One can cross their arms and argue that being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn’t REALLY matter, because who cares about the platitudes of some organization? And to a certain extent, you’d be right. But it’s undeniable that there’s some honor in being acknowledged by one’s peers as a master of your craft, even if that craft is making the dude in the front row wearing the Deicide shirt puke himself with joy at seeing you live. Now, the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees have been announced, and it’s pretty obvious who metal fans are going to vote for.
Here’s the full list of 2021 nominees below, with asterisks next to first-time nominations:
Iron Maiden*
Foo Fighters*
Rage Against the Machine
Mary J. Blige
Kate Bush
Devo
The Go-Go’s*
Jay-Z*
Chaka Khan
Carole King*
Fela Kuti*
LL Cool J
New York Dolls
Todd Rundgren
Tina Turner
Dionne Warwick*
Definitely one hell of a list. Even if you’re not solely focusing on the metal/rock artists, these names are considerable, and certainly deserve to be on there (how the hell has Tina Turner not been inducted yet?).
However, this is The Pit, so let’s focus on the squealing guitars! First of all, Iron fucking Maiden most DEFINITELY deserve to be inducted. While their high-flying solos and zombie mascot may seem cheesy to some, they are undeniably one of the longest-lasting and most widely-revered bands of all time. Rage similarly deserve a nomination, though given the recent backlash to their political standings that has appeared across rock and metal — we try not to read the comments, but it happens sometimes — they might be a tough one. Meanwhile, Foo Fighters should make it in, both for their worldwide acclaim and the fact that they’re rad dudes keeping the message of rock and roll alive.
Those who want to vote can do so via the Hall of Fame’s website.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
