Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony dazzles with superstar surprises and powerful performances

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Any show that kicks off with the biggest pop star in the world and ends with a Beatles song has a pretty good chance at being memorable.

The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday night came with a ton of hype and rightfully so. The Class of 2021 featured huge names with a guest list boasting some of the greatest stars in music history.

The ceremony delivered on its potential as a cohesive spectacle and flowed about as seamlessly as a four-plus hour event can flow. The Rock Hall appears to have achieved its vision of ceremony that could, perhaps one day, air live on TV a la the Grammys. 2022 may be that year.

Of course, it helps when your lineup is loaded with talent. The night opened with Taylor Swift walking out on stage to perform Carole King’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” Just the sight of Swift drew massive screams from the crowd.

Her blissful performance of King’s classic earned a standing ovation and brought King to tears. It was the first amazing moment in a night filled with them.

Despite earning his induction in a side category, LL Cool J was billed as a headliner in the build-up to the 2021 ceremony. He proved worthy of that stature with a high-energy showcase that was the best performance of the night.

LL touched on every aspect of his career, from “Rock the Bells” to “Mama Said Knock You Out.” He even got help from surprise guests Eminem and Jennifer Lopez. But it was LL’s humility that stood out most.

“I’d like to thank all the people who voted for LL to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame year after year,” LL said. “What people don’t realize is I wasn’t thinking about the people who voted against me. I was thinking about the people who voted for me. It was love.”

The guest appearances kept coming throughout the night, some more memorable than others. Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera both delivered stunning vocal performances in their respective tributes to Carole King and Tina Turner.

Brandi Carlisle gave a beautiful tribute to The Everly Brothers following the in-memoriam section (which also paid tribute to Cleveland’s Michael Stanley). Likewise, Gary Clark Jr. gave a lowkey tribute to Early Influencer Charley Patton.

Unfortunately, not everything worked. An absent Tina Turner’s tribute fell a little flat when Keith Urban subbed in last-minute for Bryan Adams, performing with the duet “It’s Only Love” with H.E.R. Elsewhere, Mickey Guyton struggled to find a vocal balance on “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”

But lackluster moments were few and far between. The Rock Hall kept things moving by transitioning between live performances and video tributes. Save for LL Cool J and Ahmet Ertegun Award recipient Clarence Avant, who was brought to tears by his induction, side category inductees were limited to video inductions. Some fans of Kraftwerk, Gil Scott-Heron and others might cry foul. But the tributes were touching and kept the night moving faster than previous years.

And yes, even Todd Rundgren, who opted to skip the ceremony in protest, got his moment in the spotlight. He was inducted with a pre-taped speech by Patti Smith.

All of it should mesh well when the ceremony airs on Nov. 20 on HBO and HBO Max. But some moments you just had to be there for.

The arrival of The Go-Go’s on stage seemed to transport the arena back to the 1980s, thanks in no small part to Drew Barrymore, who gave one of the most endearing speeches in Rock Hall history. The Go-Go’s, who haven’t played live together in a few years, sounded stronger than anyone could have anticipated, led by Belinda Carlisle whose voice was in fine form.

Ultimately, the night seemed to be building to the final two inductions of the evening featuring the two first-ballot Hall of Famers – Jay-Z and Foo Fighters.

Everything about Jay-Z’s induction segment (including a unique and entertaining video tribute we won’t spoil here) felt larger than life. The only thing missing was a performance, which didn’t happen. But both Jay-Z and Dave Chappelle, who inducted the rap icon, gave heartfelt speeches.

Foo Fighters closed out the night with a short set that followed a relatively brief speech from Paul McCartney. You could argue the Foos’ induction felt rushed (it was past midnight). But Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse felt like a massive stadium as 12,000 people sang along to “My Hero.”

Following “Everlong” and some touching speeches from Dave Grohl and company, the members of Foo Fighters grabbed their instruments one more time to perform The Beatles’ “Get Back” with Paul McCartney.

It served as the de facto all-star jam on a night so star-studded it had to end with one of the living Beatles. Saturday was an A-list show well worth the wait.

COMPLETE ROCK HALL COVERAGE

Foo Fighters close out Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony with Paul McCartney

Jay-Z brings larger than life presence to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

The Go-Go’s stage an endearing comeback at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

Rock Hall inductee LL Cool J says hip hop made him feel ‘empowered’ as a kid

Tina Turner owned the crowd at the Rock Hall Ceremony without even being there

Carole King calls Taylor Swift’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony performance ‘amazing’

LL Cool J brings Eminem, J.Lo and humility to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

Taylor Swift kicks off Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony with Carole King tribute

Rock Hall chairman says induction ceremony will take place in fall going forward, alternating between Cleveland, New York and Los Angeles

See red carpet photos from the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony: Live coverage, real-time updates from Cleveland

Watch the stars arrive on red carpet for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (video)

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