The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is always a bit of a crapshoot. Some years, everything goes off without a hitch. Other years, though, it all hits the fan, and it is drama with a capital “D.”

It’s rather funny when things go off the rails, because the Rock Hall induction ceremony honors have all been announced. Comedian John Mulaney referred to the Rock Hall induction ceremony as “the only truly fun award show.”

In a February 2018 appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Mulaney explained that the Rock Hall induction is the award show he’d most like to host. Why?  He said, “Think of it like a wedding if every speech was given by the bride’s ex-boyfriend. Every band comes in with some old grievance, and all their speeches are filled with bile from 30 years before.”

Sure, Mulaney is being a little hyperbolic, but there have been some very uncomfortable speeches and moments in the past at the Rock Hall induction ceremony, so he kind of has a point.

With that in mind, here are eight of the biggest drama moments in Rock Hall induction history.

But First, The Latest on the 2024 Rock Hall Class

The 2024 Rock Hall class was announced on April 21 on American Idol. This year’s class truly has something for everyone. The inductees include the following:

Performer Category

• Mary J. Blige
• Cher
• Dave Matthews Band
• Foreigner
• Peter Frampton
• Kool & The Gang
• Ozzy Osbourne
• A Tribe Called Quest

Musical Influence Award

(Given to a performing artist or group whose music and performance style have directly influenced and helped inspire and evolve rock & roll and music that has impacted youth culture.)  

• Alexis Korner
• John Mayall
• Big Mama Thornton

Musical Excellence Award

(Given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.)

• Jimmy Buffett
• MC5
• Dionne Warwick
• Norman Whitfield

Ahmet Ertegun Award

(Given to non-performing industry professionals who, through their dedicated belief and support of artists and their music have had a major influence on the creative development and growth of rock & roll and music that has impacted youth culture. ) 

• Suzanne de Passe

The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. As previously reported, the 2024 ceremony will live stream on Disney+. An edited special will air on ABC at a later date, which will be available on Hulu the next day.

• KISS

  Good lord…who could forget this one?! KISS’ induction was long overdue, but they certainly made up for the late honor with a whole boatload of drama. From controversy around only the original four members being inducted to whether or not the band would perform to the all-out war of words in the press, it’s amazing the band were inducted without a hitch.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uht7socDdFs

• Blondie

  This one was awkward. When Blondie was inducted in 2006, past group members Frank Infante, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison and Gary Valentine were invited to attend the ceremony, but Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke wouldn’t let them perform. During the band’s acceptance speeches, all the performance controversy came to a head thanks to Infante’s time at the mic.

• Creedence Clearwater Revival

  Another awkward moment! CCR was part of the 1993 induction class, and when it came time to perform, John Fogerty refused to so with former bandmates Doug Clifford and Stu Cook. Per Fogerty’s book Fortunate Son:  My Life, My Music, he said it was due to Clifford and Cook’s roll in an ongoing dispute with their record label.

• Steve Miller

  Many artists take issue with the Rock Hall in how they operate the induction ceremony, but no other artist has taken the system to task quite like Steve Miller in 2016.  With the exception of how he spoke to a publicist who was only trying to do her job, this might be one of the most rock and roll moments in Rock Hall induction history.

• Sex Pistols

  The Sex Pistols were a no-show when they were inducted into the Rock Hall in 2006, but they did send a letter, which was read by Rolling Stone founder/Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner. (Spoiler:  The letter’s badass.)

• Van Halen

  What a mess this induction was!  VH was inducted in 2007, and around that time, the following things happened:  Michael Anthony was fired and replaced with Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang; EVH was receiving treatment for alcohol/drug addiction; and David Lee Roth was rejoining the band for a reunion tour. Long story short: The only members to attend the induction was Anthony and Sammy Hagar. Velvet Revolver ended up performing in tribute to VH, with Anthony and Hagar performing “Why Can’t This Be Love” with the house band.

• Chicago

  After Chicago was announced as part of the 2016 Rock Hall induction class, an epic back-and-forth began regarding whether or not Peter Cetera would actually attend and perform at the induction ceremony.  In the end, Cetera opted to sit out the ceremony, which surely disappointed many of Chicago’s fans who hoped to see the founding singer/bassist reunite with the band since quitting back in 1985.

• Guns N’ Roses

  In hindsight, GN’R’s Rock Hall induction in 2012 is now even more awkward since Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan reunited for the “Not In This Lifetime…” tour.  At the time, Rose declined the ceremony invite and wrote a letter stating, “Let sleeping dogs lie or lying dogs sleep or whatever. Time to move on. People get divorced. Life doesn’t owe you your own personal happy ending especially at another’s, or in this case several others’, expense.”  Guitarist Izzy Stradlin also sat out the ceremony but considering his reclusive ways, that wasn’t terribly shocking.

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