At the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, music legends Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, and Angélique Kidjo delivered a spellbinding performance of Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi, blending their distinctive styles into a harmonious tribute. Lauper, clad in her signature punk-meets-pop aesthetic—complete with a sequined jacket, fingerless gloves, and vibrant magenta hair—brought her unmistakable Brooklyn rasp to the verses, playfully elongating the word “taxi” with a wink.
Annie Lennox, ever the ethereal icon, stunned in a sleek black pantsuit, her crystalline voice soaring through the chorus with haunting precision, while her dramatic pauses and soulful ad-libs added a touch of gravitas. Angélique Kidjo, radiant in a flowing, multicolored African-print gown, infused the song with Afrobeat rhythms, her powerful contralto weaving through the melody with infectious joy, at one point breaking into an impromptu dance that had the audience clapping along.
Backed by a tight band featuring a stand-out acoustic guitar solo and lush harmonies from a trio of backup singers, the performance crescendoed into a jubilant finale, with the three women arm-in-arm, smiling as they belted the final “don’t it always seem to go…”—leaving the crowd on their feet. The collaboration wasn’t just a celebration of Mitchell’s eco-anthem but a testament to the enduring power of women in music, each artist’s unique flair shining while honoring a shared legacy.
Even the stage lighting—shifting from warm amber to cool blue during Kidjo’s verse, then erupting into a rainbow during the climax—felt like a nod to the song’s environmental message. A truly unforgettable moment.
