SiriusXM DJ Eddie Trunk has long railed against the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for overlooking some of rock and metal’s biggest and most influential artists. He’s also called out the institution for having waited far too long to induct groups including Foreigner, Bad Company, Kiss and others, where in some cases band members are either already deceased or unable to celebrate their inductions due to their health and/or advanced age.
Motorhead, Boston, Bryan Adams, Motley Crue, REO Speedwagon, Styx, Eddie Money, Scorpions, Thin Lizzy, Pantera and several others are often cited as the biggest Rock Hall snubs as of last year’s inductions. The biggest oversight for metal fans, however, is that of Iron Maiden, who have long feigned any interest in even being included despite their immense global popularity and success.
Trunk pointed out however, that the Rock Hall made a change to Iron Maiden’s nomination for potential inclusion into the class of 2026. They added former singer Blaze Bayley to the list of band members who would be included should the band get in. Bayley fronted the band for two albums in the ’90s, “The X Factor” and “Virtual XI.” While the records came during a commercial low point for heavy metal, they have come to be much more appreciated in the years since. The band also included select tracks from those records in their live sets for several tours following the return of iconic singer Bruce Dickinson in 1999.
“Very interesting to see that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just recently added Blaze Bayley to the Iron Maiden nomination,” Trunk wrote via his social media. “This was a massive oversight considering they were including literally every other person who had been in the band. The randomness of who is and isn’t included with each band is a huge issue that gets no coverage. I also take this as a positive sign maybe Maiden is finally getting in. Because why add a person if they are getting the votes to make it?”
Trunk makes a valid point, but with that being said, most metal fans would still consider it a surprise to see the band accepting their statues at the Rock Hall Induction Ceremony later this year given how long they have already been overlooked.
The 17 nominees for this year are: The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, Billy Idol, INXS, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, New Edition, Oasis, Pink, Sade, Shakira, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan. The official inductees will be announced sometime next month.
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