The ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony’ Is Basically The VMAs For Old People (And That’s Perfectly Fine!)

The collective groan that greets each new batch of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees is one of the most predictable sounds in music fandom. “I can’t believe they included (INSERT ARTIST NAME HERE)!” and “I can’t believe they didn’t include (INSERT ARTIST NAME HERE)!,” and “(INSERT ARTIST NAME HERE) AREN’T EVEN ROCK N’ ROLL!” are the typical complaints, usually by middle aged rocker dudes who I may bear a passing resemblance to.  My two cents, if you get upset about who is or isn’t in the Rock Hall, you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what rock n’ roll is all about but I digress. 

The 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony took place on October 30, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio, and is currently available for streaming on HBO Max. Rather than a seal of approval or acknowledgement of greatness worth getting upset over, the ceremony should be taken at face value for what it is; an awards show. While the early induction festivities featured boozy jam sessions, they have been replaced by meticulously staged performances by the inductees or their stand-ins. Think of it as the VMAs for old people or the Grammys with better music.

The Hall of Fame calls the class of 2021 “the most diverse list of Inductees in the history of the organization.” Long criticized for its lack of women, at least half of this year’s “Performer Award” recipients are female. The Rock Hall offers several different awards, including “Early Influences” and “Musical Excellence,” the latter of which usually goes to sidemen but this year includes rapper LL Cool J alongside keyboardist and Get Back breakout star Billy Preston and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads. Despite the best of intentions, who gets what seems arbitrary, which does little to bolster credibility. The “Ahmet Ertegun Award,” meanwhile, pays tribute to industry players whose contributions occur behind the scenes. It should be mentioned, many of its recipients also serve on the Hall of Fame’s ruling body. Make of that what you will.  

Running an Oscars-like 3-hours, this year’s show combines thrilling performances, moving speeches and abbreviated rock docs on all the honorees. Interestingly, several of this year’s inductees were the subjects of recent full length documentaries, including label executive Clarence Avant, who was profiled in 2019’s The Black Godfather. As Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted in Decider, the case to vote in Tina Turner and The Go-Go’s was helped along by their respective bio-docs, with Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin making a point to thank documentary director Alison Ellwood in her acceptance speech.  

Of the tribute performances, Keith Urban, H.E.R. and Christina Aguilera do justice to Tina Turner’s classic hits. Aguilera’s transformation from teen sexpot to MILF is complete, but it was always her voice that kept us interested and it’s as strong as ever. Taylor Swift and Jennifer Hudson, meanwhile, perform the songs of ‘60s songwriter and ‘70s solo star Carole King before King herself delivers a touching rendition of her hit “You’ve Got A Friend.” Gary Clark Jr. does an admirable job performing “High Water Everywhere” by Delta blues pioneer Charley Patton with just his electric guitar as backing. Patton was one of three recipients of the “Early Influence Award,” along with Germany synth mavens Kraftwerk and spoken word artist and musician Gil Scott-Heron.

Dr. Dre‘s induction speech for LL Cool J fittingly reminds one of the rapper’s greatness as does LL’s high-energy performance with guests Eminem and J. Lo. No less then Barack Obama helps induct Jay Z. A star studded recitation of his greatest lyrics speaks to his brilliance as an MC as does Dave Chapelle’s funny and heartfelt speech. Jay Z himself uses his induction to name check the forgotten heroes of hip hop who have yet to be recognized by the Hall of Fame. 

Fellow Philadelphian Patti Smith’s induction of Todd Rundgren shines a light on a remarkable career whose brilliance has perhaps been dimmed by the passage of time. This is what the Rock Hall does best; remind us of artists who are no longer in the charts but whose legacy still demands respect. However, the inclusion of reggae legends Bunny Wailer and Lee “Scratch” Perry in an “In Memoriam” segment is indicative of the Hall’s blind spots, neither man having received the nod despite their seismic musical contributions. 

Drew Barrymore’s emotional speech inducting The Go-Go’s embodies the importance of the fan to the entire process. The group’s performance is a confident victory lap after years of being ignored. Sir Paul McCartney inducts the Foo Fighters, one of the few artists recognized while still being regularly on the charts. A quick set of their biggest hits is delivered with predictable gusto and the ceremony ends with McCartney joining them for a jubilant if perfunctory cover of the Beatles’ “Get Back.” Who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022? That’s an argument for another day. 

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter: @BHSmithNYC.