Rock Hall FAQ
rockhall.com/site/faq/Asked Questionsq: What is the process for induction?
Leaders in the music industry joined together in 1983 to establish the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. One of the Foundation’s many functions is to recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll by inducting them into the Hall of Fame.
There are four main categories of inductees: Performers, Non-Performers, Early Influences and, as of the year 2000, Side-men. The Foundation also occasionally bestows an award for Lifetime Achievement.
Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artist’s contribution to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.
The Foundation’s nominating committee, composed of rock and roll historians, selects nominees each year in the Performer category. Ballots are then sent to an international voting body of about 1,000 rock experts. Those performers who receive the highest number of votes, and more than 50 percent of the vote, are inducted. The Foundation generally inducts five to seven performers each year.
The special selection committee elects the inductees in two other categories: Non-Performers include songwriters, producers, disc jockeys, record executives, journalists and other industry professionals who have had a major influence on the development of rock and roll; Early Influences are artists whose music predated rock and roll but had an impact on the evolution of rock and roll and inspired rock’s leading artists.
Side-men honors those musicians who have spent their career out of the spotlight, performing as backup musicians for major artists on recording sessions and in concert. They they often play a key role in the creation of memorable music, but the public rarely knows them by name. A separate committee, composed primarily of producers, selects the inductees in this category.
q: To whom should I direct further questions about the induction process?
All aspects of the induction process are handled by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. It can be reached at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, Second Floor, New York, NY 10104. The Foundation does not have e-mail available.
q: Can I take pictures at the Museum?
Photography is permitted inside the Rock Hall, however flash photography, video and professional photography are not permitted. If you are a member of the media and need images or video shot by your crew or supplied for a story you are working on, please contact our media relations department.
q: How can I get a brochure about the museum?
Write to the Marketing Department, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, Collection Auto Group Plaza, Cleveland, OH 44114, or e-mail us at
q: How can I get up-to-date information about museum programs?
When an event is not posted on this site, call our information and event hotline, 216.515.8444 for a schedule of events, or sign up for the e-newsletter at
www.rockhall.com/e-newsletter and follow us on social networks.
q: I’m coming to Cleveland to visit the Museum. Where can I get information on where to stay and what to do?
The Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau (phone 800.321.1001, http://www.positivelycleveland.com) has information about where to stay and what to do; Cleveland.com offers up-to-date listings of what’s happening in Cleveland.
q: Can I get a copy of past induction ceremonies and/or the 1995 Concert for the Hall of Fame on DVD?
Yes! You can purchase the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live DVD Box Set from our store by clicking here.
q: Can I order official Rock and Roll Hall of Fame merchandise online?
The Museum Online Store is now up and running at
www.rockhallstore.com. If you don’t see something you want, you can contact the Museum Store at 216.515.1289.
q: How do I get tickets for the Museum?
The most efficient way to get tickets is to purchase them at the Museum box office. For advance ticket purchases, please click here to purchase tickets online.
q: Are there any discounts available?
A variety of discounts and promotions are available. See our promotions/discounts for what’s currently offered.
q: Do you ever rent the building out for parties and other events?
The Museum can be rented for parties and meetings. Call 216.515.8420 or e-mail the sales department for more information. Download a 14-page “Special Event Guide” with full details on facility rentals.
q: Why is the Museum in Cleveland?
Cleveland’s claim on the Museum is born of both rock and roll history and a strong sense old civic pride. Besides being the place where Alan Freed popularized the term Rock and Roll with his pioneering radio show and groundbreaking early rock and roll concerts, Cleveland has served as a springboard to success for rock artists as diverse as Chuck Berry (who made his first public appearance here) to David Bowie (who made his U.S. debut here) to Elvis Presley (who played his first concert north of the Mason-Dixon line in Cleveland). The Cleveland area also been home to a number of well-known and well-regarded rock artists, including Chrissie Hynde, Joe Walsh of the Eagles, Pere Ubu, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Phil Ochs, Devo, the Dead Boys, Benjamin Orr of the Cars, the Raspberries, the O’Jays, Dink, Wild Cherry, Bobby Womack, Tracy Chapman and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, among others.
When the idea for a Museum to house the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame first came about, Cleveland leaders were among the first and most enthusiastic in lobbying Hall of Fame officials to bring the Museum to Cleveland. The city overwhelmingly beat all rivals in a USA Today poll, earning more than 100,000 votes over its nearest rival.
In addition, 660,000 people signed petitions to bring the Museum to Cleveland. The city’s civic and business leaders worked together to provide the necessary financial support to make the Museum not only a reality, but also a stunning showcase for rock and roll’s history.
On May 5, 1986, Cleveland was selected as the site for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
q: Who was the architect for the Museum?
The architect was I. M. Pei, of Pei Cobb Freed and Partners. Pei’s acclaimed work includes the addition to the Louvre in Paris, France and the National Gallery of Art East Wing, in Washington, D.C., among other well-known structures.
q: When was the Museum built?
Groundbreaking for the building took place on June 7, 1993, with Billy Joel, Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, Sam Phillips, Sam Moore and Dave Pirner on hand. The building opened to the public on September 2, 1995.
q: I have a piece of rock and roll memorabilia and I’d like to find out what it’s worth. Do you make appraisals of artifacts?
Due to IRS regulations, we do not offer this service.
q: Somehow, I ended up with the original contract for the Who’s performance at Woodstock, along with some other items from the group, and I was wondering if you were interested in obtaining them.
Chances are, you actually don’t have the artifacts you think you have. The Who included facsimiles of this contract and the other “artifacts” with the packaging of the album Live at Leeds. About once a week, we get a letter or call from someone about this, and we have to break the bad news to them.
q: Okay, I don’t have the original Who at Woodstock contract, but I have other items in which you might be interested. Do you accept donations and loans of artifacts?
Yes, all the time. While many of the artifacts come directly from the artists, some collectors have also provided us with important items from the history of rock and roll. If you’ve got something interesting, let us know by writing tp the Curatorial Department, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, Collection Auto Group Plaza, Cleveland, OH 44114 or sending an e-mail to
q: Who decided which songs to include in the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll?
The Museum’s chief curator, James Henke, compiled the list with input from the museum’s curatorial staff and numerous rock critics and music experts.
q: Does an artist have to be inducted to have an exhibit in the Museum?
The Museum welcomes artifacts and exhibits from all genres and types of musicians. Just because an artist has an exhibit does not mean they have been inducted and just because an aritist is not inducted, does not mean they may not have an exhibit in the Museum. The only place in the Museum that is solely dedicated to inductees is the Hall of Fame exhibit located on Level 3.
q: Can I join as a member at the Museum?
Yes. You may purchase a membership in the Museum’s store or online.
q: Can I gain free admission if I sign up for a membership at the Museum the day I visit?
Yes, when you join at the Museum store, you will receive the following:
$50 Solo Rocker Level: You will be granted admission on the day of purchase, 10% Museum store discount, exclusive membership t-shirt and member decal.*
$75 Duet Rocker Level: You and a guest will be granted admission on the day of purchase, 10% Museum store discount, exclusive membership t-shirt and member decal.*
$140 Roller Level: You, the co-member and your children (or you and your three guests) will be granted admission on the day of purchase, 10% Museum store discount, exclusive membership t-shirt and member decal.*
$250 Inductee Level: You and your three guests (or you, the co-member and your children) will be granted admission on the day of purchase, 10% Museum store discount, exclusive membership t-shirt and member decal.*
q: If I sign up for a membership at the Museum, how many people are allowed admission on the day of purchase?
$50 Rocker Level: You will be granted admission on the day of purchase.
$75 Rocker Level: You and a guest will be granted admission on the day of purchase.
$140 Roller Level: You, the co-member and your children (or you and your three guests) will be granted admission on the day of purchase.
$250 Inductee Level: You and your three guests (or you, the co-member and your children) will be granted admission on the day of purchase.
q: I signed up as a member when the Museum opened. Is my membership still valid? Am I recognized as a Charter member anywhere in the Museum?
Charter memberships purchased when the Museum opened expired one year after date of purchase. Those who joined when the Museum opened are recognized in the leather bound notebook located at the Information Desk at the Museum. You may renew your charter membership status by calling 216.515.8425.
q: What is the Museum’s mission?
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.
q: Why is it important to study rock and roll?
Rock and roll music is one the most pervasive – and accessible – art forms in Western Culture. In fact, when NASA launched the Voyager space shuttle in 1977, they included music from Chuck Berry on it in the event that intelligent life found the vessel. Like any art form, rock music reflects and defines our history and culture.
Rock and roll has been a key tool in giving a voice to people who have otherwise been pushed to the margins of our society. In the civil rights movements, in war protests, in ending communist rule in Eastern European countries, even in our elections, rock and roll music – and the musicians and fans that make it what it is – is truly a cultural force.
The Rock Hall is at the forefront of bringing popular culture into the classroom. Our educational programs and exhibits reach hundreds of thousands of students of all ages and teaches them how music has played a role in some of the most important social, cultural and political issues in modern history.
Through our educational programs, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is exploring how music has intersected with our culture, changed our political landscape and given a voice to those on the margins of mainstream society. This effort to bring pop culture into the academic world is crucial, as critical dialogues in our world are increasingly happening through—and with—modern music.
