Aretha Franklin
The Queen of Soul became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards did the honors.
The Supremes
The iconic Motown girl group comprising Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson (pictured here) was inducted by Little Richard in 1988.
LaVern Baker
Known for '50s-era pop hits "Tweedle Dee" and "Jim Dandy," the blues and R&B singer was inducted by Chaka Khan in 1991.
Tina Turner
In 1991, she was inducted alongside her abusive ex-husband Ike Turner, the duo recognized for their work in the '60s and '70s on hits like "Proud Mary" and "River Deep—Mountain High." Fans have been vocal about their desire to see Turner inducted once more in recognition of her solo work.
Ruth Brown
Known for bringing a pop music style to R&B during her heyday on the Atlantic Records roster in the 1950s, Brown was inducted in 1993 by Bonnie Raitt.
Etta James
k.d. lang was on hand in 1993 to induct the woman responsible for indelible hits such as "At Last" and "Something's Got a Hold on Me."
Janis Joplin
The psychedelic rock star, who died of a heroin overdose in 1970, was inducted by Melissa Etheridge in 1995.
Martha and the Vandellas
Best known for their hit "Dancing in the Street," this Motown girl group comprising Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, Betty Kelly, Lois Reeves and Annette Beard-Helton was inducted in 1995 by Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson of The B-52's.
Gladys Knight
The iconic soul singer was inducted in 1996 by Mariah Carey, along with her group the Pips, featuring her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten.
The Shirelles
This doo-wop girl group comprising Shirley Alston Reeves, Addie Harris, Doris Kenner-Jackson and Beverly Lee were inducted in 1996 by Merry Clayton, Marianne Faithfull and Darlene Love.
Maureen "Moe" Tucker of The Velvet Underground
As drummer of the proto-punk rock band, Moe was inducted alongside bandmates Lou Reed, John Cale and Sterling Morrison in 1996. Patti Smith gave their induction speech.
Joni Mitchell
The influential singer-songwriter known for classics like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Both Sides, Now" was inducted in 1997 by Shawn Colvin.
Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac
As the founding females of the iconic band, Stevie and Christine were inducted in 1998 alongside their bandmates Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John McVie and Jeremy Spencer. Sheryl Crow delivered their induction speech. Nicks was inducted again, as a solo artist, in 2019 by Harry Styles.
Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliott of The Mamas and the Papas
The '60s-era folk rock group—Michelle and ex-husband John Phillips, Denny Doherty and Elliott, who died of heart failure in 1974—were inducted in 1998 by Shania Twain.
Dusty Springfield
The English pop singer known for hits such as "Wishin' and Hopin'" and "Son of a Preacher Man" was posthumously inducted in 1999 by Elton John, just two weeks after she'd lost a long battle with cancer. Dusty's sister Vicky Wickham accepted the honor on her behalf.
Cleotha, Mavis and Yvonne Staples of The Staple Singers
The soul-singing sisters, their father Roebuck "Pops" Staples and brother Pervis Staples were inducted by Lauryn Hill in 1999.
Bonnie Raitt
The legendary blues singer and guitarist was inducted by Melissa Etheridge in 2000.
Brenda Lee
Jewel was tasked with inducting this country music legend, known for her hits "I'm Sorry" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," in 2002. Fun fact: Lee is the only woman in both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame.
Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads
As the bassist in the pioneering new wave group, Weymouth was inducted in 2002 alongside bandmates David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison. Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis delivered their induction speech.
Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders
As the lead singer of the English new wave band known for hits like "Brass in Pocket" and "Back on the Chain Gang," Hynde was inducted alongside surviving member Martin Chambers, as well as their late compatriots Pete Farndon and James Honeyman-Scott, in 2005.
Debbie Harry of Blondie
In 2006, Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson helped induct the "Heart of Glass" singer and her bandmates Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante, Chris Stein and Gary Valentine.
The Ronettes
This girl group composed of sisters Ronnie Spector and Estelle Bennett and their cousin Nedra Talley were inducted by Keith Richards in 2007.
Patti Smith
The influential "punk poet laureate" was inducted in 2007 by Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha.
Madonna
The Queen of Pop was a member of the Class of 2008, inducted by her "4 Minutes" duet partner Justin Timberlake.