Cher, Kool & the Gang, Dionne Warwick were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Pure pop introduced the introductions Rock & Roll Hall Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, when Dua Lipa and Cher sang “Believe” before giving way to the stage to a medley of rump-shaking from funk masters Kool & the Gang, rock classics from Foreigner and Peter Frampton, and a powerful performance from gospel icon Dionne Warwick, who The audience went into a frenzy, the number dropped to 83.

This year's inductees also included: Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and posthumous recognitions for Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Alexis Korner, John Mayall, Norman Whitfield and Big Mama Thornton.

“Where should I even begin? Cher is not a single person,” Zendaya said when introducing Cher. “Her name is as legendary as her legacy.” Zendaya noted that Cher, 78, is the only woman to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard charts in each of the last seven decades. “Cher has what it takes,” Zendaya said before the singer performed a rocking version of “If I Could Turn Back Time.”

In her speech, Cher said she was inspired by Cinderella and thanked her mother for teaching her to always get back up after defeat. “The one thing I learned from my mother is to never give up,” she said. “I never give up. I’m talking to the women – get down and out, we’ll move on.”

Introducing Kool & the Gang, Chuck D said, “This is a long overdue celebration.” The band had 12 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the 1980 chart-topper “Celebration,” as well as “Cherish,” “Get Down On It,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Ladies Night,” and “Joanna.” They have been admitted to the hall since 1994.

The Roots helped the band compose a medley of hits that got the audience grooving under the leadership of Robert “Kool” Bell – bass guitarist, co-founder and final founding member – and longtime vocalist James “JT” Taylor. Confetti shot into the arena and Taylor asked the crowd to use their cell phone lights as he read out the names of ten members who were crucial to the band's success.

Dr. Dre introduced Blige, who is credited with creating an entirely new category of music – hip-hop soul. The nine-time Grammy winner's best-known song is “Family Affair” from her 2001 triple-platinum album “No More Drama.” “When you listen to Mary, you understand that you are not alone in your heartbreak,” Dre said.

Wearing a shiny black hat, sparkly dress and long black gloves and boots, Blige sang a mix of her hits including “Love No Limit,” “Be Happy” and “Family Affair.” At the end of her performance, a dancer produced a cape inspired by James Brown, which she wrapped around herself. She thanked her fans, her mother – a single mother raising children in the projects – and Method Man and Dr. Dre, who helped her win a Grammy and an Emmy. “Move with grace. Trust the journey,” she advised. “You’re worth it.”

Warwick came to the ceremony just days after attending a memorial service for her longtime friend and collaborator Cissy Houston in Newark, New Jersey. Teyana Taylor called her “truly unique” and chided the teleprompter operator for not putting “Ms.” before her name. Jennifer Hudson sang “I'll Never Love This Way Again” and Warwick also sang “Walk On By.”

Warwick said this was her third time being nominated for the hall. “I’m really happy to be here,” she said. “I’ll just say this and leave the stage: Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Dave Chappelle helped launch A Tribe Called Quest – Q-Tip, Jarobi, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the late Phife Dawg – the only hip-hop group to make it this year. Chappelle said the group “incorporated jazz and soul in a way that hip-hop had never seen” and that they also proved that you could be “cool and not necessarily gangster.” Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Common, The Roots and De La Soul were on hand to perform a medley of Tribe hits including “Bonita Applebum,” “Scenario” and “Can I Kick It?”

Sammy Hagar introduced Foreigner and thanked her fans for their persistence in demanding inclusion. The English-American rockers – with hits like “Cold as Ice” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You” – topped the charts in the 1970s and 1980s but never made it into the Hall – let alone one – until last year Election, even though they have been eligible for more than 20 years.

Hagar noted that Foreigner is currently touring without original members. “The songs are that good,” he said. “Who deserves this more than Foreigner?” Demi Lovato and Slash joined the touring Foreigner on “Feels Like the First Time” and Hagar then took the lead on “Hot Blooded.” Kelly Clarkson wowed with a powerful “I Want to Know What Love Is,” but when original singer Lou Gramm joined her, the stage erupted. Gramm thanked guitarist Mick Jones, who had to take a break from New York due to Parkinson's disease.

Saturday's induction ceremony was held at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, where the hall has promised to return every few years. A TV special with performance highlights will air on ABC on January 1st.

Roger Daltrey of The Who introduced Frampton. “It’s high time!” he said. “Peter had the most amazing career ever. It’s probably easier to name the people he didn’t work with than the people he did work with,” Daltrey said.

Frampton earned his way into the Hall thanks in large part to his 1976 live double album “Frampton Comes Alive!”, which featured the hits “Show Me the Way” and “Baby, I Love Your Way.” Daltrey noted Frampton always played with a big smile.

A suitably grinning Frampton – who performed at last year's ceremony honoring Sheryl Crow – got Keith Urban to trade licks on “Do You Feel Like I Do,” showing why he's considered one of rock's greatest guitarists . He turned on his famous talkbox effect and the crowd roared. “I'm really lucky to have had this amazing career,” he said, thanking David Bowie for reviving his professional life after it fell apart.

Before his band's engagement, Dave Matthews helped honor Buffett with an acoustic version of the late singer-songwriter's “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” James Taylor described Buffett – who popularized Beachbums soft rock with the escapist song “Margaritaville” – as “larger than life, but at the same time really big and always authentic”. Taylor, Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally then performed Buffett's “Come Monday.”

Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before being considered for inclusion. More than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals voted on the nominees.

John Sykes, president of entertainment operations at iHeartMedia and chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said before the ceremony that he and the Hall are trying to return inductions to rock's roots rather than expand the category.

“What I'm trying to do is bring the opening back to what it was like in the late '50s, where Brenda Lee and Hank Williams were right next to Fats Domino, Elvis Presley and the Beatles. That was it back then.” Over time, this gumbo of artists has become smaller and smaller over the years. All I can do is take it back to its original roots.