Having faced criticism for most of her career--right up to and including her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night--Madonna has always seemed to thrive on it.

In a meandering 16-minute speech at the induction ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, Madge thanked loads of people who have helped her along the way, as well as those doubters.

"And even the naysayers, the ones who said I was talentless, that I was chubby, that I couldn't sing, that I was a one-hit wonder--they helped me too," she said.

Madonna was inducted by Justin Timberlake, with whom she worked on "4 Minutes (to Save the World)," the first single off Madonna's forthcoming album, Hard Candy, which hits stores April 29.

"The world is full of Madonna wanna-bes. I might have even dated a couple," Timberlake said. "But there is truly only one Madonna."

Madonna herself did not perform, but two of her recent hits, "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light," were played by none other than Iggy & the Stooges, an odd choice if there ever was one. A shirtless Iggy Pop jumped into the crowd to sit by Madonna during "Ray of Light" at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on VH1 Classic.

Fellow inductee John Mellencamp, who was introduced by Billy Joel, performed "Authority Song" with his son Speck playing guitar and his parents watching from a balcony above.

"I wrote this song, and I still feel the same way today as I did when I wrote it 25 years ago," Mellencamp said.

Mellencamp talked of having surgery for spina bifida when he was 6 weeks old, saying doctors were worried he would be paralyzed below the neck. The 56-year-old rocker said he never knew of the surgery until his teen years, when a classmate asked him about the scar behind his neck.

"I'm lucky to be standing here for any number of reasons," Mellencamp said.

Movie star Tom Hanks attended the event and delivered a rousing speech about the Dave Clark Five, on whom he partially based his 1996 film, That Thing You Do!.

"The Dave Clark Five were sensations in particular ways, not the least of which is their eschewing of animals or minerals in their choice of name," Hanks quipped. "The Dave Clark Five are one of the few British bands of the day that never replaced their drummer," a nod to the group's drummer and songwriter Clark.

The Dave Clark Five followed the Beatles in the original British Invasion, with catchy hits like "Glad All Over." Led by drummer and songwriter Clark, the band enters the hall at a tragic time: Singer Mike Smith died of pneumonia less than two weeks ago, at the age of 64.

Hanks also pointed out that unlike many artists of the day, Dave Clark "never, ever signed a piece of paper giving someone else his publishing. He never had to write a check to buy back his publishing. He has always owned his own publishing. Now is there a hall of fame for that?"

Philly soul producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Canadian lit-rocker Leonard Cohen, Chicago bluesman Little Walter, and surf instrumentalists the Ventures were among the other inductees.

The ceremony closed with a raucous performance by Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Joan Jett, and Bill Joel in a tribute to the Dave Clark Five.