IAN HILL On JUDAS PRIEST's Exclusion From ROCK HALL: 'I Don't Think They Like Heavy Metal Music In General'

JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill believes that his band has been snubbed by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in part because the members of the Hall's nominating committee "don't like heavy metal."

Each year, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame foundation's nominating committee selects the group of artists nominated in the performer category. Ballots are then sent to more than 1,000 historians, members of the music industry and artists — including every living Rock Hall inductee — and the five performers receiving the most votes become that year's induction class.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for last year's class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but ultimately didn't clinch the nomination.

During a recent appearance on Mitch Joel's "Groove - The No Treble Podcast", Hill was asked to offer his thoughts on PRIEST's exclusion from the Rock Hall.

"These things come along, and they're great — you're flattered that you're being recognized by your peers," the bassist said (hear audio below). "But when it doesn't happen, we don't lose a great deal of sleep. I mean, I don't think they like heavy metal music in general. I think BLACK SABBATH were nominated eight times before they were inducted, and I don't think we've got eight years left. So if it's gonna go that route, we'll never get in there. But if we're inducted, excellent… It's great to be recognized, like I say, but as long as the fans are showing up, it doesn't matter, really. They're the best yardstick of whether you're doing well or not — as long as the fans are happy."

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

JUDAS PRIEST's new album, "Firepower", was released in March 2018 via Epic.

The band will return to the United States in May for a run with fellow classic heavy rockers URIAH HEEP.