ABC's '2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony' Rocks The House With Best Total Viewer Delivery Ever

ABC's "2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony" rang in the new year with the show's best total viewer audience ever (4.60 million),rising impressively over the previous year's total viewer performance (+49% - 4.60 million vs. 3.09 million).

In fact, the spectacular three-hour special, celebrating music's highest honor, was the most-watched New Year's Day broadcast entertainment program in primetime among total viewers in six years — since January 1, 2019.

Among adults 18-49, the "2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony" was the top choice on broadcast, rising markedly over the previous year (+39% - 0.50 rating v. 0.36 rating),and tying the show's best performance in the demo in 20 years — since March 21, 2004.

This represented the strongest New Year's Day broadcast entertainment telecast in primetime among adults 18-49 in five years — since January 1, 2020.

The "2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony" (8-11 p.m. ET/PT) honored inductees: Mary J. Blige, Cher, DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, FOREIGNER, Peter Frampton, KOOL & THE GANG, Ozzy Osbourne and A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, along with Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Big Mama Thornton for Musical Influence, and Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield for Musical Excellence, as well as Suzanne De Passe for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Osbourne was inducted into the Rock Hall by actor and TENACIOUS D frontman Jack Black, who called Ozzy "the greatest frontman in the history of rock 'n' roll. He went on to say that the cover of Ozzy's debut solo album, "Blizzard Of Ozz" "was the most metal thing I had ever seen, and I didn't even know what metal was. Then I went back to Ozzy's earlier albums, to BLACK SABBATH. And I was, like, unholy shit, this motherfucker invented heavy metal ... the darkest, heaviest shit the world had ever heard."

After Black's induction speech, Osbourne accepted the award while seated on a throne. He told the crowd: "Well, here we are. You know what? I can't believe I'm here myself. Let me get the thank yous out of the way, because I'm not going to bore you with a long, drawn-out fucking monologue. I'd like to thank whoever voted me into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for my solo work. A great thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

"My fans have been so loyal to me over the years, I cannot thank them enough. I've been fortunate over the years to play with some of the world's greatest guitar players, drummers, bass players, and a few of them are here tonight. But I've got to say one thing for a guy by the name of Randy Rhoads. If I'd hadn't have met Randy Rhoads, I don't think I'd be sitting here now. And moreso more than that, my wife Sharon. Saved my life. And my grandbabies and my babies. I love them all.

"So with all that, I'm gonna get on with the show and hand it back to Jack."

An all-star performance followed, featuring a backing band of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, METALLICA (and former Ozzy) bassist Robert Trujillo, producer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Watt and keyboardist Adam Wakeman. They were joined by TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan and Wolfgang Van Halen for the first song of the set, "Crazy Train", before Zakk Wylde and country star Jelly Roll came up for the next song, "Mama I'm Coming Home". Billy Idol took over on vocals for the third and final song of the set, "No More Tears", with Billy's longtime guitarist Steve Stevens joining in.

Osbourne earned a solo Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction for his nearly six-decade career in music. This honor makes Ozzy one of a handful of artists with multiple inductions into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin