Top 10 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Performance Moments

For one night, a diverse mix of artists come together to pay homage to their heroes and for that brief moment, time stops and rock and roll magic comes alive. There have been hundreds of magical moments, here are 10 of them.
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For the past 29 years the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been honoring rock and roll music's greats with an induction ceremony and a permanent place at the Rock and Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. For one night, a diverse mix of artists come together to pay homage to their heroes and for that brief moment, time stops and rock and roll magic comes alive. There have been hundreds of magical moments, here are 10 of them:

2004 - Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison and more - "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Incredible moments happened throughout the evening, but the clear standout was Prince's emotional tribute to the late George Harrison as as he took the stage in a red fedora with matching jacket to join Tom Petty, Stevie Winwood and George Harrison's son, Dhani.

1999 - Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Bono, Billy Joel and more - "Let it Be"

As the stage cleared for a once-in-lifetime jam, Billy Joel, seated at the piano began to play "Let it Be." As he sang the first line, Paul McCartney stepped up to the mic. Music adviser Robbie Robertson remembered: "...it was a feeling in the air. It was an opportunity to see musical combinations we may never see again as long as we live."

1989 - Mick Jagger, Tina Turner and others - "Honky Tonk Woman"

Jagger, Keith and the boys ripping through "Honkey Tonk Woman" alongside the incomparable Tina Turner was a fitting coda to a raucous night.

1993 - The Doors and Eddie Vedder - "Light My Fire"

Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek said: "That's what the Doors are all about. We got together to do poetry and rock and roll - kind of an extension of poetry and jazz, the Beats in the 50s, Kerouac, and Ginsberg, and McClure, and Ferlinghetti - those are all Jim Morrison's influences.

1999 - Bruce Springsteen and Wilson Pickett - "In the Midnight Hour"

Even rock and roll superstars like Bruce Springsteen have their musical heroes, and Wilson Pickett was one of Springsteen's. "I'm glad you invited me up because you know I wanted to sing with you; a longtime ago, I wanted to kick you in the ass," said Pickett, looking across the stage at Springsteen. "But, you know you're the Boss, so we're going to keep it light."

2010 - Few artists ignite the stage with such ferocity as Iggy Pop. Iggy and the Stooges took the stage at the 2010 inductions after a tearful acceptance by Iggy Pop, blasting through "Search and Destroy." It showed the world how the group's raw power was just as explosive after nearly 40 years.

2005 - U2 and Bruce Springsteen - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

For U2's induction performance, he began a rap, "when I say that American is not just a country, but an idea, I'm thinking about people like Bruce Springsteen." Springsteen, playing the guitar, stepped over to the mic and joined Bono for an incredible duet.

1988 - George Harrison, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and more - "I Saw Her Standing There"

On the occasion of the Beatles' - and Bob Dylan's - Induction, we again remember that our idols are fans as well. Schaffer asked Billy Joel to sing "I Saw Her Standing There." Then he asked Neil Young to play and then Ringo. "Would you participate in the jam?" Schaffer remembers asking the former Fab Four drummer. "Ringo said: 'Absolutely not. There'll be real musicians up there.'"

1997 - Crosby, Stills & Nash and James Taylor and Emmylou Harris - "Teach Your Children"

At the end of the epic evening, CSN sang a powerful "Teach Your Children" with Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and James Taylor. Petty tackled Neil Young's vocal parts for the performance, creating a once-in-a-lifetime vocal event.

2009 - Metallica "Enter Sandman"

They blew our face off with a blistering rendition of this heavy metal anthem. The moment was shared by more than 7,000 people - the first time tickets were ever made available to the public. Metallica fans came from around the world to celebrate with the band in Cleveland.

2012 - Beastie Boys medley featuring "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" So What'cha Want" "Sabotage" and "The New Style"

A who's who of hip hop took the stage: inducted by Chuck D and LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys were honored with a featured performance by Kid Rock and Travie McCoy, backed by the Roots. Collectively they rocked the house to pay homage to these hip hop pioneers. The event was even more poignant as Adam Yauch passed just a few weeks later.

These are just a few of the powerful moments in Induction history. There are too many to mention. As Bruce Springsteen said as he inducted U2 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005: "You want the earth to shake and spit fire. You want the sky to split apart and for God to pour out. It's embarrassing to want so much, and to expect so much from music ... except sometimes it happens."

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