The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame revealed its class of 2026 on Monday evening, and it’s an unusually strong one. After years of dithering in which they proclaimed that Foreigner and Bon Jovi were somehow more worthy than Joy Division/New Order, the Hall is finally bringing in the groundbreaking post-punk band. (It was starting to look as if Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, and Peter Hook would have to start yet another world-changing band to be recognized by the Hall.)
Elsewhere, Phil Collins is joining the double inductee club (which also should have happened at least a decade ago), icons Sade and Luther Vandross got well-deserved nods, and Wu-Tang Clan and Oasis are representing the Nineties.
But like every year, there’s a lot of confusion and questions lingering in the air. An unusually large number of British acts are in the class, and historically they don’t have the same reverence for the Hall of Fame as their American counterparts. It’s unclear how many will show up. There’s also the potential for a very messy reunion between bandmates who absolutely loathe one another and have had almost no contact in two decades. And in one case, the Hall of Fame seems to have made a rather baffling blunder regarding which exact members of a band are getting in.
Here are eight questions we have about this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.
Will Oasis Show Up?
The Oasis induction is capping off an extraordinary year for the Britpop icons. Their 2025 reunion tour packed stadiums all across the planet: They weren’t this popular in America even at the height of their (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? fame in the mid-Nineties. There’s no hint of any future shows, and they’ve said very little about the Hall of Fame beyond a series of snarky X posts by Liam Gallagher. “Reverse psychology vibes in the area Oasis RnR hall of farmers I mean famers,” he wrote in a post dripping with sarcasm. “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.”
It’s difficult to imagine a teary-eyed Noel Gallagher accepting the award at the ceremony in November before joining his brother and the rest of the guys for singalong renditions of “Wonderwall” and “Live Forever” as cameras roll for the ABC broadcast. Instead, it’s much easier to imagine them not going, and possibly sending a snide, Sex Pistols-like letter in their place. There’s also a scenario where founding drummer Tony McCarroll is the only one to show.
Why Was the Founding Bassist of Oasis Excluded?
Joining Noel and Liam Gallagher in the Hall of Fame will be guitarists Gem Arthur and Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, bassist Andy Bell, and drummer Tony McCarroll. Alan “Whitey” White, who played drums in the band from 1995 to 2004 was excluded, along with the many touring members they’ve employed over the years. Whitey has a strong case that he’s getting screwed since he’s the drummer on (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, and was there for the peak years. But drummer Dave Abbruzzese had a very similar resume with Pearl Jam, and he didn’t get in either.
With that said, it’s very hard to think of any argument that justifies keeping original Oasis bassist Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan out of the Hall of Fame. He’s a founding member of the band, and he stuck around until 1999. If McCarroll is getting in for playing drums with the band from 1991 to 1995, Guigsy should be inducted for playing bass with them from 1991 to 1999. It isn’t complicated. The Rock Hall just messed this one up. They need to fix it. #JusticeForGuigsy.
Update: A day after we published this article, both Guigsy and White were added to the list of Oasis inductees.
How Will Iron Maiden Handle This?
In a fair world, Iron Maiden would have entered the Hall of Fame shortly after becoming eligible in 2005. In this world, it took two decades and three nominations before it finally happened. Along the way, they made it very clear they didn’t care whatsoever. “It’s run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans,” Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson said in 2018, “who wouldn’t know rock & roll if it hit them in the face.”
The band has said nothing since they actually got in, but manager Rod Smallwood did release a statement: “We’d like to thank the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for including us (and former members who were all part of our story) in the 2026 roll call of inductees. Iron Maiden have always been about our relationship with our fans above anything else, including awards and industry accolades.”
He didn’t say anything about the band showing up. They might pull a Cher and instantly change their mind about the Hall of Fame once they actually get in. There’s a long history of this. “I’ve been saying for a long time that this wasn’t a big deal,” Neal Peart said when Rush were inducted in 2013. “It turns out, it kind of is.” It’s pretty likely that Iron Maiden won’t be quite so magnanimous. They’ve never needed mainstream support or even hit songs. And they don’t really need the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Will Joy Division/New Order Declare a One-Night-Only Truce?
Over the past four decades, feuding groups like the Police, Yes, Talking Heads, and Led Zeppelin put aside their vast differences for the evening and played together at the Hall of Fame. In 2017, Steve Perry appeared at the podium alongside Journey even though he didn’t sing with them. Joy Division/New Order fans have fantasized about Peter Hook returning to the fold at the Hall of Fame following 20 years of tension and legal battles with the band.
“I’d just like to say how wonderfully pleased I am to be finally accepted into the Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Hook said on Instagram once the news broke. “I’ve been looking forward to it for years, so I definitely am gonna make the most of it. I’d like to say that this is for Ian Curtis, and for all our fans of both bands. Without you, we would be nothing.” In the caption he added, “See you at the ceremony.” That means Hook will indeed be at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on Nov. 14. But his former bandmates have yet to say a word.
It’s genuinely hard to predict how this one will play out. There’s so much bad blood here that even the Hall of Fame might be unable to bring these guys together. If it does happen, however, it’ll be one of the great reunions in Hall of Fame history. New Order have been fractured for way too long. Hook was a crucial architect of their sound. Everyone needs to suck it up and make this happen. (But don’t hold your breath.)
Will Phil Collins Perform?
So far, Phil Collins has only reacted to the Hall of Fame with a very brief statement on Instagram. “Obviously I’m pleased and honored to be inducted,” he wrote. “It wraps up what has been a wonderful life in music.” His life outside of music has been defined by significant health setbacks in recent years, and he hasn’t played live since the end of the Genesis farewell tour in early 2022. It’s likely he’ll attend the event, especially since he’s on the mend. We can even see him opening the show with “In the Air Tonight.” In the biopic version of his life, it’d be the final scene. Let’s hope it happens for real.
What About Sade?
There hasn’t been a new Sade album since 2010’s Soldier of Love, they haven’t played a show since 2011, and lead singer Sade is very press shy. They were supposedly working on a new album back in 2018, but it’s becoming the Chinese Democracy of sophisti-pop. Will they come to the ceremony and wow the place with “Smooth Operator” and “The Sweetest Taboo?” We can see this one going either way.
Can the Rock Hall Ceremony Finally End the Oasis/Phil Collins Blood Feud?
The rise of Oasis happened to perfectly coincide with the decline of Phil Collins as a pop-culture force after well over a decade of ubiquity. It made him a very easy target of their derision. “I’ll be voting Labour because I think it’s morally right,” Noel Gallagher said in 2005. “Another reason to vote Labour is if the Conservatives get in, Phil Collins is threatening to come back and live here. And let’s face it, none of us want that.” In the unlikely chance that the Gallaghers actually show up, it’s a chance for them to mend fences. Maybe they can even team up for a mashup of “Supersonic” and “Take Me Home.”
Can We Dig Deeper Into the Nineties Next Time?
Artists are eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single. That means we’re supposed to be in the early 2000s by now. But the Hall is still very focused on acts it’s overlooked from the Eighties. In most cases, we support that. Better late than never.
But before we start inducting the Strokes and Coldplay, there’s a lot of Nineties bands still waiting. The list includes Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Tool, and Hole. They also need to go back further and take in Pixies, Devo, Pavement, Sonic Youth, and the Replacements. Going back even further, it’s absurd that King Crimson and the New York Dolls aren’t in. By the time that Taylor Swift makes it in on her first ballot in 2031, let’s hope these rights have all been wronged. (And we’re going to fight for the Monkees and “Weird Al” Yankovic until our dying breaths. In the meantime, we can at least stop screaming about Joy Division/New Order.
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Those small opportunities became part of the festival’s identity: a place where established acts and future stars could exist side by side. That philosophy remains central to the festival’s return. While Warped Tour’s biggest names will draw crowds, Lyman believes the real magic has always happened away from the main stages.
A portrait of Rivas Hernandez on display as authorities announced murder charges in the case in April. Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Burke at his arraignment in April. Ted Soqui/Pool/AP
Sheeran performs onstage last year in Newark, New Jersey.
More Pop Stars Should Call Ed Sheeran to Write Their Songs
It has been two years since the Netflix series Pop Star Academy brought Katseye together, and the girl group still hasn’t had a truly universal hit. They’ve had popular songs, sure. There’s the smooth, Latin-pop-inspired “Gabriela,” which peaked at Number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and of course “Gnarly,” the skittering viral track about fried chicken, Takis, and Teslas. “Internet Girl” seemed promising when Katseye premiered it on tour, but the studio recording that arrived at the top of the year features some bizarre vocal choices that unravel the track. “Pinky Up” barely cut through the discourse about their future as a group after HYBE and Geffen announced member Manon Bannerman would embark on an indefinite hiatus.
Katseye have been downplaying their full potential, and their years of training, with each release. A likely pop figure might be the key to getting them back on track. Their latest single, “Animal,” penned by Ed Sheeran alongside Johnny McDaid and producers Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin, is one of their best. It’s not an incredibly ambitious song, but it’s catchy and spirited enough to not come across as predictable — and it gives them a real shot at longevity in the pop arena. Sheeran knows how to write a pop hit that sticks, even when it’s not for himself. In fact, more pop stars should call him to write their songs.
“Nobody knows you’re outta control/But I see a side behind the closed doors,” the girls sing on the chorus from “Animal,” trading off on the role throughout the song. “They get a glimpse here on the dance floor/You move like an animal.” It’s classic boots-on-the-ground reporting from the dance floor, a pretty hard trope to mess up in pop. Lara gets the best one-liner on the song, with the pre-chorus: “Your body gets twisted and tangled in mine/Love so good, how could this be free?/I keep your secret safe with me.”
For a minute, “Animal” sounds like it could have been ripped from one of Bruno Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox-era hard drives. But when the chorus kicks in over plucky acoustic guitars, any number of Sheeran singles spring to mind: “Sing,” “Azizam,” “I Don’t Care.” In an Instagram post, Sheeran revealed he got in touch with Katseye after hearing “Gnarly” for the first time. “I was in Mexico and loved it,” he wrote. “Said I was a fan and reached out to them to see if I could write them a song.” On Katseye’s “Countdown to Animal” livestream, hosted on the evening of the song’s release, Lara teased, “A very special person wrote it, which is also really cool.”
Asked about the difference between “Pinky Up” and “Animal,” the group members quickly pointed out that they’re actually (and finally) singing on this one, and it’s geared toward more widespread consumption. “‘Pinky Up’ is more like a rave in the club,” Daniela said. “But ‘Animal’ is more like you’ll listen to it at the grocery store, in the car on the radio, or you’ll hear it at the mall just walking around.” It’s just what Katseye needs, and it proves their ambitions as a group extend beyond brand deals and dance breaks.
Not a particularly polarizing artist, Sheeran was the logical songwriter to turn to. He’s still selling out stadiums over a decade into his career, even after wedding ballads like “Thinking Out Loud” and “Perfect” pushed many to write him off as corny. More flashy swings, like “Shape of You” and “Shivers,” have eclipsed the acoustic singer-songwriter craftsmanship of his first two albums. And yet, it’s their success that has allowed him to sustain a career of this magnitude for so long. He’s worked this magic for other artists, too.
When Justin Bieber returned with Purpose in 2015, he released “Sorry” and “Love Yourself” just over two weeks apart. “Sorry” served as the big party hit, a Skrillex and BloodPop production with Julia Michaels in the credits. Bieber had already racked up a few like that by this point in his career, including “Beauty and a Beat.” But stripped down to just his vocals and a guitar, “Love Yourself” added new dimension to Bieber’s position in pop. Sheeran originally wrote the song for his album Divide. “Going from a song that would have never been released to the biggest song of last year,” he said in 2017, “it just shows you that you shouldn’t always write stuff off.”
It isn’t rare for Sheeran to think of other artists while in sessions. “Every single album that I’ve ever done, I’ve always gone, on the side, ‘Let’s try and write a song that we can pitch to Rihanna,’” he said last year. While he hasn’t landed a hit with her, his songs have ended up on albums from One Direction (the acoustic ballad “Little Things,” written by Sheeran, followed up the bubbly “Live While We’re Young” in 2012) and Shawn Mendes. Sheeran gifted Mendes the hook for what would become “Fallin’ All in You” from 2018’s Shawn Mendes. The snap and sway, first-dance-ready ballad remains one of Mendes’ highlights.
In a perfect alternate universe, Sheeran would have sent him “Bad Habits,” too, instead of keeping the hit for himself. The upbeat record would have marked a much needed return to form for Mendes, one of pop’s most consistent hitmakers until he started down the confessional singer-songwriter route. Coming from Sheeran, who doesn’t play the main pop-boy role as efficiently — he’ll always prefer an acoustic guitar, at the end of the day — it did little to restore the balance in a post-pandemic pop ecosystem dominated by bedroom pop and quarantine hits crafted for TikTok.
Pop has been in a peculiar place for a little while now. Newer acts are breaking through with slow-burning hits, but are also struggling to maintain that success over time. Meanwhile, more veteran artists are scoring late-career breakthroughs, or leaning heavily into diaristic releases that trade off on their personal narrative. Some artists are enlisting fewer collaborators — preferring to write in tight-knit camps with friends — and taking the songwriting lead themselves more often, like Ariana Grande’s solo effort on “Hate That I Made You Love Me.” Still, sometimes great performers aren’t great songwriters. That’s OK. Balance restoration comes through remembering collaboration and timing are key.
Before “Gabriela” ended up with Katseye, it had been recorded by both Little Mix and Anitta. The song earned them a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Way back in 2018, Little Mix launched their fifth album, LM5, with “Woman Like Me,” co-written by Sheeran and Jess Glynne, who began the song for her own album, Always in Between, before passing it along. When the group hit pause to pursue solo projects, Sheeran appeared in the credits for Perrie Edwards’ debut single, “Forget About Us.” The track was criticized for being too impersonal, the kind of song anyone could sing. Sometimes that’s the point. At least it’s catchy and she’s actually singing.
Between HYBE and Geffen, Katseye have too many resources at their disposal to add duds to their discography. In about two weeks, the girl group will release its third EP, Wild, featuring both “Pinky Up” and “Animal.” The EP release model has allowed Katseye to hedge the debut album conversation for a while, but the day will come eventually. When it does, it wouldn’t hurt to see what else someone like Sheeran might have up their sleeve. It could be another hit.