The 23rd Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony took place in New York last night. Here are some of the evening’s best moments. Check out videos from the Inductees.

1. Justin Timberlake Brings Sexy Back.

Mr. Love Sounds made the word “induct” seem like the nastiet verb of the evening. He inducted Madonna with all the cheek you’d expect from a global pop star, telling tales about Madge helping him with a flu bug by ordering that he drop his pants and take a B-12 shot in the ass as the pair collaborated on M’s upcoming Hard Candy. He also shot an arrow or two at his ex. “The world is full of Madonna wannabes. I might have even dated a couple.”

2. Madonna Cops to Her Inner Punk & Dancefloor Druggin’

During a heartfelt acceptance speech, the singer explained her early days, learning to play drums to Elvis Costello records in the basement of an abandoned Queens synagogue and dropping a tab of ecstasy the night she jammed her demo tape into the hands of a Sire records A&R man. She also acknowledged her first big media explosion, “rolling around on the floor of the MTV awards with my ass hanging out.” During the wham-bam performance of “Burning Up” and “Ray of Light” by the Stooges, she was seen rocking along in the front row of the audience.

3. The Stooges Turn the Waldorf Into a Funhouse.

Madonna introduced a shirtless Iggy Pop as “another ass-kicker from Michigan,” and the band roared off into their own crazed world of grinding guitars and honking sax. The singer leapt around the stage, growling in his erotic basso, then leapt off the stage and demanded the well-heeled music bizzers to “feel something.” He concluded by strolling through the Waldorf’s kitchen, rubbing some Ig sweat on Madonna in a post-performance hug.

4. Billy Joel Is a Crazed Public Speaker.

The Piano Man was flowing like mad as he described being invited to the first Farm Aid show by his bud John Mellencamp. He cackled about not wanting to be the only Jew at the gig (where he ultimately played to a sea of fans “in John Deere caps”), and inviting Randy Newman to help him out. Candor and charisma marked Joel’s entire spiel. Utterly entertaining.

5. Tom Hanks’ Boomer Recollections

Billy Joel was good, but professional actors have an edge when it comes to delivery. Hanks went into memoryville as he described the life of American rock and roll fans during the British invasion of the early ’60s. Watching the Dave Clark 5 on the Ed Sullivan Show, arguing with his dad about the volume controls when DC5 songs came on the car radio, sitting on the side of his bunk bed, listening to “Glad All Over” punch through the tiny speaker on his sister’s clock radio. In a fervent, convincing tone, he explained just how much “joy” there was in the bands string of chart-topping singles.

6. Christina and Mariah Ain’t Got Nothing on Patti LaBelle.

Saluting Gamble & Huff, the Philly vet poured mucho passion into her glide through “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” All the coos and growls of classic soul were in place. Wanna talk dynamics? Get behind LaBelle’s gospel. And she looked hot in a red outfit. “You’ve touched my life,” she said to the iconic producers of “Love Train” and “Me & Mrs. Jones,” “you’ve done a good thing.” Superb way to start the show.

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Rock & Roll hall of Fame Main Page


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