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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its class of 2009 Saturday night in Cleveland. METALLICA, JEFF BECK, RUN-DMC, LITTLE ANTHONY AND THE IMPERIALS and BOBBY WOMACK were among those honored in ceremonies at the Rock Hall, the first time induction ceremonies were held there since 1997. The affair was broadcast live on cable's Fuse channel.

The night's big induction -- METALLICA -- was also the last. Flea spoke about the first time he heard the band, listening to "Fight Fire With Fire" in a van with his own bandmates. Over the course of ten minutes, he spoke of Metallica's late bassist CLIFF BURTON, the need for heavy music, and Metallica's place in history.

After a commercial break, the band began their extended series of acceptance speeches by allowing their late bassist Cliff Burton's father RAY to speak. JASON NEWSTED spoke next, telling the crowd it was "just so wonderful to be included in this whole thing." He was followed by current bass player ROBERT TRUJILLO, then KIRK HAMMETT, a commercial break, LARS ULRICH and finally JAMES HETFIELD.

During Hammett's speech, he asked the rest of his band, "We've only reached the halfway point in our career, right?" Ulrich told the crowd the band was there for the people in the balcony, and referred to Metallica as "snot-nosed kids, outcasts, loners." Hetfield used his speech to lobby for DEEP PURPLE, THIN LIZZY, RUSH, KISS, ALICE COOPER, TED NUGENT, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD to be inducted in the future. The band then took the stage, with both Trujillo and Newsted on bass. They kicked off their set with "Master of Puppets," and went on to play "Enter Sandman."