Judas Priest have undeniably yielded a lasting impact on the world of shredders and leather wearers, with their pioneering sound ushering in a new wave of purely bad-ass heavy metal.
Unfortunately, this impact wasn’t enough for the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame to recognise with their latest round of inductions. The band were nominated for potential recognition, but alongside the likes of Radiohead and Rage Against The Machine, the band lost out to acts like Bon Jovi, The Cars and Dire Straits. (Conspiracy: it may have been your Aunt Heather who selected this year’s inductees.)
Rob Halford, the band’s fearless frontman has shared the band’s rejection letter penned by Hall Of Fame CEO, voicing his concerns and beliefs that “heavy metal music deserves more space on shelves at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. He says the band were flattered to be nominated, however, there’s nothing quite like winning (especially once you band has sold 50million records)
Check out the rejection letter below:
“Thank you for embracing your nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While you didn’t garner enough votes for induction this year, you were part of a very select group of Hall of Fame nominees. Artists are frequently on the ballot multiple times before they are inducted. For example, Black Sabbath were nominated eight times before their induction, Patti Smith seven times, Solomon Burke nine times, and both the Beastie Boys and The Yardbirds were on the ballot three times before their respective inductions.
If you are touring or simply traveling nearby, please visit our museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Our six floors of exhibitions tell the remarkable history of rock and roll and how it changed the world. You’re part of that story and we’d love to share it with you. Again, congratulations on your nomination.
My best,
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Greg Harris, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”