The 36th edition of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony happened in Cleveland on October 30th. On the occasion, popular names such as Jay Z, Foo Fighters, and Carole King were pointed out as this year’s Inductees, embodying the most diverse list of people in the history of the organization.

After its 2020 Induction Ceremony happening online due to the impacts of the current Covid-19 pandemic, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s awards show returned to the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio last Saturday, October 30th. Dedicated to honour the history of rock and music in general, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is both a Foundation and a Museum, which opened its doors to the public in 1995. Since the year 1986, the Foundation selects, annually, the most influential names of those industries – such as bands, musicians, producers, and artists – to compose a list of Inductees.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Music Museum in Cleveland Ohio

Photo Credit: Pure Pop

Celebrating the 36th edition of the event, this year’s ceremony put together the most diverse lineup in the history of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Opening up the night, Taylor Swift paid tribute to New York singer and songwriter Carole King by performing a pop version of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”. Also in Carole’s honour, Jennifer Hudson hit the stage to sing “Natural Woman”, in an incredibly beautiful performance. King had previously been honoured by the Foundation in 1990 alongside her former husband Gerry Goffin.

Taylor Swift and Carole King at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Music Award

Photo Credit: Portal Pop Cyber

One of the high points of the night was ex-president Barack Obama’s appearance on video in a tribute to Jay Z, followed up by an introduction from comedian Dave Chappelle. The rapper stated in his speech that “Growing up, we didn’t think we could be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We were told that hip-hop was a fad”. Alongside Carole King and Jay Z, the Foo Fighters also incorporated the list under the “Performer Category”. Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney welcomed the band on stage and joked about vocalist Dave Grohl – who had already been honoured by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as Nirvana’s drummer – being his stalker. In his speech, Dave affirmed having been influenced by the Beatles’ and described McCartney as his “music teacher”. Next up, the two of them together performed the song “Get Back”.

Jay Z at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony

Photo Credit: PitchFork

Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl playing Music at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

Photo Credit: Igor Miranda

To be eligible and qualify for this prestigious list, artists must have released their first record at least 25 years before the Induction. An international voting body composed of more than 1,200 artists and members of the music industry is responsible for the ballots. Factors taken into consideration for someone to hit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame list include musical influence on other artists, career length and depth, innovation, and technique.

Check out this year’s eclectic list in full:

Performer Category: