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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame CEO Greg Harris has discussed Iron Maiden‘s absence from this year’s inductees list while reflecting on the other nominees.
Iron Maiden, who were included on the fan ballot this year, were not among the names announced on May 3 when the 2023 induction list was revealed. It was revealed that the band had the fourth-highest total for the annual fan ballot, with 449,682 votes.
Speaking to Taryn Daily on Audacy Check In, Harris shared: “We love that people care; That they care if they’re in or out, and that their fans care. Now, the truth is, anybody that’s nominated, the odds are good that they’re eventually gonna get in. In fact, I think it may be as high as 90 per cent eventually go in.”
Though there is a “fan ballot”, it only accounts for one vote. Ultimately, it is the Rock Hall’s voting that decides who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The only fan favorite to make the list was George Michael while Cindy Lauper, Warren Zevon and Soundgarden were cut.
This is not the first time Harris has spoken out about Iron Maiden not being inducted. In 2021, he responded to criticism after the heavy metal band failed to secure their inclusion in this year’s list of inductees.
“There’s no doubt that Iron Maiden are an impactful, influential band, and that’s why they were nominated this year, along with 15 other artists and acts, and when the votes came in, these six were the leaders. So we’re not questioning, are they an important band, are they impactful and influential,” he told WBAB radio station, per Blabbermouth.
Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson previously told The Jerusalem Post that he would refuse the induction claiming that “Rock ‘n’ roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It’s a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it’s dead. It’s worse than horrible, it’s vulgar.”
This year’s inductees include Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Tom Morello’s band Rage Against The Machine, rap innovator Missy Eliott, The Spinners, and country legend Willie Nelson. The induction ceremony will take place in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center.
