PERTH, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 03: Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Paul Stanley of KISS, perform during their opening show for the Australian leg of their 40th anniversary world tour at Perth Arena on October 3, 2015 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images).
There has been a LOT of criticism over this week’s announcement for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s inductees, including from Gene Simmons. The KISS rocker took to social media to share his anger over the exclusion of Iron Maiden. “RR Hall of Fame is a sham not to include Maiden. Disgusting!,” Simmons tweeted.
RR Hall of Fame is a sham not to include Maiden. Disgusting! https://t.co/WbNYr42lBI
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) May 13, 2021
Sadly, Rage Against The Machine shut out of RR Hall of Fame. The Hall should be ashamed of themselves….
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) May 13, 2021
Fellow KISS member Paul Stanley tweeted out, “Regardless of whether it matters to them, Maiden not being in the [Rock Hall] of Fame is INSANITY. Regardless of who is writing in or not, the Committee must induct them. They have helped spawn an entire genre of music. What else do you need to do??”.
The president of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame also commented on criticism that the Hall doesn’t give the heavy metal genre enough respect.
In a new interview, Greg Harris explained, “We celebrate all forms of rock and roll. Iron Maiden, Judas Priest have been nominated, we put Def Leppard in. Those that are nominated, over 80 percent of them eventually do get inducted. This ballot had sixteen artists on it. They just can’t all go in. So this year these are the six. And we’re excited to see what next year brings.”
LAME. @IronMaiden https://t.co/pGk88nQWKN
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) May 12, 2021
Why have a fan vote if they don’t count? Fela Kuti and Iron Maiden were in the top five and not inducted but Jay-Z was dead last and indicted pic.twitter.com/JwMdtEyJ2w
— Mykenzie (@Mykenzi14407009) May 12, 2021
The real Rock’N’Roll Hall of Fame is located between your ears. These guys are in. #ironmaiden pic.twitter.com/9XS83ddtvm
— John Derringer (@JohnDerringer) May 12, 2021
Artists become eligible for inclusion in the Hall 25 years after their first records were released but Harris says there are other criteria including the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock ‘n’ roll.
Do you think there should be more heavy metal bands in the Hall of Fame?