Read the original 2020s favorite music post here.
Welcome to OPE!, the newsletter by writer and music journalist Brady Gerber (me). This essay, originally published in my weekly newsletter, is free for all subscribers. Paying subscribers also gain access to an exclusive weekly curation of my favorite songs and links. All typos are intentional.
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Well, hello there. How are you?
I’m still playing catch-up from last week’s vacation. I’m running on little, admittedly. I hate the first few days after vacation when you have to adjust time zones and feel like you need another vacation after you just went on vacation, even if vacation was wonderful. World’s smallest violin, I know. It was great being back in Indiana. I forgot how beautiful spring in the Midwest can be.
This week, I have enough energy to follow up on my newsletter from back in February, in which I broke down the 2025 Rock Hall nominees and who I’d vote for.
The official winners have been announced.
And … eh!
The 2025 class:
- Bad Company
- Chubby Checker
- Joe Cocker
- Cyndi Lauper
- Outkast
- Soundgarden
- The White Stripes
- Special honors: Salt-N-Pepa, Warren Zevon, Thom Bell, Carole Kaye, Nicky Hopkins, Lenny Waronker
So no-go on Oasis, Joy Division/New Order, Billy Idol, The Black Crowes, Maná, Mariah Carey, or Phish.
Here were the original blurbs I wrote, but for the winners this year:
Bad Company
I forgot how many bangers they’ve got. They’re also weirdly a popular staple at most karaoke bars I go to. Not essential, but I wouldn’t be mad if they got in.
Chubby Checker
The inventor of The Twist! I’ve seen some clapback against this nomination—did Checker do anything notable outside of The Twist? Tom Erlewine (whose newsletter you should also subscribe to) wrote a convincing case that maybe Checker shouldn’t get the nomination. It’s a valid argument. Still, sticking with my previously stated feelings of the Rock Hall being an institution to preserve history, I think it’s good that we give explicit credit to Checker for what is still one of the most iconic pop dances and, dare I say, pop songs in American history.
Joe Cocker
Cocker’s chances of getting into the Rock Hall decrease with each passing year, especially since this was such a huge Gen-X year that signals the near end of the Rock Hall’s longtime Boomer dominance. Your favorite classic rock bands were influenced by Cocker, so he deserves a spot. It might as well be now, or at least soon.
Cyndi Lauper
I still haven’t listened to a single Lauper album in full. I have no plans to. Her singles are still going strong, though. They’ve become so embedded into pop culture that even the young folk know who she is. This is the best-case scenario for Chappell Roan’s career.
Outkast
The sweet spot of being critically adored and clearly influential. They’ve also sold a lot of records that a lot of rock fans still really enjoy. Outkast is now Dad Rock, and Dad Rock fits well into the Hall.
Soundgarden
I respect Soundgarden more than I like them, but I would argue that they sounded and acted more like classic rock than their peers Nirvana, who are already in the Rock Hall. You can’t tell the history of ‘90s alternative rock without Soundgarden, so that’s enough for me.
The White Stripes
I like the White Stripes more than I like Bad Company, but I tend to fall in line with the general “wait until your turn” mode of Rock Hall voting. Too many deserving nominees have been waiting longer to get in. I also frankly don’t like the White Stripes that much.
So … yeah, the winners of the 2025 class were all from the middle-bottom of my voting poll. Everyone who got in this year deserves it in some way, but I think some other folks deserved it more. I’m glad Bad Company might get a streaming bump. Chubby Checker and Joe Cocker are good historic picks, and they are boring picks. Cyndi Lauper will probably give a too-long speech. Outkast is a nice pick, and I’m curious if they’ll perform and who’ll induct them. Soundgarden is well-deserved, but I still have no sense of how younger listeners feel about Soundgarden or grunge in general. The White Stripes feel like the “big” pick this year, if for no other reason than that it brings up some speculation of whether Meg will show up this year.
Congrats to the winners.
With love and all the other good things,
-b
Original OPE! logo by Claire Kuang. Words and cartoons by yours truly. My views don’t reflect my clients or the publications and brands I work with. All typos are intentional.