Metal music has always been a genre I can rely on to get motivated or bang my head into. With this in mind, the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees were announced Wednesday. The five artists who will be enshrined are Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, N.W.A and the Steve Miller Band. All deserving and long overdue with some debate on N.W.A not being "rock" material.
Now that we know who got into the hall of fame, it's time to make an argument on who should've gone in and who doesn't. The one genre that comes to my mind is the lack of metal artists in the hall of fame. It has gotten to the point where it’s time to give credit where credit is due and put some metal gods to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
I could care less about the notion of people being against metal music when you have Randy Newman in the hall of fame. Right there, the excuses of not inducting metal artists ends. Also, the fact Green Day this year got in before Iron Maiden is an absolute injustice. There are many artists out there that I think are deserving to go to the Hall of Fame than Green Day.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind Green Day but it frustrates me how they got into the hall of fame before Iron Maiden and Judas Priest? My history of rock and roll professor said these two should’ve been in already and couldn’t agree more. These artists were revolutionary in their own right. Look at the people who still go to their concerts around the world and have fantastic interactions? These fans still appreciate their music after all these years and support their fantastic craft. Iron Maiden even released a new album this year and still raising hell.
Unfortunately, the hall of fame doesn’t see it that way. It isn’t right how Green Day got inducted in their first year of eligibility while Judas Priest have yet to be even considered as a finalist. What’s next? Creed gets in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before Pantera? If that were to happen, a lot of metal fans would be livid and I would too.
Metal has its own subgenres like punk, thrash, nu metal and screamo. But it’s unfortunate how other artists like Slayer, Motorhead, and Rage Against the Machine to name a few who have released albums well-over 25 years ago haven’t got their rightful place to music’s biggest landmark. Unless you’re the Sex Pistols who considered the hall of fame as a urinal stain and no-showed at the ceremony in 2006.
Perhaps it may have a lot to do with these artists not being “commercial” enough. Mind you not there are a number of artists who were one hit wonders or never saw the light of day of being the top 40 (ex. Bob Marley). If that’s one of the reasons, then it’s stupid. I can see why people think Metallica sold out with their 1991 black album.
How about Guns N’ Roses? They’re in and not many people would consider them one of the all-time great metal bands. Maybe because it’s not about propaganda like RATM’s “Bullet in the Head” or talking about killing Indians like Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills.” Who really knows why metal are being snubbed in 2015 but it has to stop.
It’s bad enough the committee who makes the decision on which artists goes in have a reputation of snubbing metal artists. Then explain the ones who aren’t “rock” like James Brown, Grandmaster Flash and Madonna? I know there is some element of rock to their music but metal to me was an evolution of rock music. Like the Sex Pistols, Black Sabbath were inducted in 2006 and they’re one of the artists who transitioned hard rock to what ultimately led to the attitudinal, in your face and hard sound known as metal today.
If you’re calling it the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1986, stick with it. No need to add artists who aren’t “rock and roll” material. Metal artists are just as deserving to get in than hip-hop artists. They should get their own hall of fame and add your Grandmaster Flash’s, your Tupac’s, your Biggie’s and so on there.
Hopefully, the artists I’ve mentioned get their moment in the sun. But don’t expect them inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, we have their powerful music to appreciate. Whether we’re screaming our lungs out, flipping the bird and jam to their music until the end of time.
