On Friday night at the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom, veteran pianist Cheche Alara walked away from the stage for a few minutes before the second annual GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala kicked off, and surveyed the scene from the soundboard.
As the gala’s musical director, Alara was responsible for leading a band of virtuoso instrumentalists, stellar backup vocalists and legendary guest stars through a tapestry of sounds that mirrored the Hall of Fame’s all-encompassing legacy — from gospel, Afrobeat and R&B to country and Latin rhythms. And unlike most pop concerts these days, the musical portion of the evening had not a single pre-recorded element. Every song was performed live, as it happened.
@grammymuseum Celebrating the 2025 inducted recordings at the #RecordingAcademy and GRAMMYMuseum’s GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala was a night to remember! ✨ Hosted by CBS News journalist Anthony Mason, the special night featured: 🎶 Performances from a lineup of amazing artists who honored this year's inducted recordings 🎶 #JonBatiste receiving the inaugural Ray Charles “Architect of Sound” Award 🎶 A special tribute to this year’s label honoree, @Republic Records
Perhaps the volatile energy of such a large-scale spectacle presented without a security net of any kind contributed to the gala’s unpredictable, emotionally charged vibe. Alternating between piano and keyboards, Alara led the band through a number of inducted classics — jumping from syncopated salsa piano lines to more sobering, spiritually inclined blues chords.
A legacy supported by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame inducted eight albums and five singles into its 2025 class. Each recording left an indelible mark on pop culture, from Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt, to Big Star's highly influential #1 Record and Gloria Estefan's & Miami Sound Machine's "Conga," a progenitor of the Latin music revolution of the late-'90s. With the addition of these 13 titles, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame currently houses 1,165 inducted recordings.
"The importance of the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame lies not only in honoring classic works, but also in preserving the cultural, artistic, and social history of recorded music," Nick DiFruscia, Senior Director of Awards at the Recording Academy, told GRAMMY.com. "A recording’s induction into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame is a critical act of music preservation, ensuring that the most important recordings in music history are recognized, remembered and protected for future generations. It’s also an important resource tool for musicians, educators, historians, and fans, helping them understand how certain recordings influenced genres, recording technology, and the pure craft of music making."
Below, read six takeaway moments from the 2025 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala, an evening marked by a spirit of cultural plurality and celebration.
Care To Rally The Troops? Play Some Gospel.
The show began in epic fashion, with Ledisi wowing the ballroom’s capacity audience with a volcanic rendition of Clara Ward’s anthemic "How I Got Over" – one of the best-selling gospel songs of all time, recorded by luminaries such as Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin. Backed by an ensemble of nine singers, Ledisi sounded like a ball of fire, making the strongest possible case for adding "How I Got Over" into the select group of 13 recordings inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.
Emmylou Harris Is A National Treasure
"I just cherry pick all the great songs that other people have written," the ever-so-humble Emmylou Harris quipped as she celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americana classic Wrecking Ball – the album that updated her sound and redefined her identity.
"I felt at a crossroad," said the 78-year-old, Alabama-born Harris, joined onstage by the album’s visionary producer, Daniel Lanois, and jazz drummer Brian Blade. "I don’t know if we knew what we were doing on that album, but Daniel Lanois gave me another 30 years of making the music that I love."
The Stax Mystique Sounds Even More Vital Today
From Otis Redding and Carla Thomas to the Staple Singers and Eddie Floyd, the Memphis-based Stax label cemented the foundation of southern soul with a gritty, honest sound that drew freely from gospel, funk and the blues. With its propulsive brass and a vocal delivery intoxicated with the ecstasy of romantic love, Eddie Floyd’s summer of 1966 hit "Knock On Wood" epitomizes the Stax gravitas.
A youthful 87, Floyd was at hand to perform a seamless rendition of the track, expressing his gratitude to "the artists who recorded this tune so many times."
A Little Girl Grew Up Listening To Records – And Dreamed Big
Released in 1985, the percolating Miami Sound Machine smash "Conga" made Gloria Estefan a superstar, and brought the American mainstream closer to the Afro-Caribbean groove. Urbano-pop princess Leslie Grace performed a spirited rendition of the song — at one point leaving the stage, walking to the Estefans' table and inviting a surprised Gloria to join her on a verse or two.
"When I was five years old in Florida, we rented a house that had a stereo cabinet loaded with 78 rpm records," said Estefan. "I would play each record and allow myself to be transported by those sounds. Today I want to honor those records by artists like the Andrews Sisters. Even before we recorded it, audiences embraced ‘Conga’ as if it was already a hit."
In 21st Century Music, The Future Knows No Limits
"I want to honor my parents with this award, because they’re here. It would not be possible to do what I do without them," said composer, musician and actor Jon Batiste as he received the inaugural Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award. True to form, the Juilliard graduate sat at the piano and improvised a touching rendition of "Georgia On My Mind" that blended classical elements with jazz and blues — a performance so spontaneous and joyful, that it made his virtuoso chops seem like an afterthought.
Batiste explained how his father introduced him to the music of Ray Charles, and taught him to observe the subtle touches and arrangements to be found on records. "Music comes from the deepest and darkest soil," said the pianist, quoting Charles himself.
For Record Label Success, Music Should Always Come First
With a roster that includes mega-stars such as Drake, Ariana Grande, Morgan Wallen and Peter Gabriel, Republic Records has achieved the highest market share of any label during the past decade. The gala’s label honoree, Republic was feted by a wryly humorous John Mellencamp, who performed some of his greatest hits — including the ‘80s hymn "Jack & Diane" — accompanying himself on the guitar.
"The guys at Republic are in the music business because they like music and they like business — but they like music first," he said, adding that the event’s organizers begged him not to use any form of profanity during his presentation. "Stop giving a f— about stuff that’s not f— worthy," he concluded with a grin. Accepting the award, brothers Avery and Monte Lipman, President/COO and CEO, respectively, looked visibly moved, sharing anecdotes that illustrated a deep love of music during their childhood. "My greatest accomplishment is that I get to do this with my brother," said Avery.