The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced

The White Stripes, Bad Company and Soundgarden press photos
(Image credit: The White Stripes: Tim Roney/Getty Images | Soundgarden: Krasner/Trebitz/Redferns | Bad Company: Mark Sullivan/Getty Images)

The White Stripes, Soundgarden, Bad Company and Joe Cocker have been confirmed as members of the Class of 2025 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

OutKast, Cyndi Lauper and Chubby Checker will also be inducted during the ceremony, while late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon and pioneering rappers Salt-N-Peppa will be recognised in the Musical Excellence category.

Wrecking Crew bassist Carol Kaye, late Philadelphia soul legend Thom Bell and pianist Nicky Hopkins – who died in 1994 – will be recipients of the Musical Influence Award.

"Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of rock'n'roll forever," says John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. "Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps."

Improvisational jam band Phish, who won the fan vote convincingly, will have to wait at least another year to be recognised. Other acts to lose out included The Black Crowes, Oasis, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Mariah Carey and Maná.

The induction of Chubby Checker, which comes more than 60 years after his global smash The Twist made him a household name and nearly 40 years after he was first eligible for Hall of Fame recognition, is the latest example – in addition to Zevron, Bell and Hopkins – of posthumous awards being given to artists who could have been recognised while they were still alive.

The Class of 25 will be inducted during a ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on November 8. The events will be broadcast on Disney+.

Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.