It's official: Madonna's like a rocker.

The Queen of Pop joined fellow headliners John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, the Dave Clark Five and the Ventures as the latest class of immortals in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Monday night.

Some media critics have carped that Rock Hall organizers lowered their standards in choosing a pop star known more for simulating orgasms on stage than rocking out while overlooking more deserving veteran artists. Still, the crowd at New York's Waldorf Astoria justified its love for the Material Mom, warmly embracing her during the enshrinement ceremony.

The "Borderline" singer—who turns 50 this August—received a fawning intro from Justin Timberlake, who collaborated with Madonna on the first single from her upcoming album, Hard Candy, and also cowrote six of the tracks."The truth is nobody's gotten into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame looking this fine," the "Sexy Back" star said. "You're no museum piece."Timberlake ticked off Madonna's accomplishments, from reigning over the pop charts to her ever-morphing music and boundary-pushing antics, including the famous Britney Spears smooch.

"She changed the way the world sounded, she changed the way the world looked and she still found time to have kissed someone I may or may not have kissed myself while I was in the audience. Of course you all know who I'm talking about: Sean Penn," he quipped to a collective groan from the peanut gallery.

Timberlake also noted that during their recent work together, he was ailing one day, prompting Madonna to order him to "drop 'em," pull out a syringe and give him a B12 shot—in his derriere.

"She looked at me and said, 'that's top shelf," he said. "And that was one of the greatest days of my life."

For her part, Madge thanked all the "naysayers" for inspiring her to become the pop force she is today, with more than 200 million albums sold worldwide."They helped me because they made me question myself and pushed me to be better," she said. "I know that I would not be here right now without all of you, because life, like art, is a collaboration, and I did not get here on my own. And why would I want to?

"I have gone on to do so many things in my life, from writing children's books, to designing clothes, to directing a film. But for me it always does, and it always will, come back to the music," Madonna continued.

In what will surely go down as one of the more bizarre highlights in Rock Hall history, fellow Michigan exports Iggy & the Stooges performed ear-splitting punk versions of two of her hits, "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light."

During the latter song, the sinewy frontman stuck out his tongue at the "Erotica" performer and concluded with lines from "Like a Virgin"—"You make me feel shiny and new, like a virgin touched for the very first time"—before snaking off backstage.


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