Photo: Pexels
Phil Collins became a two-time member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 14. He was first inducted in 2010 as a member of Genesis. This time he was honoured for his solo career, the one that gave the world “In the Air Tonight”, “Against All Odds” and “One More Night”.
The 2026 ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles was one of the most varied in years. Inductees included Billy Idol with guitarist Steve Stevens, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, the late Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan. Fela Kuti, Celia Cruz, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons received Early Influence Awards, and producer Rick Rubin a Musical Excellence Award. An edited broadcast airs on ABC and Disney+ in December.
Collins did not perform, because of ongoing health problems. Iron Maiden were away on tour, and the Gallagher brothers were not expected to attend for Oasis.
“I never say exactly never”
The story fans are talking about came before the ceremony. In a video for the Hall of Fame, Collins, who turned 75 this year, said the honour had made him think about what he still has left.
“I’ve got a studio that’s totally in working order downstairs in the basement of my house, and I keep saying to myself, I should go down there,” he said. “I’ve got ideas. I’ve got things I’ve finished. I’ve got things that I’ve half finished.” On touring, he said: “Once you’ve been on stage all your life and tasted that, it’s difficult to stop. I never say exactly never.” He added that a tour cannot be “just for a half a dozen shows, because it’s not financially practical.”
His last concert was on March 26, 2022, at London’s O2 Arena, the final night of Genesis’ farewell tour. Severe nerve damage and back and hip problems meant he could no longer play drums. He sang the whole show seated.
My view: new music, yes; a tour, probably not
Collins is one of the most underrated figures in pop history. Critics spent the 1980s mocking him as uncool while he sold more than 100 million solo records, and the gated-reverb drum sound of “In the Air Tonight” changed how pop records sounded. In Indonesia, his ballads are still played at weddings, on radio and in karaoke rooms. A second induction is deserved.
But I hope he chooses the studio over the stage. The farewell shows of 2021–22 were moving, but it was also hard to watch a great drummer unable to play. New recordings, made at his own pace in his basement studio, would let him finish on his own terms. A tour that is financially viable would mean dozens of nights on the road, and that is a lot to ask of a body that has already told him to stop.
He described the Hall of Fame honour as “a full stop at a lovely sentence”. If that is how it ends, it is a fine ending. If there is one more album, even better.
Sources: Ultimate Classic Rock; MyNewsLA; Rolling Stone Australia.
