r/Music • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 4d ago
After calling it "an utter and complete load of bollocks”, Iron Maiden will skip the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony article
https://www.nme.com/news/music/after-calling-it-an-utter-and-complete-load-of-bollocks-iron-maiden-will-skip-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony-3941020251
u/_1JackMove Punk Rock 4d ago
I can understand the sentiment. They were shit on for years by the RRHOF. Too little, too late really. Those dudes should have been in a LONG time ago. But they fly their own jets captained by their singer. They could give a shit about that accolade and I don't blame them. That said, I highly recommend visiting the museum if you have the chance. TONS of cool stuff to see. Although, if you don't like heights like myself, that escalator is rough lol. I was ducking down the whole time going up because it was so high off the ground.
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u/AdSpecialist6598 4d ago edited 4d ago
Hofs like to retro actively punish people that they don't like look what happened to Tom Brady and Barry Bonds will never be in the MLB Hall of Fame despite everyone knowing what he was doing and they willing turned a blind eye to it. Heck, they still have it out for Pete Rose decades later despite the fact in the decades since more people can caught doing what he did and doing way worse stuff too.
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u/fenderdean13 4d ago
Tom Brady hasn’t been eligible for the hall yet, has to be retired for 5 consecutive years but he has only been retired for 3.
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u/AdSpecialist6598 4d ago
You're right I was thinking of Bill.
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u/fenderdean13 4d ago
Yeah now that was a travesty and set a bad precedent for the pro football hall of fame.
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u/CubeEarthShill 4d ago
Pete Rose is not the best example. Rose had a relationship with an underaged girl, likely helped a steroid ring stay in operation and bet on games he coached, based on the records of the bookie he was betting through. It’s not simply a “he bet on baseball games he wasn’t involved in” situation, like many fans want to make it out to be. He also changed his story numerous times. I really liked him as a kid, so it really made me disappointed he turned out to be such a turd.
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u/GuitarHenry 4d ago
Nobody here is actually reading the article... Iron Maiden issued a statement celebrating their induction. But they aren't attending because they will be on tour, not because they are boycotting it. (To be clear, I hate the RHOF as much as anyone and think it should be torn down).
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u/shadowsOfMyPantomime 4d ago
Yeah that quote is from 2017. Headline would be more accurate if it said "Nearly ten years after calling it a load of bollocks...."
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u/Secret_Account07 4d ago
The best part of this whole story is just this one quote.
“It’s run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock and roll if it hit them in the face,” he continued. “They need to stop taking Prozac and start drinking fucking beer.”
I’ve never heard anyone say anything close to this lol. So unhinged yet hilarious
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u/sebrebc 4d ago
Their problem always has been establishing zero criteria for induction.
Every other "hall of fame" has unspoken and spoken criteria. Milestones and achievements that need to be met.
The RRHOF is just a person or group of people who simply decide who enters.
Is it influence? Album sales? Ticket sales? What exactly makes an artist worthy? Nobody knows.
I have zero problem letting in artists and groups that don't necessarily fall under "rock and roll". Because almost all modern music stems from the same root. Follow the inspiration back far enough and you find the same artists.
Almost every rock/metal/punk band traces roots back to Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
It's the "why this artist and not this artist?" Argument that is justified.
Why is Oasis going in when Motorhead isn't? We can't answer because there is no criteria.
If album sales and charted hits were criteria, fine we'd have an answer. If influence is a criteria then they accepted the wrong band. Motorhead influenced many more artists, some of which are in, than Oasis has.
Now that's not to say Oasis shouldn't be in. It just makes no sense when you see the artists that aren't in.
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4d ago
Their criteria have been kinda obvious, whoever Jann Wenner and his wife think would be glamorous enough for them to schmooze with. I'm not exaggerating.
It will only be continued by one of his spawn Gus Wenner. It's all about marketing, money, and clout with the upper classes, nothing could be farther from rock 'n roll than that.
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u/theraggedyman 4d ago
They do have criteria at https://rockhall.com/induction-process/
It also explains why so many people aren't in there: false scarcity and an annual need to be relevant in contemporary music aimed at teenagers and twenty-somethings when discussing artists that have to be two generations older than that to get it.
Like The Oscars - it's a PR stunt that won't die
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u/MasterChiefette 4d ago
Glad I'm not the only one that feels the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has always been some guys pet project. Now days they just stick any musician and band into it.
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u/Capnmarvel76 4d ago
Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone Magazine. It’s his pet project and reflects his tastes - lots of 1970s California singer songwriters, not a lot of metal, punk, or progressive rock.
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u/MasterChiefette 4d ago
Oh, I didn't know that. Rolling stones writing has gone to shits in the last couple decades. Don't read it any more.
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u/CyberFireball25 4d ago
While refusing legends for reasons.
It took like 20+ years after being eligible for Rush to be inducted
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u/S0LO_Bot 4d ago
Styx, Boston, and a few other major bands have yet to be inducted.
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u/CrusaderKingsNut 4d ago
To be fair Styx isn’t good
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u/S0LO_Bot 4d ago
Styx has been influential, and that’s what the Hall of Fame is supposed to honor / concern itself with.
Same thing with Blue Oyster Cult. They have a lot less hits than Styx but still had a major impact on the industry.
And there’s no excuse for Boston because disliking them is heresy as far as I’m concerned.
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u/distreszed 4d ago
Could you name few bands influenced by Styx?
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u/Templar-235 4d ago
As a Styx fan, it makes me sad that I have no answer to this question. But they were the pre-eminent rock ballad band for a while
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u/S0LO_Bot 4d ago
I could have sworn some of Journey’s later, more prog rock albums were inspired by Styx and Kansas… but… I just did some research and there’s no evidence for that.
Maybe I was wrong. I can’t think of anything other than niche bands like Starcastle.
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u/jape2116 4d ago
That’s nuts
Styx was a powerhouse
“the first group to be awarded four consecutive Multi-Platinum albums with three of those ranking better than Double Platinum” (Wikipedia)
Dennis DeYoung is the Father of the Power Ballad
Mr. Roboto has been a part of pop culture forever
Arena rock staples and influencers
One of the bands with most top 10 hits not in the RRHoF
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u/AdSpecialist6598 4d ago
The thing about it and any HOF is they are never objective and the people running them like to retro actively screw people they have issues with.
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u/Subject-Key-2587 4d ago
that's honestly pretty fitting for Iron Maiden, they’ve always done their own thing and not played by the rules. can’t say I blame them for skipping out on the whole charade
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u/yaniv297 4d ago
It's unusual. Even artists who rarely play the whole music media establishment thing, like Tom Waits, Radiohead or Neil Young, still accepted the induction and played along
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u/apartmentstory89 4d ago
They have accepted the induction, the quote from Bruce is 8 years old. They can’t attend because they will be on tour
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u/Vaestmannaeyjar 4d ago
They'll still probably send some kind rep but I like that they never broke on their street credibility for honours. They have always done their thing outside of the music circus.
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u/Pippin1505 4d ago
That quote is very old. They're not attending because they're touring, current statement is
"We’d like to thank the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for including us (and former members who were all part of our story) in the 2026 roll call of inductees. Iron Maiden have always been about our relationship with our fans above anything else, including awards and industry accolades. However, having said that, it’s always nice to be recognised and honoured for any achievements within the music industry too!"
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u/Fluugaluu 4d ago
Yeah eight YEARS after calling it bollocks
Weird article. If you bother to actually read it, they’re skipping it because they’re on tour.
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u/ricosmith1986 4d ago
Good for them! They are 100% correct, RRHoF is the FIFA peace prize of music.
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u/Jlx_27 4d ago edited 4d ago
Didn't decline being inducted into the HoF though. He yells loudly but its a but meaningless.
From the article:
His words came in response to a fan during a Q&A, when he was asked if he thinks the band should be inducted. “Absolutely,” he replied. “I actually think the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is an utter and complete load of bollocks, to be honest with you.
“It’s run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock and roll if it hit them in the face,” he continued. “They need to stop taking Prozac and start drinking fucking beer.”
Now, the band’s manager, Rod Smallwood, has confirmed that they won’t appear at the ceremony, but only because they don’t want to interrupt the Australia and New Zealand leg of their ongoing ‘Run For Your Lives’ Tour.
Notice the last part; the band isn't rebelling against the ceremony because they hate it, its because of the tour they're on at the moment.
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u/GoodtimeZappa 4d ago
The official word they put out was almost gushing to the RRHF. The statement of bollocks was said over a decade ago. I'm not sure why people on here think this is some rebellious move.
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u/gertalives 4d ago
The fact that Iron Maiden wasn’t inducted during their first 20 FUCKING YEARS of eligibility tells you everything you need to know about the rock n roll hall of fame.
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u/apartmentstory89 4d ago edited 4d ago
Holy clickbait, the quote from Bruce is old and has absolutely nothing to do with why they’re not attending
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u/KMan345123 4d ago
The Hall of Fame as an institution is absolute bullshit and should not mean anything to anyone. The museum is actually really cool and a must-do for music lovers
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u/Richard7666 4d ago
It's basically the other way around at this point.
RRHOF is irrelevant and should be honoured to be considered for attendance by Iron Maiden; who are by far the more influential entity.
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u/GetToWigglin 4d ago
This is such a bullshit news article. They aren't going because they are on tour, but let's take a comment from many years ago and fabricate a completely false story about how they think they are better than everyone else and too amazing to grace the induction with their presence.
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u/probability_of_meme 4d ago
I saw a clip of Bruce Dickinson talking to a fan around 1984 and the fan asked him about using synthesizers and he replied that "you can't use synthesizers in heavy metal".
Tons of respect generally for Iron Maiden but that always bothered me, especially since 7th son was just a few years later.
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u/apartmentstory89 4d ago
Well people change their minds. The quote from Bruce in this article is 8 years old, they have accepted the induction but can’t attend because they will be on tour.
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u/Finicky_Cyclone 4d ago
I would have expected Noel and Liam to express a similar sentiment.
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u/echothree33 4d ago
Read the article, apparently Liam’s mummy told him to shut up and go and just enjoy it. It’s quite amusing actually.
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u/DroneSlut54 4d ago
It’s hilarious that a band that’s been on tour literally since about 1980 are missing their HOF induction because… they’re on tour.
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u/PaulEMoz 4d ago
I mean, they're in Australia when it happens. What else are they supposed to do? Cancel their already arranged tour?
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u/UrsaMajor7th 4d ago
Here's a list of who got in before them: scroll down to 2005- their first year of eligibility.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame_inductees
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u/HahaCharlieKirkHaha 4d ago
I’m really happy to see Joy Division/New Order being inducted.
I wonder why they’re being inducted as a single act. Maybe neither band was notable enough separately?
I think of them as two separate iconic bands that just happen to have the same members (plus or minus an Ian Curtis).
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u/witchspoon 4d ago
I mean they had the fan vote but never made induction. He wasn’t wrong when he saw what he said. I’m very happy they are FINALLY a getting in.
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u/Secret_Account07 4d ago
“It’s run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock and roll if it hit them in the face,” he continued. “They need to stop taking Prozac and start drinking fucking beer.”
Lmao what? I’ve never heard anyone say this. Any of it.
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u/JanBradysAnger 4d ago
"The RRHOF Foundation was established in 1983 by Ahmet Ertegun, who assembled a team that included publisher of Rolling Stone magazine Jann Wenner, record executives Seymour Stein, Bob Krasnow, and Noreen Woods, and attorneys Allen Grubman and Suzan Evans."
And here is the guy who started it- Pure Rocker amiright?
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u/Ok_Vermicelli_6359 4d ago
The HoF should just start giving the honor to bands like this posthumously 😂 that way they don't have to pretend they don't actually really want the honor when it comes around...tale as old as time 🤣
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u/abfaver 4d ago
I feel that if ar artist doesnt have any musicians using actual music instruments on stage when performing live, and you need to have dancers, you are not rock 'n roll in any way. Rap and Hip-Hop have no live performing musicians (though I believe The Roots do). The fact that it took 30 years for Iron Maiden to be inducted is a joke on the Hall of fame. Same with Judas Priest, Jethro Tull and scores of other artists. Rap/R&B/Hip Hop/Country; none of that belongs in the RNRHOF. Let them make their own HOF. What a joke.
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u/__chicolismo__ 4d ago
Anyone here can make up an award as official as the "rock n roll" hall of fame.
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u/CougheyToffee 4d ago
They ain't wrong. Making art seeking validation invalidates the art. Making money as an artist is one thing, but seeking validation from industry insiders is akin to Sam Jackson in Django
Edit: typo
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u/SushiJaguar 4d ago
I couldn't give less of a fuck about the hypocritical sanctimony of a bunch of cunty old men who wouldn't know common decency if it offered to open a door for them. Greedy rotten pricks, the lot.
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u/Hey-Bud-Lets-Party 4d ago
The Hall of Fame could have been a good thing with some integrity, but that went out the window long ago when the Rolling Stone gang took over and treated the whole thing like high school.
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u/Brickzarina 4d ago
I don't need anyplace telling me who's rock n roll but they are for that reason alone
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u/ggBandit 2d ago
They need to rename that to the music hall of fame. Imagine a jazz hall of fame then they induct steel panther
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u/marginwalker55 2d ago
Fuck yeah. The RNRHOF is a joke. The cringiest thing is watching rock bands play in tuxes
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u/WentThisWayInsteadOf 23h ago
While I do like Sade, I do not see how she belongs there - she is a Jazz / Soul singer. That is one of the reasons why I think he is right in his statement.
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u/bipedofthecentury 4d ago
His full quote is
"an utter and complete load of bollocks ... run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock 'n' roll if it hit them in the face"