The Prince of Darkness and Goddess of Pop stand out amidst the eight inductees
By Rachel Walz
On Saturday Oct. 19, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted eight recording artists: Kool and the Gang, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige, Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Dave Matthews Band, Cher and Ozzy Osbourne. Other honored artists included Dionne Warwick, Jimmy Buffett, MC5 and Norman Whitfield receiving the Musical Excellence award, while Alexis Korner, Big Mama Thorton, and John Mayall were honored with the Musical Influence award.
Pop icon Cher had previously been snubbed by the Hall of Fame, and had even remarked once that “she wouldn’t join if they gave her a million dollars,” yet she accepted her nomination with both grace and humor. Cher joked that “It was easier getting divorced from two men than it was to get inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” but ultimately stated she was happy to be in. She was inducted by Zendaya and performed a duet with Dua Lipa.
Ozzy Osbourne is such an iconic rock legend that this was his second time being inducted; The Prince of Darkness had previously been inducted in 2006 as a member of Black Sabbath, but the Hall of Fame saw fit to accept him as a solo artist. Actor Jack Black, a vocal heavy metal fan, heaped praise on Ozzy, calling him the “motherfucker who invented heavy metal,” and urged others to seek his music.
“Sure, you could go stream Post Malone and Taylor Swift and get all the warm hugs you need for your broken hearts,” Black said. “Or you can stay up all night and get your minds blown by Ozzy’s entire catalog for the first time.”
Ozzy did not perform due to his health difficulties, but he watched approvingly from atop a throne of bats and skulls as artists such as Zakk Wylde, Jelly Roll and Billy Idol saluted him with covers of his hits.
Kool and the Gang played a medley of their hits, Dave Matthews Band covered “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads, while Queen Latifah and Busta Rhymes among others paid tribute to A Tribe Called Quest.
The Hall has been seen as a controversial organization. Less than 10% of the nearly 300 acts in the Hall have any female members, and their snubbing of iconic heavy metal acts such as Iron Maiden, Slayer, Megadeth, Dio, and Motorhead in favor of pop and country artists has irked many metal fans. Cher is not alone in her previous displeasure with the institution; past nominees like The Sex Pistols and Steve Miller have also voiced dissatisfaction, particularly with the voting process being run by an elite board rather than rock fans. Still, The Hall tries its best to give iconic bands their day in the sun. One can only hope they listen to fans and try to improve their nominations.
