Rock Hall 2024: Essential albums from this year's class
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Class of 2024. Photo: Anthony Barboza/Getty Images; Paul Natkin/Getty Images; Harry Langdon/Getty Images; Tim Roney/Getty Images
The 39th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony is less than two months away.
Why it matters: Strong ticket sales for the Oct. 19 event show how well-received the class of 2024 is as the inductions return to Cleveland for the first time since 2021.
State of play: The first step in assessing an artist's Rock Hall worthiness is their body of work.
- We've chosen one essential recording from each of this year's inductees that showcases their impact on music history:
🎙️ A Tribe Called Quest – "The Low End Theory" (1992)
The intrigue: "The Low End Theory" marked a crucial step forward for jazz-rap and saw Tribe member Phife Dawg come into his own as an emcee.
😢 Mary J. Blige – "My Life" (1994)
The intrigue: Blige merged the hip-hop soul of her debut "What's the 411?" with confessional songwriting that became a hallmark for R&B singers of the 1990s.
🦜 Jimmy Buffett – "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" (1977)
The intrigue: Buffett transitioned from country rock and the soft-rock sound that made him a commercial juggernaut, starting with "Margaritaville."
🔮 Cher – "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" (1971)
The intrigue: Cher's first album of the 1970s was her first without husband Sonny Bono as producer and proved Cher could stand on her own.
🐜 Dave Matthews Band – "Under the Table and Dreaming" (1994)
The intrigue: DMB's debut established an immediate, overwhelming connection with its diehard fanbase.
🏵️ Suzanne de Passe - "Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5" by The Jackson 5 (1969)
The intrigue: De Passe, who is receiving the Rock Hall's Ahmet Ertegun Award, was a creative force for Motown Records where she discovered and led creative development for The Jackson 5.
🎚️ Foreigner – "4" (1981)
The intrigue: Foreigner's fourth album held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for 10 non-consecutive weeks and spawned the hit singles "Urgent," "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Juke Box Hero."
🕺🏾 Kool & the Gang – "Wild and Peaceful" (1973)
The intrigue: "Wild and Peaceful" marked Kool & the Gang's mainstream breakthrough and featured three top-10 R&B hits — "Jungle Boogie," "Funky Stuff" and "Hollywood Swinging."
🕺🏾 John Mayall – "Blues Breakers" (1966)
The intrigue: Mayall's first album with his Bluesbreakers band featured former Yardbirds guitarist Eric Clapton and helped cement blues' prominence in the UK.
🤘 MC5 – "Kick Out the Jams" (1969)
The intrigue: MC5's fiery debut was recorded live over two nights at Detroit's Grande Ballroom and served as a precursor to the punk rock movement.
🧑🎤 Ozzy Osbourne – "Blizzard of Oz" (1980)
The intrigue: Osbourne's debut proved he was a heavy metal dynamo as a solo artist after being fired from Black Sabbath.
🗣️ Big Mama Thornton – "With the Muddy Waters Blues Band" (1966)
The intrigue: Thornton was joined by blues great Muddy Waters and his band for a 17-track album proved she was a force of nature as a vocalist.
💃🏾 Dionne Warwick – "Make Way for Dionne Warwick" (1964)
The intrigue: Warwick's third album was groundbreaking, putting her on the mainstream map in a genre (orchestral pop) that was otherwise saturated by white artists at the time.
🎛️ Norman Whitfield - "Cloud Nine" by The Temptations (1969)
The intrigue: The Whitfield-produced "Cloud Nine" was The Temptations most ambitious album up until that point, taking the iconic group into psychedelic soul territory.