Earlier this year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame revealed the nominees for its 2022 induction. This year’s list includes Duran Duran, Eminem, Pat Benetar, Beck, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Dionne Warwick, Eurythmics, A Tribe Called Quest, Kate Bush, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine and Judas Priest. The final list of inductees will be revealed in May.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Slayer guitarist Kerry King commented on Judas Priest’s nomination saying the New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends deserve a spot in the Hall. Priest, Iron Maiden and Motörhead have yet to be inducted. “Some years, you hear who got in the Rock Hall and you’re like, ‘Well, how did they get in above these other bands?’” King said. “So it seems basically like a popularity contest rather than, ‘Do they deserve to get in there?’ Because Judas Priest deserve to be in there. They’ve had a 50-year career — longer than Slayer did, and we had a long-*ss career — and they’re still playing when they’re all healthy. So they’ve got longevity on their side. They were a darling of MTV, when MTV came out. And I probably couldn’t count all the hits — or what the common person would call hits.”
King said if he had a vote for who got in, he would definitely check the box next to Judas Priest. “If I were going to vote for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I would totally vote for them. Without question. First and foremost, there would be no metal without Black Sabbath. But once you get beyond that, there wouldn’t be a lot of metal bands without Judas Priest. Us being one of them. The people who do vote are probably going to vote for the bigger bands. That says nothing for Priest’s longevity and the things they’ve done. I don’t know what else to say. If you’re not a metal fan, you’re never going to get it. If you are a metal fan, you’re never going to forget it.”
Priest was also on the nominee ballot in 2018 and 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make it in. Judas Priest band members and alumni to enter the Hall should they get inducted includes Rob Halford (vocals), Ian Hill (bass), Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums), along with former members K.K. Downing (guitar), Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.
“To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination,” states a press release from the Rock Hall. “Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation, and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.“
