New York—Genre-bending acts Radiohead and The Cure led a British invasion into Brooklyn Friday night to take their spots in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, while pop icon Janet Jackson entered the shrine in an induction many industry insiders consider long overdue.
American folk rock legend Stevie Nicks became the first woman inducted twice—having already earned a spot in the rock pantheon as a member of band Fleetwood Mac—during a gala concert at New York’s Barclays Center in Brooklyn to celebrate the seven 2019 honorees.
Heavy metal group Def Leppard, pop experimentalists Roxy Music and English psychedelic rock harmonists The Zombies rounded out the five-strong class of British inductees.
The inclusion of Jackson—whose socially-conscious, sexually provocative and eminently danceable tracks made her a household name in the 1980s—comes as the Hall of Fame increasingly expands its definition of rock to include the likes of R&B. AFP
She joins The Jackson 5 and her brother Michael in the Cleveland-based rock shrine, which has refused to remove the late pop king from its honored artist list despite pressure over a documentary reviving pedophilia accusations against him.
Jackson declined to perform at the event, an unusual move some US reports owed to the fact that it would be broadcast on HBO, the network which aired the documentary about her brother, “Surviving Neverland.”
Citing Jackson’s “legendary black girl magic,” pop futurist Janelle Monae inducted the 52-year-old superstar who spearheaded the creation of New Jack Swing.
Her synth-driven sound came to define the cutting edge of New York’s club scene in the late 1980s.
Jackson steered clear of Michael discussions but noted her family’s “extraordinary impact on popular culture,” saying that as the youngest she “was determined to make it on my own.”
“Tonight your baby sister has made it,” she said, telling the Hall: “2020, induct more women!”
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke skipped the ceremony, saying he was busy preparing a classical piece to debut at the Paris Philharmonic.
The lyricist of the visionary art rock band recently told Variety the group was “blase” about such honors, and like Jackson, Radiohead opted not to perform.
Radiohead soared to fame in the 1990s thanks to their haunting power ballad “Creep,” going on to enjoy a cocktail of international commercial success, critical love and adoration from indie purists.
The Cure – known for enduring New Wave hits including “Lovesong” – has had a number of lineup swaps over its more than 40 years in the business, but always included frontman Robert Smith.
The 59-year-old known for his wailing voice and deathly complexion appeared with his signature shock of black hair and raccoon eyeliner.