Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame’s class of 2026 consists of Phil Collins, Oasis and Sade : NPR

The Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame introduced its 2026 class of inductees on Monday night time, an inventory of eight performers that features an R&B legend, a heavy steel band and a drummer-turned-frontman whose music dominated mainstream pop-rock within the Eighties.

In recent times, the Rock Corridor has expanded its definition of rock icons to incorporate artists from a wider vary of genres and backgrounds. The fundamental guidelines for induction have remained the identical, although:

Artists turn into eligible for nomination 25 years after the discharge of their first industrial recording (in different phrases, artists whose debuts got here out in 2001 are newly eligible this yr). There are 4 totally different classes of inductees:

• Performers whose music and cultural affect has modified the course of rock and roll.
• Influential musicians whose revolutionary types have propelled cultural change, which this yr consists of key revolutionary voices in African and Latin music.
• A “musical excellence” award designated for writers, producers and session musicians who’ve performed a key function in rock historical past.
• The Ahmet Ertegun award, honoring business professionals who are usually not performers however have made a major affect on the enterprise of music.

The official induction ceremony will happen on Nov. 14 on the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Will probably be streamed on ABC and Disney+ in December.

Performer Class

Phil Collins
Although he was inducted into the Rock Corridor as a member of Genesis in 2010, it was Collins’ solo profession, particularly a string of hits within the Eighties, that helped flip him into some of the commercially profitable artists of that decade. The drummer-turned-singer is broadly identified for popularizing the “gated snare” recording approach — which minimize off the lingering reverb from the drums — and resulted in an explosive sound that grew to become a signature sound of the period. Collins’ profession spans over 5 a long time and has earned him an extended listing of accolades, together with an Academy Award for greatest authentic track in 2000 for “You will Be In My Coronary heart” from Disney’s Tarzan.

Billy Idol
The British rocker Billy Idol enters the Rock Corridor on his second nomination. Recognized for hits like “Dancing with Myself,” “Insurgent Yell” and “White Wedding ceremony,” the bleach-blonde singer’s punk rock angle continues to achieve followers around the globe greater than 4 a long time for the reason that launch of his debut solo album.

Iron Maiden
Heavy steel followers rejoice! Iron Maiden is lastly being inducted into the Rock Corridor on its third nomination. Because the Eighties, the band has been redefining heavy rock with anthemic storytelling, full-throttle instrumentation and spooky iconography. Completely different iterations of the band’s mascot, Eddie, have appeared on Iron Maiden’s album covers and merch for many years, turning into a key fixture of a specific pressure of minor revolt.

Pleasure Division/New Order
After three nominations, Pleasure Division and New Order are getting into the Rock Corridor underneath a joint induction, recognizing the hyperlink between the teams. Each bands featured guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris, who have been compelled to reimagine their sound after the demise of singer and songwriter Ian Curtis in 1980. Pleasure Division’s moody post-punk sound, which featured the baritone vocals of Curtis, gave method to New Order’s extra digital, dance-driven rhythms, which proved massively in style within the Eighties.

Oasis
Immediately is gonna be the day that Oasis will get into the Rock Corridor. (Effectively, November 14 would be the precise day.) The Britpop group, led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, has had a resurgence since their highly-anticipated reunion tour final yr (which briefly broke Ticketmaster and had followers on each side of the Atlantic crying their hearts out).

Sade
The English band named for lead vocalist Sade Adu modified the sonic panorama of the Eighties and ’90s with its mix of jazz, soul and R&B. The velvety, intimate high quality of Sade’s music echoes throughout generations of artists, from Drake to Adeleand has now earned the group Rock Corridor inductee standing.

Luther Vandross
After beginning his profession as a background vocalist for stars together with David Bowie, Roberta Flack, Stevie Surprise and plenty of extra, Luther Vandross grew to become an R&B and soul legend underneath his personal identify, due to the sheer energy of his voice starting within the Eighties. (He was additionally a producer for A-listers like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross.) With over a dozen studio albums, his affect has reached throughout generations to stars together with Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and most just lately, Kendrick Lamarwho named one of many greatest hits of 2025 after him. Vandross will likely be inducted after his first Rock Corridor nomination.

Wu-Tang Clan
You’ll be able to see the Rock Corridor’s effort to develop the definition of rock icons in previous years significantly strongly relating to the hip-hop acts it inducts. At the least one act from the style — together with the Infamous B.I.G., Missy Elliott, A Tribe Referred to as Quest and Jay-Z — annually since 2020. Contemplating Wu-Tang Clan’s collective and particular person output, which spans greater than 30 years and expanded the East Coast’s mark on the style with references to classic kung-fu motion pictures and darkish humor, it is no marvel the Rock Corridor is lastly giving the Staten Island crew its long-deserved flowers.

Early Affect Award

Celia Cruz
The Cuban singer, broadly generally known as The Queen of Salsa, turns into the primary primarily Spanish-language artist to be inducted into the Rock Corridor. After rising via the ranks of Havana’s music scene within the Fifties, Cruz left her house nation in exile and ultimately landed in New York Metropolis, the place she grew to become some of the outstanding voices of the legendary salsa label, Fania Information.

Simply Can
On the finish of the Sixties and into the ’70s, the Nigerian singer and political activist helped create the Afrobeat style by combining West African highlife with parts of jazz and funk. Recognized for his electrifying, unconventional dwell performances, the multi-instrumentalist is the Rock Corridor’s first African pop star.

Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah was solely 19 years outdated when she launched her debut album, All Hail the Queenin 1989. Feminine empowerment has been on the forefront of her music and picture for the reason that starting of her profession. With songs like “Girls First” and “U.N.I.T.Y.,” Queen Latifah modified the panorama of male-dominated rap; alongside her music profession, she has discovered arguably better success as an actor.

MC Lyte
One other teenage pioneer on this planet of hip-hop, the Brooklyn-raised rapper gained reputation with socially-conscious lyricism that tackled points together with avenue violence and drug dependancy.

Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons performed with The Byrds and helped spearhead the band’s seminal nation rock album Sweetheart of the Rodeowhich got here out in 1968 — however he was technically thought of a “sideman” and never a full member of the band. That is why Parsons was not inducted alongside his bandmates when The Byrds entered the Rock Corridor in 1991. Now, the Americana visionary — who recorded a pair of celebrated and influential solo albums that featured duets with Emmylou Harris and in addition performed with the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Worldwide Submarine Band — will get his due for melding folks, Southern twang and rock and roll earlier than his demise on the age of 26, in 1973.

Musical Excellence Award

Linda Creed
Within the Nineteen Seventies, Linda Creed wrote and produced love songs that might come to outline the sound of Philadelphia soultogether with the Stylistics’ hits “Cease, Look, Pay attention (To Your Coronary heart)” and “You Are All the pieces,” each of which have been later lined by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye. After being recognized with most cancers at age 26, Creed wrote the track “The Best Love of All.” Whitney Houston’s rendition of the track would go on to prime Billboard‘s Scorching 100 chart shortly after Creed’s demise in 1986.

Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin’s producer credit span greater than 4 a long time and dozens of legendary collaborations, together with with Aretha Franklin, the Bee Gees, John Prine and Norah Jones. Born in Turkey, Mardin began working at Atlantic Information within the early Sixties and ultimately grew to become an govt and one of many label’s most dependable hitmakers.

Jimmy Miller
Jimmy Miller signed a recording contract as a singer earlier than discovering his true calling behind the console, significantly for his work with the Rolling Stones throughout 5 albums: Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Major St. and Goats Head Soup. Recognized for encouraging and harnessing a bunch’s uncooked, dwell power in recording classes, the producer left an indelible mark on the sound of rock and roll within the Sixties and ’70s.

Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin co-founded Def Jam Recordings whereas finding out movie and tv at New York College. He went on to show the label right into a powerhouse of Eighties and ’90s hip-hop, producing and releasing albums by acts together with LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Run-DMC and Public Enemy. He later based the label American Recordings and served as co-president of Columbia Information. Because the founding of American Recordings, and significantly in his work with Johnny MoneyRubin has turn into identified for his ability in musical subtraction — paring down a recording to its important parts.

Ahmet Ertegun Award

Ed Sullivan
He started his profession as a sports activities journalist, however in 1948, Sullivan grew to become the host of a tv program — initially known as Toast of the City and later renamed The Ed Sullivan Present — that was welcomed into thousands and thousands of individuals’s dwelling rooms each week. Sullivan’s present broadly launched People to numerous musicians, together with Elvis Presley, The Jackson 5, The Supremes and, possibly most famously, The Beatleswhose first look on his present, in February 1964, was, on the time, one of many most-watched packages in historical past.