Dee Snider is making an effort to help Iron Maiden get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year via the Fan Vote, and it has a lot to do with his frustration with the lack of metal representation in the Rock Hall.
Snider vented on Twitter, “The RnR Hall committee members are arrogant elitist a–holes who look down on metal & other bands that sell millions because we’re not their definition of cool. 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!”
When responding to a reply about the Rock Hall trying to appeal to the masses, Snider responded, “If they were catering to the masses they would have the biggest selling bands. Corporate rock bands that sell tens of millions are ignored because they aren’t ‘cool.’ The fact is the RnR Hall of Fame is struggling. Was it crowded when you were there? It wasn’t when I went.”
If they were catering to the masses they would have the biggest selling bands. Corporate rock bands that sell tens of millions are ignored because they aren’t “cool”. The fact is the RnR Hall of Fame is struggling. Was it crowded when you were there? It wasn’t when I went. https://t.co/NuxQ0EdVoh
— Dee Snider
(@deesnider) February 21, 2021
In response to a fan saying Rolling Stone/Rock Hall founder Jann Wenner has a lot of pull regarding inductees, Snider said, “AND THERE IS YOUR ANSWER! Jan Werner [sic] (founder is Rolling Stone) has been the puppet master since day one. If it ain’t in Rolling Stone it is hard pressed to get into the Hall of Fame!”
AND THERE IS YOUR ANSWER! Jan Werner (founder is Rolling Stone) has been the puppet master since day one. If it ain’t in Rolling Stone it is hard pressed to get into the Hall of Fame! https://t.co/XFbk34ijki
— Dee Snider
It should be noted that Wenner stepped down as chairman of the Rock Hall as of January 1, 2020, and John Sykes, who has been vocal in countless interviews about how the Rock Hall needs to evolve and diversify, has replaced him. The 2021 class is the first class to be determined entirely under Sykes’s tenure as Rock Hall chairman.
The 2021 inductees will be announced in May 2021, while the induction ceremony is currently slated to take place this fall in Cleveland.
As with previous years, the public will have the opportunity to voice their choice via the Fan Vote at RockHall.com through April 30. Fans are allowed to vote once per day during the Fan Vote period. Visitors of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland will also have the opportunity to vote in person. The “Fans’ Ballot” will be comprised of the top five artists from the fan vote and will be counted among the other ballots filled out by various artists, historians, and music industry professionals.