Being not chosen two times in a row, Dickinson said
“We don’t give a monkey’s [ass] because the people that get us are not the people that run the music business establishment, whatever that is, because that is largely run by people that can’t make a living doing anything else.”
Dickinson continued, speaking ill of pop music:
“I don’t want to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Because we’re not dead yet! Some people feel almost actively threatened by metal. Not by the nature of the music. But by the fact that it doesn’t conform to their worldview of what pop music should be, which is: pop music is disposable, darling. Well: we don’t make disposable pop music.”
The CEO of Rock Hall Greg Harris, explained why they couldn’t get in this year:
“We love that people care. That they care if they’re in or out, and that their fans care. The truth is anybody that’s nominated, the odds are good that they’ll eventually gonna get in. In fact, I think it may be as high as 90 percent eventually go in.”
Iron Maiden was nominated in 2021, but couldn’t get in that year either. Greg Harris, similar to this year’s explanation, told earlier:
“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 [Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Tina Turner, The Go-Go’s, Carole King and Todd Rundgren] were the leaders. So we’re not questioning, are they an important band, are they impactful and influential.”
In 2018, Dickinson, during one of his speaking tours for his autobiography ‘What Does This Button Do?’, was asked if he thinks the band should be in Rock Hall. The frontman replied:
“I actually think the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is an utter and complete load of bollocks, to be honest with you. It’s run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock ‘n’ roll if it hit them in the face. They need to stop taking Prozac and start drinking f*cking beer.”
The inductees of this year’s Rock Hall have been announced on May 3, and in the performance category, Rage Against The Machine, Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson and The Spinners are included. Artists such as Soundgarden and The White Stripes were once again not chosen.