The Swedish hit machine ABBA and English progressive rockers Genesis accepted inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, despite prominent members staying away from the ceremony. British Invasion harmony kings The Hollies, reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff and raucous rockers Iggy Pop and the Stooges also entered the hall at Monday night's ceremony. So did a group of songwriters responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. ABBA members Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad drew salutes for their work on Monday. “These songs have brought us all the way into the great Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” Andersson said, “and I speak for all of us ... we are deeply, deeply honored.” Lyngstad pointed out her grandson in the audience, noting that while he was a heavy metal musician he still appreciated grandma's music. Genesis had two distinct incarnations, one led by theatrical lead singer Peter Gabriel and the other when drummer Phil Collins took over the microphone. Steve Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen's guitarist, honored The Hollies and the spirit of rock and roll in an eloquent induction speech. Their 1960s British Invasion hits included “Bus Stop” and “Carrie-Anne,” both of which the band performed on Monday. The Michigan-based Stooges never sold many records. But the brutal force of their 1973 album “Raw Power” influenced the punk movement to come, and the rubber-limbed Pop was an electric frontman. Pop delivered middle-finger salutes to his audience and, at the black-tie affair, had his shirt off even before performing “Search and Destroy.” The Stooges were joined onstage by inductor Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.
