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Gen X Favorites Lead 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame List

The inductees include artists who defined MTV, Britpop and arena rock for a generation


a collage with images of phil collins, liam and noel gallagher of oasis, sade and billy idol
Phil Collins, Oasis, Sade and Billy Idol are among the artists being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2026.
AARP (Courtesy Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2; Margaret Norton/NBCUniversal/Getty Images; Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)

Key takeaways

  • Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Oasis and Iron Maiden headline the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.
  • Collins called the honor the capstone to his “wonderful life in music,” while Idol said he was “almost” at a loss for words over the induction.
  • Oasis enters the Hall amid renewed momentum after its blockbuster reunion tour grossed more than $405 million worldwide.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2026 class has a distinctly Gen X bent.

On April 13, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2026 during a special episode of American Idol hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Lionel Richie. The inductees in the performer category are Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Wu-Tang Clan and the late Luther Vandross. The ceremony will be taped on Nov. 14 in Los Angeles. It will air on ABC and stream on Disney+ in December.

Collins, 75, enters as a solo artist after building one of pop’s most successful second acts. “Obviously I’m pleased and honored to be inducted,” Collins wrote on Instagram. “It wraps up what has been a wonderful life in music.” The honor makes him a two-time inductee after Genesis entered the Hall in 2010. His solo catalog includes “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds” and “Another Day in Paradise.”

Idol, 70, is being recognized after his second nomination for a solo career that helped define the MTV era. With his trademark sneer, leather jackets and peroxide spikes, Idol’s career was powered by hits including “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face.”

“It’s really exciting,” Idol told Billboard. “I can’t believe it. It’s incredible.” He added, “I almost can’t put it into words. To be able to have your peers vote you in … it’s pretty special.”

members of wu tang clan posing for a group portrait
Wu-Tang Clan poses for a portrait in New York in April 1997. The pioneering hip-hop group is part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
Bob Berg/Getty Images

Oasis — fronted by brothers Liam Gallagher, 53, and Noel Gallagher, 58 — enters the Hall after a blockbuster reunion run. The Oasis Live ’25 tour grossed $405.4 million and sold 2.23 million tickets worldwide, reaching No. 2 on Pollstar’s Worldwide Tours Chart. Pollstar also reported that 10 million fans were in the queue when tickets went on sale to the general public. The band was inducted on its third nomination, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

After previously mocking the Hall of Fame as being full of “wankers,” Liam Gallagher posted a seemingly tongue-in-cheek reaction to the band’s induction on X: “I wanna thank all the people who voted for us it’s a real honour ever since I was a little kid and singing in the shower I’d dream about 1 day being in the RnR hall of fame it’s true what they say anything is possible if you have a dream LG x.”

Iron Maiden’s induction arrives during the band’s 50th anniversary year.

The band’s manager, Rod Smallwood, wrote on Instagram: “It also seems appropriate for the band to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year as we continue our 50th anniversary celebrations.” He thanked fans for their “loyalty, perseverance and support for over 50 years now.”

luther vandross smiling, holding a microphone, wearing a glittering jacket
Luther Vandross performs during a concert appearance in an undated file photo. The late R&B icon is part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
David Redfern

The 2026 class reflects the Hall’s continued push beyond traditional rock boundaries. Wu-Tang Clan enters for its hip-hop legacy. Sade is recognized for a catalog that helped define sophisticated pop and includes the hits “Smooth Operator” and “The Sweetest Taboo”; she has not performed live since 2011, per her official site. Vandross earns a posthumous induction on his first nomination.

Additional honorees this year include Queen Latifah, Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons in the early influence category. Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin will receive musical excellence honors, and Ed Sullivan will be posthumously honored with the Ahmet Ertegun award.

Idol, who plans to start recording a new album in June and heads back on the road in July, is not treating any of this as a victory lap.

“We are still at the top of my game,” he told Billboard.

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

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