Warm vibes abounded at the 39th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland Oct. 19, and you can share them when the show airs Jan. 1, 8 p.m. ET on ABC. (That’s the three-hour version with commercials; you can also watch the entire five-hour-plus event streaming on Disney+.) 

This year’s inductees include Cher, 78, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, 74, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, 76, A Tribe Called Quest, Foreigner and The Dave Matthews Band, inducted by superfan Julia Roberts, 57. Dionne Warwick, 84, and the late Jimmy Buffett took Musical Excellence Awards, and James Taylor, 76, joined Kenny Chesney, 56, for a sweet and subtle rendition of Buffett’s beautifully mournful “Come Monday,” with the Coral Reefer Band’s Mac McAnally, 67, playing Buffett’s own guitar.

Here are some other highlights from the evening.

Nobody can turn back time like Cher

The ceremony opened with a video salute to Cher. Zendaya, sporting a Bob Mackie gown like Cher’s in 1972, credited her with influencing every female artist alive. A stretch? Maybe, but who could resist Cher and Dua Lipa dueting on “Believe” and Cher soloing on “If I Could Turn Back Time?” There’s a clip of Cher — the only singer with No. 1 hits in each of seven decades — saying she could care less whether she was inducted (last year, she said she wouldn’t appear if the Hall of Fame gave her a million dollars). And then we see her live at the ceremony crowing, “I’m happy that I’m in!”

Kool & the Gang gave a celebration to last throughout the years

Robert “Kool” Bell, 74, joined James “JT” Taylor, 71 (not to be confused with the “Fire and Rain” singer) on the hits “Ladies Night,” “Jungle Boogie” and (of course!) “Celebration,” introduced by Public Enemy’s Chuck D., 64, and backed by the Roots. “I made it to the Hall, mom!” Taylor exclaimed, then invited the audience to stand and salute the 13 Kool & the Gang members no longer with us: “When you mention someone’s name in reverence, you draw their spirit into your presence.”

Foreigner showed why it’s the band that will not die

Sammy Hagar, 77, hailed the band that helped define mainstream FM rock half a century ago and rocks on (with zero original members). “Still filling theaters and amphitheaters,” Hagar said. “That’s how good the songs are!” Original singer Lou Gramm, 74, bassist Rick Wills, 77, and Al Greenwood, 73, were joined by Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, 59, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, 63, but not main songwriter Mick Jones, 80, who stepped down from the touring fray in 2024, announcing he had Parkinson’s. Movingly, his daughter Annabelle Dexter-Jones accepted the award. Singing the hits were Demi Lovato on “Feels Like the First Time,” Hagar on “Hot Blooded” and Kelly Clarkson and Gramm on “I Want to Know What Love Is.”