Iron Maiden 's absence from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has taken a new turn. Despite appeals from names like Rob Halford , Tom Morello , Alice Cooper , and Paul Stanley , the Iron Maiden have never been inducted into the institution.
The British have eleven nominations in total, but have never made it to the final list of honorees. Because of this, the group has asked the organization to leave them alone and not make any more nominations.
This was revealed by Simon Kirke , drummer of Bad Company . His band is competing for one of the spots in the class of 2025 .
In a chat with VRP Rocks [via Igor Miranda ], Kirke commented that he received a message from Nicko McBrain , who is a friend of his. In the conversation, McBrain reportedly mentioned that the Maiden team had asked the organization to forget about them.
“Nicko is a good friend and he sent me a message congratulating me on Bad Company’s nomination, since it was the first time we’d been considered. Then he said, ‘By the way, Simon, we’ve been nominated eleven times and never been inducted. So our team wrote to the Hall of Fame and said, “Stop nominating us. Damn it. Get lost.”’”
Iron Maiden and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
To give you an idea, Iron Maiden has been eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2005, the year their debut album celebrated its 25th anniversary. However, the institution has never recognized the group due to its history of conflicts with heavy metal and its subgenres.
The closest they came to being inducted were in 2011 and 2023. The first attempt included Foo Fighters , The Go-Go's, Jay-Z, Carole King, Todd Rundgren, and Tina Turner. The most recent attempt included Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, The Spinners, and Rage Against the Machine.
Given this, the band has never shown interest in joining the institution. Both Steve Harris and Bruce Dickinson , the band's founding bassist and vocalist, respectively, share this opinion.
Harris says the selection process is questionable, as it's a panel of judges who decides who gets in. Fans can vote, but their vote carries little weight compared to the jury's.
Dickinson, however, has a stronger opinion on the matter. He says he doesn't want to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "because we're not dead yet."
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