Bad Company on Their First Rock Hall Nomination
Bad Company has been considered by many as one of the biggest omissions from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Now, for the very first time, the classic rock band has been nominated for the 2025 induction class.
Singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke spoke with Billboard about Bad Company’s nomination. Rodgers credited fans and friends of the band for the nomination and said, “[They] have been lobbying for this nomination persistently for years and they never gave up, so big thanks to them.”
Kirke, meanwhile, was very forward with his feelings and said, “It has rankled me a bit. We’ve been around a long time and we’ve influenced a lot of bands, and I think it’s a place that we deserve.”
Bad Company released their self-titled debut album in 1974. An artist becomes eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after their first official release, so the band has been eligible since 1999. However, there might be a reason why it has taken so long for Bad Company to be nominated for the Rock Hall.
Rodgers shared in an October 2023 interview that Atlantic Records/Rock Hall co-founder Ahmet Ertegun had invited him to be inducted, but he turned it down. Rodgers said he told Ertegun, “I don’t think rock ‘n’ roll belongs in a museum.” He also alleged he was approached to be inducted “a couple of times.”
Including Bad Company, other 2025 Rock Hall nominees include The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes.
Joining Bad Company as first-time Rock Hall nominees are The Black Crowes, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Maná, Outkast, and Phish.
As previously reported, the 2025 inductees will be announced in late April. This year’s induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles. The exact date of the ceremony is currently unknown, but it will take place in the fall.
