The inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been named, and if you were expecting Judas Priest to get their moment in the spotlight, well, that’s not going to happen just yet. However, there’s a silver spandex lining, as ’80s hair metal merchants Bon Jovi have made their way into the Hall. If you’re surprised by this, you obviously haven’t been paying much attention to the rock hall over the years. They’ve looked down on heavy music for years, with Rush and KISS being ignored until they more or less couldn’t be. Judas Priest is just another in the long list of slights that heavy music has had with the conservative Hall, and they’ll almost certainly be inducted eventually, but perhaps not while they’re still a touring band. This is their first time being nominated, however.
Bon Jovi’s induction isn’t that surprising. Their 1986 album Slippery When Wet was a juggernaut, and along with Def Leppard, really ushered in the era of commercial hair metal. Any metalhead can sing “Breaking the Law,” “Living After Midnight” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,” but regardless of whether you’re a fan of Beyonce or Behemoth, you know the chorus to “Living On a Prayer.” Also notable is the fact that they’ve been able to grow with their audience, with the mall chicks that followed them in the ’80s still following them as soccer moms in their 40’s and 50’s. They’ve even gone country without alienating their fans. Judas Priest on the other hand, are uncompromisingly metal, and although it certainly would have made sense to induct them now, many voters are probably still scared off by the band’s name alone.
The other nominees include Dire Straits, the Moody Blues, the Cars and Nina Simone. No major complaints there, although we’re a little surprised that Rage Against the Machine didn’t make the cut, either. The induction will be held at Cleveland’s Public Hall on April 14th, 2018.
