If you’ve noticed one trend with the artists the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially let through its doors this decade, it’s probably been the institution drifting away from the classic rock artists (mostly bands, mostly all-male) that defined its ranks for decades, and towards a broader genre view rewarding artists (often solo and female) of wide cultural iconicity.

Artists like Whitney Houston, Carly Simon, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Missy Elliott, Kate Bush and Dolly Parton did not fit the traditional mold of artist the Rock Hall would have looked towards in past decades — as evidenced by the fact that all of them except Missy had to wait at least a decade from their earliest eligibility until their induction. But of course, music has continued to progress further and further away from the late period traditionally considered the classic rock era, while modern audiences have come to place significantly less emphasis on rock as the sun that the world of Serious Music revolves around. It makes sense that Rock Hall voters would end up emphasizing game-changing pop, country and hip-hop artists whose relevance has endured into the 21st century over 20th century radio rock leftovers with little bearing on contemporary popular music.

And so of course, the 2024 inductees for the Rock Hall include Peter Frampton, Foreigner and the Dave Matthews Band.

Now, that snarky comment isn’t totally fair to either the Rock Hall voters or the artists inducted. For one, there are still two artists from this year’s recently announced class that absolutely fit the newer brand of Rock Hall inductees in Cher and Mary J. Blige: both unquestionably iconic artists with rich, expansive legacies and subsequent generations of major artists that their impact can be traced through. Neither is traditionally rock — Cher dabbled in the genre and likely would’ve gone further with it than she did had she been allowed the artistic agency more frequently afforded today’s pop stars, while Blige’s intersections with the genre have been mostly incidental — but you can’t properly tell the story of the period of popular music the Rock Hall covers without either, so their presence is hard to argue with.

And while they cannot compare with artists like Cher or Mary J. Blige in terms of enduring pop culture ubiquity, those aforementioned rockier acts have legacies of their own that at least elbow their way into the discussion of Rock Hall worthiness. Peter Frampton had one of the biggest rock albums of the ’70s and a tremendous amount of peer respect for his work solo, as well as in prior group Humble Pie and as a sideman. Foreigner were among the biggest hitmakers in any genre for a solid decade from the late ’70s to late ’80s, with a handful of songs that remaining enduring staples on classic rock radio, movie soundtracks and even on singing competition reality shows. And for 30 years, Dave Matthews Band have been the model for a beloved jam-band also thriving as a massively successful recording act, scoring No. 1 albums and alternative radio hits and even a major pop crossover or two.

In an older Rock Hall class, you might not have looked askance at the three of them getting in. Even now, you might not think it that strange for any of the three of them to get in on their own. But for all three of them to get in the same year is fairly surprising, especially considering some of the names shut out. That includes Mariah Carey, one of the most accomplished and longest-lasting pop superstars of all time, and Sinéad O’Connor, a genre-blending star whose stardom was curtailed by artistic risks she took on and off record, but whose legacy feels even more vital and timely in 2024 (sadly following her death in 2023) than it even did at her commercial peak three-plus decades ago. By modern Rock Hall standards, both would feel like obvious picks; both will nonetheless remain on the outside for at least one more year.

And it’s not just the rockers among the less-expected inductees for 2024. Kool and the Gang, funk hitmakers of the ’70s and ’80s who had been picked up as something of a cause in recent years for their longtime Rock Hall snubbing, have been granted entry on their first nomination. Meanwhile, the third time proves the charm for A Tribe Called Quest — among the most beloved and celebrated groups in hip-hop history, but one that never achieved the massive crossover success of recently inducted rappers like Missy, Jay-Z and Eminem. For those two groups to get in not just over Carey and O’Connor, but more traditional rock and roll flag-wavers like Oasis and Lenny Kravitz, is also something of a shock. (The eighth and final 2024 inductee not yet mentioned was this year’s most predictable: Ozzy Osbourne, who satisfies both classic rock cred and solo star recognizability and prototypicality.)

Nonetheless, the recognition of that trio of long-eligible 20th century rock acts (and male ones, as six out of this year’s eight artists inducted are) suggests that as much as the Rock Hall has shifted towards a less hemmed-in, genre-specific institution over the years– an evolution likely necessary for its continued relevance — there are still plenty of voters primarily concerned with rock representation. DMB were likely helped by their continued presence within the industry, while Foreigner were doubtless boosted in no small part by the celebrity campaigning on their behalf by insider’s insider Mark Ronson (stepson of the band’s guitarist and founder Mick Jones). But the recognition of Frampton in particular — who we pegged as having the second-lowest chances of induction among this year’s 15 years — feels indicative of pushback against the Rock Hall’s broadening definitions.

If there is more of a unifying theory to the new inductees to the Rock Hall this year, though, it might have to do with the breakdown of longstanding critical preconceptions in evaluating said artists. Of the eight artists granted entry this year, only A Tribe Called Quest could really be considered in any way to be critics’ darlings. Of the seven others, several (Dave Matthews Band, Cher, Foreigner) existed as critical punching bags at their commercial peaks, and others (Kool & The Gang, Mary J. Blige, solo Ozzy Osbourne) were largely shrugged at by rock critics outside their home genres. Perhaps the expulsion of Jann Wenner from the Rock Hall’s Board of Directors last year has also served as the final severing of the institution’s adherence to classic critical canons, in favor of a slightly more updated perspective less beholden to the received wisdom of previous generations.

In any event, the 2024 class makes it clear that while the Rock Hall’s constituency may be forever evolving in their tastes and priorities, the musical values of decades past have not yet been completely lost to time. We will have to wait and see from the next few years’ classes whether this year’s represents the beginning of a pendulum swinging back to more traditional rock hall definitions for voters, or a final emptying of the bench for the classic rock faithful.

Mick Jones could be excused for feeling a bit bitter about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ignoring Foreigner for more than two decades of eligibility. But now that the group will be part of the class of 2024 this October, Jones — who put Foreigner together back in 1975 in New York — says he’s feeling “quite the opposite.”

“I think it means more to me now than perhaps 20 years ago,” Jones tells Billboard exclusively, via email due to a struggle with Parkinson’s disease that he revealed in February. “I’ve had a great career, and this is like the whipped cream and cherry on top. It’s something I will savor over the years. It’s a great honor to be included amongst all these great artists that have been inducted over the years.

Jones, 79, adds that despite Foreigner fans’ very vocal frustration at the band’s exclusion, he himself has kept a measured perspective about the prospects. “Occasionally it might have entered my mind,” he says. “I certainly haven’t been overly consumed by it. Every year was the same thing, so eventually I didn’t really worry about it. My dear friend Peter Frampton had been passed over all these years; I don’t think he has been overly consumed by it either.”

Foreigner finished third in the Rock Hall’s fan vote this year, behind the Dave Matthews Band and Frampton, with more than 527,000 total votes. That was partly assisted by a video campaign by Jones’ son-in-law Mark Ronson, who recruited musical friends such as Paul McCartney (“Foreigner? Not in the Hall of Fame? What the f–k?!”), Dave Grohl, Slash, Jack Black, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and others expressing disbelief that the group wasn’t yet in.

“I am very grateful for the time and effort Mark has put into this,” Jones says. “I wasn’t totally aware of the extent to which he saw this through. He reached out to a lot of people to post their support on social media. I had a good laugh seeing Paul’s Instagram post.”

Jones isn’t alone, of course, in celebrating Foreigner’s impending induction. Rick Wills, who was Foreigner’s bassist from 1979-1993, tells Billboard, “We’re more than thrilled. It’s been over 20 years since we’ve been waiting for this day. I suppose we were frustrated, to be perfectly honest, but we tried to hide it as best we could because we didn’t want to appear like we were sad people. (laughs). I mean what else could you do but what we’ve done already with our music, and what people have appreciated and enjoyed? We didn’t understand why we didn’t get that recognition.”

And original frontman Lou Gramm told Billboard last month that he “had given up that we would ever be considered” but would happily serve if elected. “I was not feeling good that our peers were in years ago and we were completely neglected…I didn’t even think about it anymore, to be honest with you, so (the nomination) was a big surprise to me.”

Gramm recently brought up past issues with Jones over songwriting credits and financial issues but is looking forward to being with the band and performing at the induction ceremony on Oct. 19 in Cleveland. And Jones says Gramm, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with in 2013, will be welcomed with open arms.

“On a personal level I have no hard feelings toward Lou,” Jones says. “We did perform together at the 40th anniversary concert. It has been so many years now since Lou left Foreigner; I like to think that those ill feelings are in the past. There is power in letting go of hard feelings and getting on with your life. Why carry the burden of hard feelings? It serves nothing in the long run. I do plan to attend,” Jones adds. I’m sure my whole family will be there. As to whether I get up on stage and perform hasn’t really been decided as yet. In some ways it might be nice just to be there to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy being inducted.”

Jones says he deals with his Parkinson’s “day to day. Keeping my chin up and making the best of everything. Fortunately, my Parkinson’s isn’t debilitating like it is for some people. My friend Michael J. Fox has been such an inspiration and advocate to find a cure for this disease. I do hope they find the answer soon. Like any disease it’s a quality-of-life issue. With all the research my family and assistant has done, I’ve been able to stick with a healthy lifestyle and exercise program that I think helps stymie the progression of my Parkinson’s.”

It’s also allowed him to continue working — not on stage with Foreigner, of course, but there may be new material in the offing. “There are a number of songs that are demos I wrote with Lou,” Jones says. “A couple of them are quite promising. Some written with Marti (Frederiksen) are lying around. I’ve been going through cassette tapes of demos; some I think don’t deserve to see the light of day.” Jones adds that he’s also finished mixing and mastering a solo album, Shelter From the Storm, that he hopes to release “at some point soon.”

Foreigner, meanwhile, is in the midst of an open-ended farewell tour that will likely extend into 2025 and may even include occasional performances or residencies after the road work is done. And Jones affirms he’s still comfortable with that decision. “It’s expected that all good things must come to an end. When Foreigner does retire it’s because the guys in the band have given so much of themselves and have reached a time in their lives where they want to have an easier life and spend more time with their families. There are so many demands being in a successful rock band.”

All is sweetness and light between Ozzy Osbourne and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the Prince of Darkness prepares for his second induction — this time as a solo artist.

Osbourne, you may remember, tried to get Black Sabbath taken off the 1999 nominations list, calling the nod “meaningless.” But he happily went in with the band in 2006, and he tells Billboard via email that to become one of the Rock Hall’s multiple inductees “feels big. I’m more than honored.”

The honor comes after his wife and manager Sharon Osbourne called out the Rock Hall last year for not considering Ozzy as a solo artist even though he’s been eligible since 2006. Osbourne began that career after leaving Black Sabbath acrimoniously in 1979 and scoring eight consecutive multi-platinum albums starting with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980. On his own he’s also released iconic songs such as “Crazy Train,” “Flying High Again,” “Bark at the Moon,” “Shot in the Dark” and “No More Tears.”

“I definitely wouldn’t say I was confident” about solo success, says Osbourne, adding that the 2021 induction of Randy Rhoads, his late songwriting partner, in the musical excellence category “made me feel we could be on to something. With every new music venture there’s always a certain amount of surprise that comes when you see the fans embrace it, because no one wants to make a record and have it flop. I feel like I was invited to a party in 1980, and it hasn’t stopped. Not bad for a guy who was fired from his last band.”

Comparing this induction to Sabbath’s “feels different,” Osbourne says, “because my solo career, it’s been a much larger part of my overall music career as a whole.” And after finishing fourth in the fan vote with more than 480,000 votes “feels more special, and I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way.”

The big question, of course, is whether Osbourne will perform at the induction ceremony on Oct. 19 in Cleveland. Though he’s effectively retired from touring due to a variety of health issues, including Parkinson’s disease, Osbourne continues to speak about performing again in some capacity. Could it be a two- or three-song set for the Rock Hall? “You never know,” he says, only promising that his outfit that night “will most certainly be black.”

Osbourne has remained prolific as a recording artist, meanwhile, releasing two albums so far this decade — Ordinary Man in 2020, Patient Number 9 in 2022 — and is intending to do more. “I’m not putting a timetable on it,” Osbourne says, “but I plan to start working on a new album sometime in the near future.”