On This Day, Oct. 29, 2009: The 25th anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was celebrated in New York

October 29, 2025

On This Day, Oct. 29, 2009 …

A two-day celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame kicked off at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Night one featured performances by such artists as Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Joel and John Fogerty.
Night two’s lineup included Aretha Franklin, Metallica, U2, Mick Jagger, Springsteen, Jeff Beck, Lou Reed, Ozzy Osbourne, Billy F Gibbons and Sting.

A four-hour highlight special of the concerts aired on HBO the following month, and was later released on DVD and Blu-ray.

The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class will be inducted on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. This year’s inductees include Bad Company, Joe Cocker, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker and Outkast. In addition, Warren Zevon and Salt-N-Pepa, are being inducted in the Musical Influence category, while producer Thom Bell, pianist/organist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carole Kaye will be inducted for Musical Excellence.