Phish, OutKast, and Oasis Lead 2025 Rock Hall of Fame Nominees
It’s an exciting day for Gen X.
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As the rebel yell famously prophesied: Give us more, more, more nominees. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has revealed its shortlist for the 2025 class, which we swear is legitimate and not a recent Lollapalooza Day 2 lineup: Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, OutKast, Phish, Soundgarden, and the White Stripes have made it past the nominating committee’s first round. The 14 acts will now be narrowed down by the voting body to form this year’s official induction class, which will be unveiled in late April.
Of the 14 artists on the ballot, eight are appearing for their very first time. (Please clap for Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Maná, OutKast, and Phish.) Carey, Joy Division/New Order, Lauper, Oasis, and the White Stripes have previously been floated for contention one time each, while Soundgarden has cycled through two attempts. If you don’t see your ride-or-die’s name on this list, there is an historical precedent of performers being added to induction classes through backdoor categories. Jimmy Buffet and Dionne Warwick, for instance, weren’t included as nominees last year, but ultimately made the final list of inductees thanks to the Musical Excellence Award. So if you’re still waiting for Devo or Warren Zevon, stay in line.
As the second shortlist created since the dismissal of Jann Winner from the board of directors, the Rock Hall has continued its gradual shift away from the “golden age” of classic rock to favoring the MTV generation. Speaking with us last year, chairman John Sykes said that advocating for more hip-hop, pop, and country artists is exactly what rock music is at its core, and the organization won’t ever be swayed to change its name to the Music Hall of Fame. (Our anonymous voters have often agreed with that sentiment. While we’re here, I’ll note that I was instated as a voter in 2025.) “Rather than throwing the name out, it’s doing a better job of communicating to people where rock and roll came from and what it’s truly about,” Sykes explained about the skeptics. “Once they hear it that way, they understand.” He also revealed that the nominating committee, which consists of about 30 members, “close the doors for five hours and get into a good old-fashioned shouting match” to select a ballot. Why not just do the twist instead?
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