On November 8, 2025, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame welcomed a fresh wave of legendary acts into its storied ranks, marking a night that celebrated both the enduring power of rock music and the personal journeys of its most iconic figures. Among those honored were Soundgarden, whose induction was tinged with bittersweet emotion following the 2017 death of their charismatic frontman Chris Cornell, and Bad Company, represented by the inimitable Paul Rodgers, a singer whose voice helped define an era.
For Soundgarden, the moment was long overdue. The Seattle band, pioneers of the grunge movement, finally found themselves recognized at the Hall of Fame eight years after Cornell’s passing. Yet, as the surviving members gathered ahead of the ceremony, their thoughts were as much on the future as the past. In a candid interview, drummer Matt Cameron shared, “Yeah, I’m really excited for people to hear it, have our fans hear it. It’s fun for us to be working on it. And sometimes listening to it, it’s overpowering. But, yeah, I’m super proud of the music that we did put together. And we’re pretty close [to finishing it]. And, yeah, it is nice having Terry on board with us, for sure.”
That “Terry” is Terry Date, the acclaimed producer who previously collaborated with Soundgarden on classic albums like Badmotorfinger and Louder Than Love. According to guitarist Kim Thayil, Date’s approach is all about collaboration and authenticity. “One of the cool things about Terry is he never imposed his production style or sound on any bands,” Thayil explained. “He would learn from the bands. And one of the things he would assert when he took a job was, ‘I want this to be a co-production thing.’ And it’s, like, ‘Well, that fits just perfect with the kind of band we are.’”
Thayil continued, “There are a lot of producers out there who have a particular style — for instance, you think about Phil Spector and the ‘wall of sound.’ It’s, like, okay, well, that’s his thing. But producers had that kind of role in the ’60s and, to some degree, the ’70s, but with the way bands are post-1977, they have a sense of what they’re writing and what they wanna sound like, and the producers should simply facilitate that. And Terry’s that guy. I mean, you listen to records he’s done, and it’s very different from certainly what he’s done with us. There isn’t a signature Terry Date thing. It is him helping the band be the band.”
The upcoming Soundgarden album, still untitled, has been years in the making. Legal disputes with Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell, had stalled its release, but in 2023 the band was finally granted permission to use vocals from demos recorded before the singer’s death. The emotional weight of the project is not lost on the band. “There’s very familiar elements in some of this new music, but, yeah, there was a couple songs that felt like it was kind of a new chapter or it could have been a new chapter. So it’s really exciting to hear that. It’s bittersweet, of course,” Cameron reflected.
Bassist Ben Shepherd described a moment that captured the band’s anticipation: “I was going to get coffee down the hall from the control room, and Nate and Terry were playing it back — Nate’s our assistant engineer on it. It was, like, ‘Holy hell, that’s Soundgarden. It’s so cool to hear it again.’” The album, which promises both familiar echoes of Soundgarden’s past and a bold new sonic direction, is eagerly awaited by fans who have longed for closure and celebration alike.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic and spanning decades of musical history, Paul Rodgers—frontman of both Bad Company and Free—was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Rodgers, now 75 and residing in Summerland, Canada, was the only Canadian honored this year. Health issues prevented him from attending the Los Angeles ceremony in person, but Canadian rock icon Bryan Adams stepped in to perform in his stead. Rodgers expressed his gratitude, saying, “Bryan was amazing on so many levels — such a consummate professional. It was an absolute charge watching him perform our song.”
Rodgers’ journey to the Hall of Fame is a testament to his enduring influence. Born in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom, he moved to Canada in 1997 after meeting his wife Cynthia, whom he described as “my secret force and the reason my heart still beats” during his acceptance speech, delivered via video. Rodgers became a Canadian citizen in Surrey in 2011, leading attendees in a heartfelt rendition of ‘O Canada’ at his citizenship ceremony. “To be honest with you, I know most of the words (to ‘O Canada’), and I think I can get by,” he joked at the time. “I don’t know the English national anthem too well, either. I’ll be doing my own version.”
Bad Company, founded in 1973 with guitarist Mick Ralphs, bassist Boz Burrell, and drummer Simon Kirke, is widely recognized as a defining force in 1970s rock. This year’s Hall of Fame induction coincided with a resurgence of interest in the band’s legacy, most notably through the release of Can’t Get Enough: A Tribute to Bad Company. The album, released in October 2025, features a diverse roster of artists—including Def Leppard, The Pretty Reckless, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, The Struts, Dirty Honey, and Black Stone Cherry—paying homage to the band’s enduring catalog.
Among the standout tracks is Halestorm’s cover of “Shooting Star,” which features a new video starring both Halestorm and Rodgers. Lzzy Hale, Halestorm’s frontwoman, summed up the sentiment of many: “Rock n’ Roll with a soul wouldn’t exist without Paul Rodgers. We grew up on the songs and sounds he gifted to the world, and we are honored to be on this record paying tribute to one of the greatest singers of all time.”
Todd Ronning, a Cloverdale-area bass player who has long collaborated with Rodgers, also played a role in these recent celebrations, having recorded with him on the 2023 album Midnight Rose. Rodgers himself and Simon Kirke participated in the tribute album, further cementing their connection to both past and present generations of rock musicians.
For fans who missed the live event, technology offers a second chance: the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony can be streamed on Disney+ on demand, while a primetime special featuring performances and highlights from the show will air on January 1, 2026, on ABC. It’s a fitting way to ring in the new year—with a celebration of artists whose music has shaped the soundtrack of countless lives.
As the echoes of the Hall of Fame ceremony fade, what remains is a sense of continuity and renewal. Soundgarden’s upcoming album, forged in the shadow of loss but filled with creative promise, and Bad Company’s enduring legacy, honored by a new generation of musicians, both remind us that rock and roll is never truly finished. Its spirit lives on—sometimes in the studio, sometimes on stage, and always in the hearts of those who listen.
