Who performed at the opening concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995?
When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame officially opened 30 years ago in Cleveland, Ohio, its organisers were tasked not only with introducing a proof of concept on the museum itself, but also on its controversial location, a notoriously down-on-its-luck city in America’s post-industrial rust belt.
For one night, at least, the doubters were thoroughly silenced.
On September 2nd, 1995, over 60,000 people filed into the cavernous Cleveland Municipal Stadium, a decaying 1930s ballpark that contrasted in every way with the shiny new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame building, designed by IM Pei, that was about to open right next door on the shores of Lake Erie.
This massive, late summer crowd would be treated to one of the most star-studded rock concerts of all time, a nearly seven-hour-long marathon event that was officially promoted as “The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” but doubled as a defence of the city of Cleveland amid its 1990s revival.
Cleveland had a legitimate claim to calling itself the home of rock, beginning with the local radio DJ Alan Freed, who’d literally coined the phrase “rock and roll” in the early 1950s while hosting a popular rhythm and blues show on WJW radio. Cleveland rock radio remained vital for decades to come, as local stations helped break the likes of David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen to the wider US market. Still, this wasn’t New York or Los Angeles, and in terms of producing famous bands from its own zip code, it wasn’t Detroit either.
When the economy tanked in the 1970s as the steel mills began to close, Cleveland became a popular punching bag for comedians and journalists; a trend that tripled after the city’s Cuyahoga River briefly caught fire due to a buildup of industrial waste.
Flash forward to 1995, though, and Cleveland was having a moment. Along with winning the contract for the Rock Hall, the city had revitalised much of its downtown with a new stadium and arena known as the Gateway Complex. Its long-suffering baseball team, the Cleveland Indians, were also about to win its first league title in 41 years. That’s why Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, a native of Northeast Ohio, began her set at the Rock Hall Concert by shouting, “How about that Tribe?!” to a roar from the crowd.
Hynde was just one of a dizzying array of A-listers who took the stage that night in what would prove to be the final concert ever at the storied old Municipal Stadium.
To set the tone, one of the originators of rock, Chuck Berry, performed his classic ‘Johnny B Goode’ alongside Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. From there, it was a who’s who of the recently inducted and soon-to-be Hall-of-Famers, with particularly memorable efforts from Al Green (performing Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change is Gonna Come’), Lou Reed and Iggy Pop (paired with ‘90s alt band Soul Asylum), the Kinks (playing ‘All Day and All of the Night’ like it was 1966), and James Brown—likely cocaine fueled, but energetic nonetheless. Bob Dylan, who wasn’t on the original bill, was the surprise performer on the night, playing five songs, including a duet with Springsteen on ‘Forever Young.’
“This is the home of rock ‘n’ roll,” legendary Cleveland radio DJ Kid Leo announced to the crowd at one point. “Bar none, above all, Cleveland is the home of rock ‘n’ roll.”
Unfortunately, that opinion has remained hotly disputed ever since, as many of the subsequent Hall of Fame induction ceremonies have been held in New York and LA rather than the museum’s Cleveland home; largely because big stars are less inclined to fly to the Midwest for an awards show. Sad but true.
Below, you’ll find the complete list of performers from that one glorious night in Cleveland, broken into loose categories.
The first-ever Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995:
First Wave Legends
- Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Johnny Cash
R&B Greats
- James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Martha Reeves, Sam Moore, Booker T and the MGs
1960s Rock
- Eric Burdon, John Fogerty, The Kinks, Robbie Robertson, Bob Dylan
1970s Era
- Dr John, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars, Heart, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Allman Brothers
1980s Era
- John Mellencamp, Bon Jovi, The Pretenders, Bruce Hornsby, Slash, Boz Scaggs
1990s Era
- Melissa Etheridge, Soul Asylum, Gin Blossoms, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant
