An unbelievable celebration for the ages. That was the 39th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which took place Oct. 19 at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Rock Hall inductees commentary: Staying on the rails of a lazy train The more-than-five-hour show delivered one mind-blowing moment after another but none bigger than the one only three minutes into the evening when pop star Dua Lipa, singing Cher’s “Believe,” was joined by the 78-year-old “Goddess of Pop” herself, who sounded like she’d turned back time, belting out a powerful performance of her 1998 auto-tuned hit while the crowd went crazy. Actress Zendaya, scantily clad in a scandalous Cher-like outfit, inducted Cher, who has scored a No. 1 hit on a Billboard chart in each of the past seven decades. Cher speaks during the 39th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Zendaya looks on from right.(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Cher joked it was easier getting divorced twice than being inducted into the Rock Hall. Next up was Public Enemy’s Chuck D, a 2013 Rock Hall inductee, praising the lasting impact of funk act Kool & The Gang. Founding member and bassist Robert “Kool” Bell was joined by The Roots for a fun medley, culminating with the act’s ubiquitous hit, “Celebration,” and a surprise confetti shower for the audience. Dionne Warwick was next, inducted by R&B singer Teyana Taylor. That was followed by actress-singer Jennifer Hudson performing “I’ll Never Love This Way Again.” She was later joined by Warwick for crowd-favorite “Walk on By.” After Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, an inductee himself last year, inducted fiery punk-rock forefather act MC5, it was Foreigner’s time. Sammy Hagar, a 2007 inductee with Van Halen, talked fondly about the “Juke Box Hero” band. Next was decidedly the most rock ’n’ roll moment of the evening: Demi Lovato, Slash and Chad Smith joined the touring members of Foreigner for a show-stopping “Feels Like the First Time.” Lovato nearly blew the roof off the arena. Hagar took over vocals for "Hot Blooded," before the second mind-blowing experience — minutes apart - was turned in by Kelly Clarkson delivering a powerful “I Want to Know What Love Is,” which included a gospel choir and surprise performance by Lou Gramm, lead signer of the group at the time of that song. The Who’s Roger Daltrey arrived on stage next to induct his long-time friend Peter Frampton, whom, he joked, he often was mistaken for when traveling in airports during the ’70s. A seated Frampton and band played “Baby (Somethin’s Happening),” followed by “Do You Feel Like We Do.” Not only did the latter include the iconic talk box solo, but country rocker Keith Urban joined in on the fun. The magic of the night took place toward the end of the ’70s monster hit when the two guitarists jammed. The jaw-dropping flurry left no doubt about Frampton’s guitar prowess. Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse celebrates 30 years of rock, roll, hopes and more The crazy momentum was followed by what ended up feeling like the evening’s only bump in the road — involving pacing — but likely was no fault of ceremony producers. The crowd went nuts for the first sighting of soon-to-be-inducted Dave Matthews, who turned in a poignant and touching solo tribute to Jimmy Buffett performing “A Pirate Looks at 40.” That was followed by James Taylor talking about the death of Buffett a year ago before performing an intimate “Come Monday” with Kenny Chesney and Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally. Next came Motown Records Executive and successful entertainment businesswoman Suzanne De Passe, who discovered The Jackson Five and signed The Commodores, receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award. While De Passe’s induction was well-deserved, the Foreigner and Frampton adrenaline was long gone by the time her moment ended and A Tribe Called Quest’s time in the spotlight arrived with comic Dave Chappelle — who in 2021 inducted hip-hop icon Jay-Z — doing the honors. While undoubtedly deserving of Rock Hall induction for its innovative and genre-expanding sounds, A Tribe Called Quest is without question the most eclectic hip-hop act to be celebrated. A tediously protracted induction speech, to the point where Chappelle afterward jokingly thanked them for keeping it short, was saved with an all-star performance featuring Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul and Common on “Bonita Applebum,” “Scenario” and “Can I Kick It?" When it came to inducting Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre — a 2016 inductee with N.W.A. — and Method Man paid homage to the “Queen of Hip-hop Soul.” Inductee Mary J. Blige performs during the 39th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) “You don’t just listen to a Mary album — you feel it in your soul,” said Dr. Dre, who noted the nine-time Grammy Award-winning artist and actress singlehandedly created a new genre of music becoming an R&B powerhouse. With the end of the show in sight, actor-rocker Jack Black — in all of his quintessentially bombastic Jack Black-ness -- waxed poetic about the lasting impact of inductee Ozzy Osbourne (a two-time inductee after Black Sabbath’s 2006 induction). The actor cited the Prince of Darkness’ credits, including not only having the best second act in rock history but also creating reality television with “The Osbournes.“ Regarding the latter, he added perhaps that was “the most evil thing he ever did.” After a brief speech by Osbourne, seated on a gates-of-hell bat-adorned throne, a star-studded band — Maynard James Keenan, Jelly Roll, Billy Idol, Wolfgang Van Halen, Steve Stevens, Robert Trujillo, Chad Smith, Andrew Watt and Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde — jammed on “Crazy Train,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “No More Tears.” Maynard James Keenan, left, and Wolfgang Van Halen perform inductee Ozzy Osbourned's "Crazy Train" during the 39th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) The final act of the night was the Dave Matthews Band, which was inducted by a longtime fan, actress Julia Roberts. Dave Matthews, left, and Julia Roberts embrace during the 39th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) “I can’t believe I’m here,” she said before the popular jam band performed a hit-laden set ending with an appropriate cover of the Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House.” If the Rock Hall’s edict to stage its high-profile induction ceremony in Cleveland every two years remains true (the pandemic forced a New York City show last year in what was supposed to be Northeast Ohio’s normal slot), the 2026 ceremony could include the likes of soon-to-eligible acts Disturbed, Linkin Park, The Strokes and Alicia Keys. A quick side note: Historically speaking, eligible-but-ignored acts who break the ice with appearances in a Rock Hall ceremony one year (Green Day inducting Guns N’ Roses, Duran Duran inducting Roxy Music, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor inducting The Cure) often have found their name being called for induction a few years later. Those artists participating in this year’s ceremony who could potentially fall under the same category are Billy Idol and Tool, led by Keenan. What a “Rebel Yell” of an evening that could be.