Five Best Moments From the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
OutKast, Salt-N-Pepa, Cyndi Lauper, Thom Bell and more were among this year’s inductees.
Inductee Sandra Denton aka Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa, Cindy Herron, DJ Spinderella, and inductee Cheryl James aka Salt of Salt-N-Pepa perform onstage at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Peacock Theater on November 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.
The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony featured a cross section of legendary artists from the worlds of rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop and more being celebrated for their legendary bodies of work. OutKast was inducted in their first year of eligibility, Cyndi Lauper got her flowers as one of the defining artists of her generation, Salt-N-Pepa took the stage to remind everyone of their queen status, and Soundgarden paid tribute to the late Chris Cornell in one of the night’s more moving moments.
But there was no shortage of highlights from this year’s Rock Hall show. So here are our picks for the five best moments from the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
5. Chris Cornell’s daughter paid tribute to him and Soundgarden.
The legendary Seattle band’s induction was bittersweet, as their iconic frontman wasn’t there to bask in the moment. But his 21-year-old daughter Toni took the stage and wowed everyone watching with a powerful rendition of “Fell On Black Days.”
4. Stevie Wonder, Questlove, Leon Thomas, Flea and more honor Sly Stone.
The funk guru died in June, and an all-star lineup of legends took the stage to honor his music and his legacy. With Maxwell, Beck and Jennifer Hudson lending their vocals, the amount of talent onstage was fitting for a musician who helped shape and reshape the sound of funk, rock and soul.
3. Cyndi Lauper takes a stand for love.
The pop icon was celebrated by Chappell Roan, Avril Lavigne, and Raye before she invited Salt-N-Pepa onstage to participate in a “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” singalong. Roan recognized Lauper as an ally of the LGBTQ community, and Cyndi performed against a rainbow colored backdrop.
2. Salt-N-Pepa make a statement for artists and ownership
Salt, Pep and DJ Spinderella became the first female rap group inducted into the Rock Hall, and they took the opportunity to acknowledge their ongoing battle with Universal Music Group. “As we celebrate this moment, fans can’t even stream our music... because the industry still doesn’t want to play fair," Cheryl “Salt” James said. “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."
1. OutKast brings the Dungeon Family onstage, pays homage to Rico Wade
Andre 3000 and Big Boi took the stage to accept their induction, playfully using rock-paper-scissors to decide who went first with an acceptance speech. During Andre 3000’s speech, he invited the entire Dungeon Family onstage with them, and acknowledged the impact of Rico Wade as he emotionally remembered the “little rooms” OutKast began in. It was a heartfelt moment for the duo and their legendary crew, as well as for the city of Atlanta and southern hip-hop.
