Rick Rubin Inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: “Can’t Kill Rock and Roll”

Rick Rubin was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night, with longtime collaborator Neil Young presenting the legendary producer with the Musical Excellence Award and Red Hot Chili Peppers taking the stage in his honor. Young welcomed Rubin into the Hall at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, delivering a lengthy speech that touched on an influence that has stretched across and transcended hip-hop, metal, alternative rock, country, and pop. The musical guru’s fingerprints are all over modern popular music, though rarely in the form of a single identifiable sound. His reputation has instead been built on helping artists cut out distractions and get closer to the center of what they do. It’s a philosophy he later articulated in his 2023 book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, writing, “The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity.” The pairing with Young carried some personal history. The two had been friends for years and even attempted to record together in the late ’90s, though nothing from those sessions was released. Their first official album came together somewhat recently with Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s 2022 record World Record, which Young and Rubin co-produced at Rubin’s Shangri-La studio in Malibu. Red Hot Chili Peppers then honored Rubin with a performance of “Give It Away,” with all four members dressing as the producer. Few artists are more closely connected to Rubin than the Chili Peppers. He first produced the band on their 1991 breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik, beginning a decades-long partnership that would also encompass albums including Californication, By the Way, Stadium Arcadium, and I’m with You. After sitting out 2016’s The Getaway, Rubin reunited with the band for both 2022’s Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen. In accepting his induction, Rubin offered a simple five-word speech: “Can’t kill Rock and Roll.” Rubin entered the Hall through the Musical Excellence category, which recognizes artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers whose originality and influence have had a dramatic impact on music. Previous recipients have ranged from Judas Priest and Chaka Khan to Jimmy Buffett, Dionne Warwick, and production legends like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. His résumé also includes foundational work with Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Slayer, Johnny Cash, System of a Down, Adele, and many others.