Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame CEO defends lack of heavy metal: "We celebrate all forms of rock'n'roll"

With nominees such as Iron Maiden and Rage Against The Machine missing out on being inducted into this year's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, CEO Greg Harris has defended a frequent talking point about the lack of heavy metal artists being included.

Greg told Audacy Music in a new video interview that, "It’s an interesting one, because we do [celebrate metal]. We celebrate all forms of rock'n'roll… We nominated Maiden, Judas Priest have been nominated [in the past], we put Def Leppard in.

"Those that are nominated, over 80 per cent of them eventually do get inducted," he continued. "So it’s really a question of: let’s keep nominating them, let’s get ’em on the ballot, and let’s get it out to the voting body. This ballot had 16 artists on it. They just can’t all go in.”

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Greg added that they were all "incredible bands" that are "truly worthy of nomination, truly worthy of consideration".

As Blabbermouth notes, Judas Priest and Motörhead also haven't made it into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame yet, either.

In February 2021, Twisted Sister's Dee Snider tweeted that the Rock Hall committee members "look down on metal".

"The RnR Hall committee members are arrogant elitist assholes who look down on metal and other bands that sell millions because we're not their definition of cool," he said. "The fan vote is their 'throwing a bone' to the peasants. I want to say FU, but I want them to have to deal with us!"

Watch the full interview with Greg Harris below:

Discussing his fellow 2021 inductees, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl praised the diversity of this year's Rock Hall. "Tina Turner, obviously, deserves everything that she’s been awarded with,” he said. "And Carole King is a big one, and the Go-Go’s. To see so many women inducted this year is impressive and encouraging.”

This year's inductees are Foo Fighters, Tina Turner, Carole King, The Go-Go’s, Jay‑Z and Todd Rundgren, as well as Kraftwerk, Charley Patton and Gil Scott-Heron for the Early Influence Award, LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads for the Musical Excellence Award, and Clarence Avant for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

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