It’s that time of year again: nominations for the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been released! Take a dive with us into the lives and impacts of these artists:
Phish
With their decades-long career and uniquely influential “jam” style, Phish has made their way up to bat as one of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees. Phish has certainly paved the way as a prominent improvisational band, with their fanbase spanning generations. The SoCal Sound is giving fans a chance at seeing the band at one of their three Hollywood Bowl shows this April!
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes, in their 43 years of life, have established
themselves as a household name in the world of modern-blues rock, bringing new life to the genre. Following a recent Grammy nomination for their 2024 album, Happiness Bastards, The Black Crowes have swooped in once again, taking on a nomination as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Be sure to check out Black Crowes vocalist, Chris
Robinson’s, recent conversation in the studio with Matt Pinfield on The SoCal Sound! **Chris Robinson from the band is our MARCH ARTIST IN RESIDENCE - hear him guest DJing every Saturday night of this month from 6-7pm on the SoCal Sound.
Billy Idol
A definitive figure of the 1980s, Billy Idol has undoubtedly made a name for himself in the rock and roll scene. Decades of iconic hits have made him a namesake performer, as well as one of this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees! Check him out live-in studio at The SoCal Sound in 2021!
The White Stripes
Within their 14-year run, The White Stripes have utilized their stripped-down sound to become a garage-rock household name. The duo, consisting of Jack and Meg White, have become important facets to the indie sound, making them perfect contenders for this year’s nominees. The SoCal Sound is giving fans a chance to win tickets to see Jack White at The Hollywood Palladium this May!
Oasis
Brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher, known better as Oasis, helped push the uniqueness of the British sound out of Manchester and into the world. Standing as staples of the Britpop genre, hits like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger” have made Oasis into everyday earworms. The Gallaghers are back on tour, and are hitting Pasadena this September for their only shows on the West Coast! The
SoCal Sound were able to give away tickets to some lucky fans!
Mariah Carey
Modern pop would not be what it is today without singer, Mariah Carey’s, decades-long career. Hits like “Fantasy,” and “Always Be My Maybe,” helped establish 90s-era pop, and when Christmas comes around each year, no home is left untouched by her well-known holiday hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The SoCal Sound gives away tickets each year for her Holiday show at the Hollywood Bowl.
Don’t miss out!
Cyndi Lauper
Many things come to mind when one thinks of the 80s: leg warmers, hair-crimpers, and Cyndi Lauper. Lauper made her round through the charts throughout the decade, making herself an all-consuming presence in modern pop, and in music as whole. Her songs still hold themselves up as “classics” to this day; no wonder she’s nominated as
a Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Inductee!
Joe Cocker
With beginnings performing in English pubs, and singing for The Grease Band, Joe Cocker soon shot to fame, landing himself in legendary rockstar territory. Hits like “Up Where We Belong” and “Unchain My Heart,” made Cocker’s bluesy voice and classic sound known around the world.
MANÁ
MANÁ’s impact on Latin-American music and culture is undoubted. Since 1986, MANÁ, originating from Mexico, has spent their time turning regional music mainstream, while also pushing out important humanitarian messages through their impactful lyricism and universal sound.
Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker helped solidify the sound of the 1960s, releasing songs like “The Twist” and “Pony Time.” While a great vocal performer, Checker knew how to dance! Several memorable dances came out of Checker’s talent, providing us with memorable moves like “the twist.” Follwing his induction into the National Rhythym and Blues Hall of Fame in 2014, another win under his belt wouldn’t hurt!
Joy Division + New Order
Joy Division and New Order helped pave the way for the dawn and evolution of the post-punk genre. Beginning in the 1970s as Joy Division, the band – originally featuring vocalist, Ian Curtis – brought on a crashing wave of depth and emotional profoundness that struck the music world. After Curtis’s death in 1980, the rest of the band,
including keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, continued on their legend with New Order – a successful meshing of Joy Division’s mood and the electronic vibrancy that came with the new decade. Joy Division and New Order have managed to push an entire movement of music; one that the world’s ears have benefitted from for generations!
Outkast
Love the sound of rap and hip-hop? You can owe it in part to
Outkast’s all-encompassing legacy in the world of music. The duo brought the Atlanta sound and G-Funk genre into the mainstream with tunes like “Ms. Jackson” and “Hey Ya!” There is no good party, and no modern-hip hop sound without the existence of this duo.
Bad Company
Bad Company: your favorite band’s favorite band. The English supergroup, originally formed in the 1970s, have held themselves up as conveyers and pioneers of the 20th-century’s hard rock sound. Their influential, powerful sound and instrumentation have turned the gears for bands like Def Leppard and Guns N’ Roses, posing as an example of the band’s overall fame and legacy.
Soundgarden
Rock wouldn’t have taken the defining turn it did without the Seattle-sound, better known as Grunge. An illustrious mix of punk’s speed and metal’s brashness, Soundgarden – originally formulated in the 1980s alongside the likenesses of Nirvana and Pearl Jam – helped drive Grunge’s iconic sound; a sound that morphed the landscape of
rock forever.
- written by Sabrina Leyva for the SoCal Sound
