The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame used its 2026 performer announcement to assemble one of the broadest classes in recent memory, with Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Oasis, Sade, Joy Division/New Order, Wu-Tang Clan and the late Luther Vandross among those selected for induction.

The list was revealed on the historical event date, 2026-04-14, during an airing of *American Idol*, according to The Guardian. The hall also named Queen Latifah among the performers category inductees, while the ceremony will take place on 14 November at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The class reflects the Hall’s rules on eligibility, which require an artist’s first commercial recording to have been released at least 25 years earlier. More than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals took part in the vote, the report said.

Several of the names on the list arrive with established Hall of Fame credentials. Collins is already in the hall as a member of Genesis, but now adds a solo induction built on hits such as *In the Air Tonight* and *One More Night*. Iron Maiden returns after prior nominations with a catalogue that helped define the New Wave of British heavy metal. Idol’s solo career brought punk attitude into mainstream pop with songs including *White Wedding* and *Rebel Yell*.

The inclusion of Oasis and the combined Joy Division/New Order slot gives the class a strong Manchester line. The Guardian described the pair as post-punk pioneers and Britpop standard-bearers, respectively. Sade’s place in the class extends a decades-long legacy built on restrained, durable songs such as *Smooth Operator* and *The Sweetest Taboo*.

Wu-Tang Clan’s selection adds a hip-hop pillar to the lineup. The group’s 1993 debut, *Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)*, is widely treated as a landmark in rap history, and the Hall’s vote gives the collective a place alongside rock, pop and soul acts in the same year’s class.

Vandross’s posthumous induction recognizes one of soul music’s most celebrated voices. The Guardian noted that he sold more than 25 million albums and left behind songs including *Here and Now* and *Any Love*. His selection also links the class to a broader cultural afterlife: he inspired the Kendrick Lamar and SZA track *Luther*.

The Hall’s annual process does not stop with performers. This year’s early influence category will honor Queen Latifah, Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons. Musical excellence honorees include songwriter Linda Creed and producers Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin. Ed Sullivan will enter under the Ahmet Ertegun non-performer award.

Taken together, the 2026 class reflects the Hall’s ongoing effort to balance genre pillars, cross-era influence and recognition for figures whose impact reached far beyond a single chart run. The November induction in Los Angeles will turn that list into a public celebration, but the selection itself already sketches a history of late-20th-century popular music that stretches from British punk and heavy metal to soul, post-punk and New York rap.