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LOS ANGELES — The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has long been known as boomer mecca, where musicians of the ’60s and ’70s are feted and lionized. But its 2025 induction ceremony made one thing clear: Now, it’s Gen X’s time.

The concert-slash-coronation, which took place Saturday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, honored several acts whose careers started in the 1980s and 1990s: grunge innovators Soundgarden; daring Southern rap duo Outkast; and the all-female hip-hop combo Salt-N-Pepa, who performed a vibrant medley that included the dance-floor staples “Push It” and “Let’s Talk About Sex.”

It was a notable passing-of-the-mic for the hall — and, perhaps, an inevitable one. Artists become eligible 25 years after the release of their first recording. And while the latest class features acts from the 1950s through the 1980s — including rock and soul pioneer Chubby Checker, British band Bad Company and raspy vocalist Joe Cocker — it was only a matter of time before the institution began adding musicians who broke through during the days of Sub Pop and Spin magazine.

Detroit-punk godfather Iggy Pop, who inducted garage-rock revivalists the White Stripes, recalled seeing an early photo of band members Jack and Meg White, and realizing a new era was dawning. “Basically, I was looking at a 21st-century Adam and Eve who had started a rock ‘n’ roll band,” Pop said. “I thought, ‘Cute kids — they’ll probably go places.’ And they did!”

Meg White, who has remained largely out of view since the band’s last show in 2007, didn’t attend, but Jack White brought a message from his co-founder: “She wanted me to tell you that she’s very grateful to all of the folks who supported her through all the years.”

In keeping with Rock Hall tradition, young musicians paid homage to older acts. Olivia Rodrigo and Feist performed the White Stripes’ “We Are Going to Be Friends,” while Twenty One Pilots covered the band’s “Seven Nation Army.” Chappell Roan inducted Cyndi Lauper by recounting her own performance of “True Colors” at a Missouri talent show when she was 14. Lauper was joined onstage by Raye and Avril Lavigne, then delivered a message of musical hope: “The little kid in me still believes that rock ‘n’ roll can save the world.”

This article originally appeared in .

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