It wasn’t the usual ceremony with an auditorium full of fans cheering at the tributes and performances, but the 2020 Class were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on television just the same.

For the same reason everything else this year was cancelled (thanks, Covid,) the traditional ceremony was scrapped in favor of archival performance videos and tribute interviews from celebrity fans.

The bands and artists inducted this year were Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, The Doobie Brothers, T. Rex, Whitney Houston and The Notorious B.I.G. Houston, Biggie (aka Christopher George Latore Wallace) and Marc Bolan of T. Rex were inducted posthumously.

The 2+ hour special honoring the inductees is streaming on HBO Max, and features devoted fans like Judd Apatow and Lin-Manuel Miranda talking about the feelings and memories – both touching and humorous – they have about their favorite bands.

Judd Apatow joked about his love for the Doobie Brothers song “Jesus is Just Alright with Me” despite being “a Jewish kid from Brooklyn.” ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons waxed poetic about Depeche Mode, saying “they’ve done a wonderful job seeing things that we may not have seen before and listening to things that we had yet to hear.”

There were plenty of sad moments too, with Marc Bolan’s son confessing that he never appreciated T. Rex’s legacy until years after his father’s death, and the children of Biggie Smalls accepting the honor on his behalf. “I’m honored to share his name and his dedication to Black music, creativity, self-expression, and Black freedom,” said his son, C.J. Wallace. In addition, Guns and Roses guitarist Slash paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen, who passed away on October 6th of this year.

The artists were brought into the HOF family by some pretty big names. Ringo Starr appeared to induct T. Rex, and Charlize Theron spoke for Depeche Mode. Luke Bryan inducted The Doobie Brothers, and a shirtless Iggy Pop welcomed Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails into the Hall. Alicia Keys honored Whitney Houston and Sean Combs inducted Notorious B.I.G.

All inductees have exhibits in the Hall of Fame, which you can access virtually here. The exhibit has much to see, with displays of the artists’ instruments and iconic costumes and as well as a 360 degree panoramic view (accompanied by the artists’ music) of the entire exhibit.