The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its class of 2020 today (January 14th) and, surprise, surprise, heavy metal was snubbed once again. Nominees Judas Priest, Soundgarden, Thin Lizzy and Motörhead (how the hell is Motörhead not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?!) failed to receive enough votes from the Hall's self-appointed judges (reportedly, a pool of over 1,000 artists, historians, journalists and members of the music industry). Pat Benatar, Dave Matthews Band, Kraftwerk, MC5, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan and Todd Rundgren, who were also nominated, failed to make the cut, as well.
In better news, Nine Inch Nails — Revolver's current cover stars — as well as metalhead-beloved synth-pop pioneers Depeche Mode will both be inducted, alongside the Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, the Doobie Brothers and T. Rex. Additionally, Jon Landau and Irving Azoff, two of the biggest managers in music history, will be presented with the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
"I'm pretty freaked out," commented Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor, who, last year, appeared at the induction ceremony to present the Cure with their award. "I'm quite in shock. When I look back at how Nine Inch Nails are received, it always seems like we fall between the cracks. I don't know if it's a defense mechanism, but I just assumed we'd stay in that category, so I'm pleasantly surprised to see us acknowledged. It feels pretty good … I'm allowing myself, for a limited period of time, to feel good about this."
Depeche Mode also chimed in. "We're incredibly honoured to be included as one of this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and to stand alongside the other incredible acts in the Rock Hall and those joining this year," the band members said in a group statement. "A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us and our music over the years, who have made this possible."
The 2020 induction ceremony will be held at Cleveland's Public Hall on May 2nd and will air live on HBO and the SiriusXM Rock and Roll Hall of Fame radio station. Tickets go on sale on February 27th.
