Foo Fighters, Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi welcome Joe Biden to the Oval Office

(Image credit: Biden Inaugural Committee)

Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States of America yesterday (January 20), and Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters and Jon Bon Jovi were among the stars from the music world welcoming the former Senator from Delaware to his new position.

The performances were collated as part of a Celebrating America concert special, organised by the Biden Inaugural Committee, and hosted by actor Tom Hanks.

Playing solo in front of the iconic Lincoln Memorial in the nation’s capital, Washington DC, Springsteen, a long-time Biden supporter, offered up “a small prayer for our country” in the form of Land Of Hope And Dreams from 2102’s Wrecking Ball album.

Foo Fighters performed Times Like These, from 2002’s One By One album for the show. Ahead of his band’s segment, Dave Grohl saluted America’s new First Lady, Jill Biden, and his own mother, Virginia, for their work as school teachers, and dedicated the song to teachers everywhere.

Jon Bon Jovi, meanwhile, chose to perform a cover of The Beatles’ Here Comes The Sun for the concert. The New Jersey-born singer campaigned for former Vice President Biden, and his symbolic cover of the Abbey Road anthem was performed on a pier in Miami, with the sun breaking through the clouds.

Elsewhere, stars from the metal and hard rock world reacted to Biden’s inauguration with a mix of optimism, relief, gratitude and cynicism.

Artists

Classic Rock is the online home of the world's best rock'n'roll magazine. We bring you breaking news, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes features, as well as unrivalled access to the biggest names in rock music; from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses to the Rolling Stones, AC/DC to the Sex Pistols, and everything in between. Our expert writers bring you the very best on established and emerging bands plus everything you need to know about the mightiest new music releases.