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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Holds Annual Induction

New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel held 2008's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions last night, handing out honors to such artists as John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, the Dave Clark Five, the Ventures, and a little pop star named Madonna.

"She's done it by working harder and being smarter than everybody else," Justin Timberlake—a key collaborator on Madonna's forthcoming Hard Candy album—said at the ceremony. "As she made MTV the place to be seen, she racked up the greatest track record in music history—47 top 40 hits. She became the biggest name on the planet the old-fashioned way—she earned it."

Once Madonna accepted her award, Iggy & the Stooges tore through frothy versions of Madonna's second single ("Burning Up") and her more recent hit, "Ray of Light." Other induction highlights included Billy Joel introducing Mellencamp ("Don't let this club membership change you, John … we need you to stay pissed off and restless"), Patti LaBelle singing the Gamble and Huff songs "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "Only the Strong Will Survive" (the songwriting team was also inducted), and Lou Reed speaking about Cohen's position as one of his generation's leading poets. (Damien Rice also performed the oft-covered Cohen track, "Hallelujah.")

One somber note came when Dave Clark spoke about the recent death of singer Mike Smith: "Mike tried desperately to be here tonight, but sadly he passed away just a few days ago … At least he knows he's a Hall of Famer. Mike, you're with us in spirit, my friend, and always will be."

The night ended with an all-together-now cover of the Dave Clark Five's "Glad All Over," featuring Mellencamp, Joel, Joan Jett, John Fogerty and more.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
03.11.08