onto her and I listened to ‘Running Up That Hill’ on my bike. I was that kid from Stranger Things. Like, I really think they took my interview and put it in Stranger Things,†Big Boi explained. “So since then, I’ve been obsessed with her music and remained her biggest fan. I know what some of you are thinking: What does Kate Bush have to do with hip-hop? She is such a unique artist, you might as well also ask: What does Kate Bush have to do with rock and roll?†He took a beat and added, “Kate Bush has helped shape contemporary music, even the music of artists who have never heard of her.†Now if only their collaboration could come to fruition.
WHOA: Jimmy Page’s triumphant return
Are you wearing the —
— The double-neck Gibson? Yeah, I am.
This is our dramatic rendering of every conversation Jimmy Page encountered backstage when he swaggered in as the Rock Hall’s best guest of the decade. Page, who hadn’t played the guitar publicly in nearly ten years and now prefers to spend his time feuding over his historic mansion, showed up to induct his “hero†Link Wray — the guitarist who inspired a teenaged Page to pursue guitar with the sultry “Rumble.†He played the song in its entirety, accompanied only by standing bass and drums. “The first time I heard it, I remember listening to it with such awe, because I thought, What is this?†Page said in a prerecorded video. “In those days, there were many guitar instrumentals, but as a 14-year-old kid who could barely play the guitar, it really had an effect on me … the vigor and the strength and the power in it. And you know something else, it was fearless. It was just phenomenal. The essence of cool. It’s just a masterpiece and he melted his way into the fibers of my body and my consciousness as far as the drama that you can set up with six strings. It’s the sort of stuff that can’t be taught. It’s the sort of stuff that you feel.†Everyone, please check in with your male family members over the age of 65 during this exciting time.
HIGH: This snuggle
Peter Frampton joined Sheryl Crow for a spirited performance of “Everyday Is a Winding Road,†one of three songs Crow selected for her induction segment. Stevie Nicks was also there on vocal duty, resulting in this nice moment together. Frampton is currently battling a rare muscular disease, but unretired this summer to tour with the help of a chair. He’s never been nominated for the Rock Hall. Perhaps this bodes well for him next year.
HIGH: Missy Elliott’s supa dupa night
Missy Elliott made history by becoming the first female hip-hop artist to receive an induction, joining the echelon of other rappers such as Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, and Eminem. “This is the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and so this is deeper than me just being up here,†she said from the podium, holding back tears. “You just feel like it’s so far to reach when you’re in the hip-hop world and to be standing here, it means so much to me. All the inductees, you’re so amazing. I’m honored to be even in the room with you all.†Her career-spanning spectacle of a set closed out the ceremony, with “Get Ur Freak On,†“The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),†“Work It,†“Pass That Dutch,†and “Lose Control†— making the audience do just that.
HIGH: Going back to Soul Train
The Spinners are one of those vocal groups where, even if you don’t know them by name, you can quickly identify several of their songs by the red-hot grooves alone. (“The Rubberband Man†got a much-deserved resurgence in 2018 thanks to Avengers: Infinity War.) Early members Henry Fambrough and John Edwards were both in attendance and recorded video messages of gratitude, while New Edition, the modern boy-band blueprint, performed a silk-smooth medley of “I’ll Be Around,†“Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,†and “The Rubberband Man.†The stage soon transformed into a Soul Train set in tribute to Don Cornelius, who was honored with the Ahmet Ertegun Award for creating “the hippest trip in America.â€
WHOA: Dave Matthews’s personal newscast
Presented with no further comment, during his speech for Willie Nelson.
The world seems upside-down, where people are living in the streets hoping they’ll survive the winter in the richest country in the world and where people working full-time for huge profitable corporations still have to get food stamps. And we have billionaires who are competing who can get their tiny little rockets in space and don’t think they should pay taxes. While we rain bullets down on children and call it collateral damage or self-defense, it’s enough for you to give up on the world. Willie Nelson makes me hopeful for us all, through his words and through his music and through the example he sets. People feel a connection to Willie Nelson. He’s an example of how the world could be if we just straighten up and fly away.
LOW: No super-jam
A super-jam isn’t a Rock Hall expectation, it’s a tradition. (No, an in-memoriam performance by a few notable musicians doesn’t count.) Last year, Dolly Parton corralled Rob Halford, Simon Le Bon, Annie Lennox, Pat Benatar, and several other artists to play “Jolene†alongside her, a performance that exemplified the unifying spirit of what the Rock Hall preaches. This year? Nothing at all. It shouldn’t be this hard to think of something. For starters, imagine a parallel universe where Jimmy Page and Tom Morello joined Willie Nelson for “Highwayman,†with Elton John filling out the quartet, because why not?
HIGH: Sheryl Crow soaking up every moment
Sheryl Crow has maintained a pervasive Rock Hall presence, appearing at the majority of induction ceremonies for well over a decade. “When I was growing up, our popularity wasn’t based on likes, it was based on who had the best record collection and who threw the best parties when their parents were out of town,†she explained in her speech. “I was a kid who dreamed of rock and roll, who pored over album covers, who knew the name of every song on every album, and I found the lyrics for the songs I was sure were written for me.†Crow added, in awe, “This is a little bit like getting an Oscar for a screenplay you haven’t finished writing yet.†(She told us earlier this year that, if anything, she hopes her induction will encourage women to chase careers in production.) Her reverence for other musicians continued into this year’s ceremony, where, in addition to her own segment featuring Stevie Nicks, Peter Frampton, and Olivia Rodrigo, she helped perform “On the Road Again†with Willie Nelson and “The Weight†with Elton John, Brittany Howard, and Chris Stapleton to honor Robbie Robertson — three distinct acts in total.
The Vulture Honorary Award for ‘Who Approved This?’ goes to …
Adam Levine performing “Faith†on behalf of George Michael. Was the angry Office guy who went to Cornell and Broccoli Rob unavailable?
The Vulture Honorary Award for Excellence in Bucket Hat goes to …
The Misdemeanor herself.