Most Shafted by the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame

This is a list of bands that should be in the rock & roll hall of fame, but haven't been inducted for some reason or another.

Note: a band is eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first album.
The Top Ten
1 Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy Metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The most critically acclaimed period for the band was from 1983-1989. With vocalist Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, lead guitarist Dave Murray, rhythm guitarist Adrian... read more

Even Metallica was influenced by Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden is heavy metal. Without them, heavy metal wouldn't exist. It's simple - they should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame because they are the best!

Snubbed once again in 2021, who the hell runs this thing? The fact that Green Day, Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, and Jay-Z got in before Maiden and Priest is a joke. No wonder Bruce hates it.

Why they are not on this list, and moreover, why they are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is beyond me...

2 Judas Priest Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band that formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are often referred to as one of the greatest metal bands of all time, and are even commonly called “The Metal Gods”, after one of the songs on their 1980 album “British Steel”... read more

- One of the most diverse metal bands.
- One of the most influential too.
- Rob Halford is arguably one of the greatest singers of all time, let alone in metal.

How are they not in yet?

They 100% deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

3 Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American metal band formed in Los Angeles, California on January 17, 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, lead vocalist Vince Neil and lead guitarist Mick Mars.

Should be #1. The Hall of Fame is a joke until they're voted in. They were THE band of the '80s to see live. Certainly not the best technicians, but is that really what rock and roll is about?

It's also about the legendary exploits of excess: drugs, women, trouble, and arrogance. Few, if any, could match their rap sheet. That's why they are the best.

No wonder they're breaking up after this tour. They can't get into the Hall of Fame. This should be a no-brainer.

If Def Leppard got inducted, then surely these guys should be inducted soon.

4 Pantera Pantera was an American heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul. The band started out as a glam metal act in the 1980s with little success. After discarding their original lead vocalist and enlisting Phil Anselmo, the band signed a major record deal with... read more
5 Motörhead Motörhead were an English heavy metal band formed in June 1975 by bassist, singer, and songwriter Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister, who was the sole constant member; guitarist and songwriter Larry Wallis; and drummer Lucas Fox. The band's harsh vocals and fast paced tempos helped inspire speed metal and... read more

Lemmy literally called their music "Rock and Roll," for crying out loud.

6 Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, guitarist, photographer, philanthropist and activist.

Bryan Adams is a great rocker and had a significant influence on me personally growing up in the '80s. I've seen him in concert about 10 times, and even most recently, he sounded as good as ever. He has made great rock and roll songs that haven't gotten "popular" due to the pop shift from the '80s to the '90s.

He still sells out shows worldwide. It's a shame the Hall holds it against him that he's had huge hits with several movie love ballads, but Bryan ROCKS. The Hall is stupid, and the class of 2019 is embarrassing. Radiohead? The Cure? Roxy Music?! The Zombies with two songs? GIMME A BREAK!

7 Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday, better known by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging operatic voice and theatrical live shows. His debut album, "Bat Out of Hell", is still one of the top-selling albums ever... read more

Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman definitely deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Bat Out of Hell is a top 5 rock album of all time, and their style is like nothing else. They sold around 43 million copies during an era when disco was the trend, then did it again with Bat 2 at the height of grunge.

That one album alone... Paradise by the Dashboard Light alone... Need I go on?

This man deserves it more than most.

8 Social Distortion Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness, Jonny Wickersham, Brent Harding, David Hidalgo, Jr., and David Kalish.

Possibly the single most influential band to emerge from the '80s Southern California punk scene. They have managed to achieve a level of commercial success that makes them recognizable to the masses while continuing to be relevant. They've transcended punk and evolved into an American rock and roll treasure with appeal far beyond the punk genre.

With over 30 years in the business, they continue to reach new fans and inspire kids to make music. There are already Rock Hall of Famers who cite Social Distortion as an influence. That number will almost certainly grow as '90s alt and punk bands are inducted, who were heavily influenced by Mike Ness and Social D.

They are hugely influential but receive very little recognition for their contributions to rock and roll, and that's a shame. Their nomination, at the very least, is long overdue.

9 John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, actor, activist and humanitarian, whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singer, starting in the 1970s.

It's crazy that this guy hasn't been inducted. He always said he was put down for having music that fit many genres. The fact that he continues to be shut out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame proves the prejudice still continues. In the old days, I found his records filed in rock and roll or folk music more often than country.

He even went out on his own after being asked to create a total country album. Anyone remember that?

When I first heard "Take Me Home," I did not know his name, but his music and voice touched my soul - and still does. I hope that soon the Hall of Fame will recognize that his music touches one so deeply that it leaves them changed for the better.

10 Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Megadeth was formed in 1983 by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, shortly after Mustaine was fired from Metallica. They have released 15 studio albums to date, and have gone through many lineup changes, with Dave... read more

Dave wasn't invited in with Metallica, even though he wrote some of their songs!

The Contenders
11 Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American grunge/alternative metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Chris Cornell died on May 17th, 2017.

I think it's time Soundgarden got in. They were the second major grunge band to form after Green River in the 1980s, of course, getting big in the '90s while Kurt Cobain and his band made grunge music popular.

However, Soundgarden has an excellent singer and loads of excellent songwriting. They should have honestly been the second of the big four grunge bands to make it in, but they went with Pearl Jam next.

Despite the fact that the RNRHOF shows clear favoritism towards alternative bands, it would be nice to see these guys get inducted.

12 Tommy James & The Shondells

Classic rock compositions, great singer - and the Shondells are better musicians than people give them credit for. I think they got classified as "bubblegum" early and never got the respect they deserved. I would rather listen to a Tommy James song than anything by The Doors (and the James song probably rocked harder too).

You can't listen to any of the best classic rock stations without hearing their incredible music! It's wrong they're not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Maybe having "Crystal Blue Persuasion" play during a pivotal moment in "Breaking Bad" will help...

13 Ronnie James Dio Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona; July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010) was an American heavy metal singer, songwriter and musician. He fronted and/or founded numerous groups including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture... read more
14 Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the big four of thrash metal bands, the others being Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax... read more
15 Jethro Tull Jethro Tull are a British rock group, formed in Luton, Bedfordshire, in December 1967. Initially playing blues rock, the band soon developed its sound to incorporate elements of British folk music and hard rock to forge a progressive rock signature.

Sir Ian Anderson is a genius. Tull has been commercially successful for over 40 years, with 50+ million record sales, over 1,000 live concerts, and 25+ albums. They have a truly unique style that is continuously innovative and brilliant. Shame on the Hall of Fame for their most glaring oversight.

16 Boston Boston is Massachusetts’ capital and largest city. Founded in 1630, it’s one of the oldest cities in the U.S.
17 Bad Company Bad Company was an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1973. The band was comprised of singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, both formerly of Free, guitarist Mick Ralphs from Mott the Hoople, and bassist Boz Burrell, who was previously with King Crimson... read more

They're not in? That's just ridiculous

18 Kansas Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind".

One of the pure legends of American Progressive Rock. To imagine this band not considered by the crew in Cleveland is a disgrace and demonstrates the lack of any musical background the "voters' must have. Yes, Styx, Pink Floyd, Queen, Kansas. Who are these morons in RRHOF?

I've heard many bands over the years and these guys have been just tremendous for about 40 years. What a disservice to true rock and roll fans and to the members of this incredibly talented band.

19 The Guess Who The Guess Who is a Canadian rock band that was formed in 1962. The band originated in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is best known for their hit song, "American Woman".

Burton Cummings is one of the iconic voices of 70's era rock. He and childhood friend Randy Bachman were the Lennon & McCartney of Canada... hell, of the US too. Simply can't believe they weren't installed years and years ago. (Tull and Doobies too)

Should be there sold more records in 1970 then any other band including the Beatles Check it out I,m correct on this. One of the top bands in there peak years 1969 to 1972.

They should have already been there..

20 Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band makes extensive use of soaring three-part vocal harmonies, guitar solos and lyrics that often contain religious and political commentary.

Bad Religion IS punk rock. They are getting ready to release their 17th studio album late 2018/ early 2019 and the few tracks I've already heard are just as great as everything else they have done. 2020 will mark their 40th anniversary as a band. These guys MUST GET IN! Ask any punk band of the past 3vand a half decades and in sure they will list Bad Religion at the top of their "influences" list...

2020 will mark their 40th anniversary as a band...the greatest punk band to come out of the So Cal punk scene in the early 80's! I've seen them live 25 times and was never disappointed! They MUST get in!

They as well as social distortion have defined so Cal punk as well as all music, they have ventured in and out of mainstream still hanging in there with success

Definitely them; they did a lot.

21 Scorpions Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal.
22 Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1985 under the name of "Majesty", only to change its name to Dream Theater later... read more

Easily one if the greatest bands ever. Not only did Drem Theater change the face of progressive music and heavy metal, but each member of the band is a master of their craft. How can a band that has the greatest guitarist, bassist, vocalist, keyboardist, and drummer not get into the hall if fame? Oh yeah, because it's the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, where only 'special' people get in and artists that Rolling Stone doesn't like get snubbed.

Just because they weren't the most popular band doesn't mean they shouldn't get inducted into the Hall of Fame. Every single member of the band are legends (yes, even Labrie and Mangini). It baffles me that they were nominated.

23 Derek and the Dominos Derek and the Dominos were a blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton, keyboardist and singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon.
24 Alice in Chains Alice in Chains is an American grunge/alternative metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley.
25 Styx Styx is an American rock band from Chicago that formed in 1972 and became famous for its albums released in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

They've been a musical force since the early 70s. Kind of lost their way due to DDY's theatrical bent, but found it again when they parted ways and started rocking again. Still packing them in at shows, on the road for over 200 days a year and still loving it!

They've made enough classics that can run be ignored, from "Come Sail Away" to "Renegade" to "Mr Roboto" to "Foolin' Yourself". It'd also be nice to have more Chicago representation!

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