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His bandmates from the Bad Company band, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, have both paid their respects to their long-term friend on social media saying: “Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground. He has left us with exceptional songs and memories. He was my friend, my song writing partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humor. Our last conversation a few days ago we shared a laugh but it won’t be our last. There are many memories of Mick that will create laughter. Condolences to everyone who loved him especially his one true love, Susie. I will see you in heaven.”

Kirke added to the tribute: “He was a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply.”

Back in 2016, Bad Company had announced a US tour with Joe Walsh with Mick re-joining the band and taking his spot back from Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes. However, not long after the tour started, it was announced Mick had been hospitalised after suffering from a stroke. The band still went on tour, with his bandmates, Howard Leese and Paul Rodgers playing his parts.

Prior to being a part of Bad Company, Mick had formed Mott The Hooplee in 1969. The rock group had a breakthrough after releasing their most famous songs, produced by David Bowie himself, ‘All The Young Dudes’ in 1972. Bowie had initially offered the group his hit ‘Suffragette City’ but they rejected it and stated they had split up. In 1973, Mick departed the band following their Top 10 LP ‘Mott’. Bad Company’s debut album was released a year later, in 1974, and featured the hit ‘Can’t Get Enough’.

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With the list of nominees revealed, an international voting panel of over 1200 people from in and around the music industry will cast their votes and determine who out of the 14 acts will make it to the Hall of Fame. The criteria on which votes are cast should include the longevity of their career, the band or artist’s cultural impact, and their impact on their fellow musicians, and the next generation.  

For Oasis, this will be their second nomination in as many years, though the band hasn’t been enthusiastic about being inducted in the past. Liam Gallagher dismissed the Hall of Fame in 2024, describing it as being “full of bumbaclarts” on X after they received the first nomination. In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Noel Gallagher responded to a question about the award by bluntly saying “I know what it is. I know what it entails, and it won’t be f***ing happening.”

Fuck the Rock n Roll hall of fame its full of BUMBACLARTS LG x — Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) February 12, 2024

Joy Division and New Order’s joint nomination has caused a stir online. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has justified putting the bands together, describing them as “innovative musicians who created something revolutionary and massively influential, not once, but twice.” The post-punk icons’ inclusion has also highlighted a glaring omission. The Smiths have not been inducted, and have only been nominated once, having missed out to the likes of Green Day in 2015.

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Joe Cocker has been nominated posthumously after his death in 2014. According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website, Cocker is being recognised for his ability to reinterpret songs and make them his own, an opinion shared by many online too. The gravel-voiced singer is one of Sheffield’s most famous musical exports alongside the Arctic Monkeys and Def Leppard.   

Billy Idol has embraced the chance to be inducted, taking to X to call it “an honour and a privilege”, as well as providing fans a link to vote. He made reference to ‘White Wedding’, one of his most iconic tracks, with the hashtag #ItsANiceDayToVoteAgain.

It is a honor and a privilege to be nominated for the rockhall Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025! The Fan Vote is now open and you can visit https://t.co/05OFii67q1 daily to cast your vote from now until April 21st! #ItsANiceDayToVoteAgain pic.twitter.com/0LpAGXVFex

— Billy Idol (@BillyIdol) February 12, 2025

The voting process allows the public to pick seven nominees each day between now and April 21, though its influence on the final vote has been debated. The top-voted act receives one ballot submission among thousands of others, meaning the fan vote has a weighting of less than 0.1%.

 If any of the UK acts are eventually inducted, they will join over 50 other UK artists to be recognised by the Hall of Fame. Among the performers are The Beatles, Radiohead and Roxy Music, and in the non-performers category, Sir George Martin, the Beatles’ producer, and Brian Epstein, their manager.

This year’s nominees have a strong UK showing, though debates around the acts that are still missing, such as The Smiths and Iron Maiden, keep raging on. Fan involvement is largely symbolic and has very little bearing on the final results, and many will be eagerly waiting to see how closely the final shortlist matches the results of the online votes. Voting can be done here.

The full list is as follows:

Oasis

Bad Company

Joe Cocker

OutKast

Mariah Carey

Cyndi Lauper

Phish

Maná

Chubby Checker

Soundgarden

The White Stripes

Joy Division + New Order

The Black Crowes

Billy Idol