Receiving induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is one of the biggest career accomplishments a musician can have. As the class of 2025 prepares to be inducted on Saturday, November 8th, we are taking a look back at previous classes of inductees.
Which year of inductees do you think had the biggest star power? Leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction classes by year
Class of 1986
- Alan Freed
- Buddy Holly
- Chuck Berry
- Elvis Presley
- The Everly Brothers
- Fats Domino
- James Brown
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Jimmie Rodgers
- Jimmy Yancey
- John Hammond
- Little Richard
- Ray Charles
- RobertJohnson
- Sam Cooke
- Sam Phillips
Class of 1987
- Ahmet Ertegun
- Aretha Franklin
- B.B. King
- Big Joe Turner
- Bill Haley
- Bo Diddley
- Carl Perkins
- Clyde McPhatter
- The Coasters
- Eddie Cochran
- Hank Williams
- Jackie Wilson
- Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
- Jerry Wexler
- Leonard Chess
- Louis Jordan
- Marvin Gaye
- Muddy Waters
- Ricky Nelson
- Roy Orbison
- Smokey Robinson
- T-Bone Walker
Class of 1988
- The Beach Boys
- The Beatles
- Berry Gordy Jr.
- Bob Dylan
- The Drifters
- Lead Belly
- Les Paul
- The Supremes
- Woody Guthrie
Class of 1989
- Bessie Smith
- Dion
- The Ink Spots
- Otis Redding
- Phil Spector
- The Rolling Stones
- The Soul Stirrers
- Stevie Wonder
- The Temptations
Class of 1990
- Bobby Darin
- Charlie Christian
- The Four Seasons
- The Four Tops
- Gerry Goffin and Carole King
- Hank Ballard
- Holland, Dozier, and Holland
- The Kinks
- Louis Armstrong
- Ma Rainey
- The Platters
- Simon and Garfunkel
- The Who
Class of 1991
- The Byrds
- Dave Bartholomew
- Howlin’ Wolf
- Ike and Tina Turner
- The Impressions
- Jimmy Reed
- John Lee Hooker
- LaVern Baker
- Nesuhi Ertegun
- Ralph Bass
- Wilson Pickett
Class of 1992
- Bill Graham
- Bobby “Blue” Bland
- Booker T. and the M.G.’s
- Doc Pomus
- Elmore James
- The Isley Brothers
- Jimi Hendrix Experience
- Johnny Cash
- Leo Fender
- Professor Longhair
- Sam and Dave
- The Yardbirds
Class of 1993
- Cream
- Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Dick Clark
- Dinah Washington
- The Doors
- Etta James
- Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
- Milt Gabler
- Ruth Brown
- Sly and the Family Stone
- Van Morrison
Class of 1994
- The Animals
- The Band
- Bob Marley
- Duane Eddy
- Elton John
- The Grateful Dead
- John Lennon
- Johnny Otis
- Rod Stewart
- Willie Dixon
Class of 1995
- Al Green
- The Allman Brothers Band
- Frank Zappa
- Janis Joplin
- Led Zeppelin
- Martha and the Vandellas
- Neil Young
- The Orioles
- Paul Ackerman
Class of 1996
- David Bowie
- Gladys Knight and the Pips
- Jefferson Airplane
- Little Willie John
- Pete Seeger
- Pink Floyd
- The Shirelles
- Tom Donahue
Class of 1997
- Bee Gees
- Bill Monroe
- Buffalo Springfield
- Crosby, Stills, and Nash
- The Jackson 5
- Joni Mitchell
- Mahalia Jackson
- Parliament-Funkadelic
- Syd Nathan
- The (Young) Rascals
Class of 1998
- Allen Toussaint
- Eagles
- Fleetwood Mac
- Gene Vincent
- Jelly Roll Morton
- Lloyd Price
- The Mamas and The Papas
- Santana
Class of 1999
- Billy Joel
- Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys
- Bruce Springsteen
- Charles Brown
- Curtis Mayfield
- Del Shannon
- Dusty Springfield
- George Martin
- Paul McCartney
- The Staple Singers
Class of 2000
- Billie Holiday
- Bonnie Raitt
- Clive Davis
- Earl Palmer
- Earth, Wind, & Fire
- Eric Clapton
- Hal Blaine
- James Jamerson
- James Taylor
- King Curtis
- Lovin’ Spoonful
- The Moonglows
- Nat “King” Cole
- Scotty Moore
Class of 2001
- Aerosmith
- Chris Blackwell
- The Flamingos
- James Burton
- Johnnie Johnson
- Michael Jackson
- Paul Simon
- Queen
- Ritchie Valens
- Solomon Burke
- Steely Dan
Class of 2002
- Brenda Lee
- Chet Atkins
- Gene Pitney
- Isaac Hayes
- Jim Stewart
- The Ramones
- Talking Heads
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Class of 2003
- AC/DC
- Benny Benjamin
- The Clash
- Elvis Costello & the Attractions
- Floyd Cramer
- Mo Ostin
- The Police
- Righteous Brothers
- Steve Douglas
Class of 2004
- Bob Seger
- The Dells
- George Harrison
- Jackson Browne
- Jann S. Wenner
- Prince
- Traffic
- ZZ Top
Class of 2005
- Buddy Guy
- Frank Barsalona
- The O’Jays
- Percy Sledge
- The Pretenders
- Seymour Stein
- U2
Class of 2006
- Black Sabbath
- Blondie
- Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Miles Davis
- Sex Pistols
Class of 2007
- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
- Patti Smith
- R.E.M.
- The Ronettes
- Van Halen
Class of 2008
- The Dave Clark Five
- John Mellencamp
- Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
- Leonard Cohen
- Little Walter
- Madonna
- The Ventures
Class of 2009
- Bill Black
- Bobby Womack
- D.J. Fontana
- Jeff Beck
- Little Anthony & the Imperials
- Metallica
- Run DMC
- Spooner Oldham
- Wanda Jackson
Class of 2010
- ABBA
- Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
- David Geffen
- Ellie Greenwhich and Jeff Barry
- Genesis
- The Hollies
- Jesse Stone
- Jimmy Cliff
- Mort Shuman
- Otis Blackwell
- The Stooges
Class of 2011
- Alice Cooper
- Art Rupe
- Darlene Love
- Dr. John
- Jac Holzman
- Leon Russell
- Neil Diamond
- Tom Waits
Class of 2012
- The Beastie Boys
- The Blue Caps
- The Comets
- Cosimo Matassa
- The Crickets
- Don Kirshner
- Donovan
- The Famous Flames
- Freddie King
- Glyn Johns
- Guns N’ Roses
- Laura Nyro
- The Midnighters
- The Miracles
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- The Faces
- Tom Dowd
Class of 2013
- Albert King
- Donna Summer
- Heart
- Lou Adler
- Public Enemy
- Quincy Jones
- Randy Newman
- Rush
Class of 2014
- Andrew Loog Oldham
- Brian Epstein
- Cat Stevens
- The E Street Band
- Hall and Oates
- KISS
- Linda Ronstadt
- Nirvana
- Peter Gabriel
Class of 2015
- The “5″ Royales
- Bill Withers
- Green Day
- Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
- Lou Reed
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
- Ringo Starr
- Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Class of 2016
- Bert Berns
- Cheap Trick
- Chicago
- Deep Purple
- N.W.A.
- Steve Miller
Class of 2017
- ELO
- Joan Baez
- Journey
- Nile Rodgers
- Pearl Jam
- Tupac Shakur
- YES
Class of 2018
- Bon Jovi
- The Cars
- Dire Straits
- The Moody Blues
- Nina Simone
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Class of 2019
- The Cure
- Def Leppard
- Janet Jackson
- Radiohead
- Roxy Music
- Stevie Nicks
- The Zombies
Class of 2020
- Depeche Mode
- The Doobie Brothers
- Irving Azoff
- Jon Landau
- Nine Inch Nails
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- T. Rex
- Whitney Houston
Class of 2021
- Billy Preston
- Carole King
- Charley Patton
- Clarence Avant
- Foo Fighters
- Gil Scott-Heron
- The Go-Go’s
- Jay-Z
- Kraftwerk
- LL Cool J
- Randy Rhoads
- Tina Turner
- Todd Rundgren
Class of 2022
- Allen Grubman
- Carly Simon
- Dolly Parton
- Duran Duran
- Elizabeth Cotten
- Eminem
- Eurythmics
- Harry Belafonte
- Jimmy Lovine
- Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
- Judas PRiest
- Lionel Richie
- Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
- Sylvia Robinson
Class of 2023
- Al Kooper
- Bernie Taupin
- Chaka Khan
- DJ Kool Herc
- Don Cornelius
- George Michael
- Kate Bush
- Link Wray
- Missy Elliott
- Rage Against The Machine
- Sheryl Crow
- The Spinners
- Willie Nelson
Class of 2024
- A Tribe Called Quest
- Alexis Korner
- Big Mama Thornton
- Cher
- Dave Matthews Band
- Dionne Warwick
- Foreigner
- Jimmy Buffett
- John Mayall
- Kool & The Gang
- Mary J. Blige
- MC5
- Norman Whitfield
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Peter Frampton
- Suzanne de Passe
Class of 2025
- Bad Company
- Carol Kaye
- Chubby Checker
- Cyndi Lauper
- Joe Cocker
- Lenny Waronker
- Nicky Hopkins
- OutKast
- Salt N Pepa
- Soundgarden
- Thom Bell
- Warren Zevon
- The White Stripes
