TED NUGENT Still Doesn't Care About Being Excluded From ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: 'It Doesn't Affect Me At All'

In a new interview with The Adam Carolla Show, Ted Nugent once again hinted that his political views are one of the main reasons he hasn't been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The conservative rocker, who been eligible for the honor as a solo artist since 2000, has enjoyed a remarkably successful and eventful musical career over the past five decades, but his music is increasingly overshadowed by his political outbursts.

After host Adam Carolla opined that "someone like Joan Jett is only in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame because she's a female and because she's a lesbian", Ted responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I know you like shocks in life. I'm gonna shock you, because I think Joan Jettshould be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame just because of her music. But not yet, because you have to get STYX in first, you have to get NIGHT RANGER in first, you have to get TRIUMPH. TRIUMPH should be [in there]. I can name a hundred [deserving] bands [that aren't in there]."

Nugent continued: "I'll never forget — somebody brought up during an interview, they said we saw the Rolling Stone list of top 100 guitar players, Ted, and what do you think that Joan Jett is in there? And I go — it's on tape — I said, 'I love Joan Jett.' She's a garage-band, dirty, nasty, uppity… She's my favorite lesbian. And some of my greatest memories include lesbians. The point is, is that she's not in the top 100 guitar player list because I've got a hundred guitar players that are really virtuosos and adventurous… [Joan] plays a great rhythm guitar."

Circling back to his exclusion from the Rock Hall, Ted added: "It doesn't affect me at all, except I like honesty. I'm a big fan of honesty and it's all so dishonest. But I'm having the greatest musical year of my life… So I don't need no Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame… I am having the time of my life. Not only is 2026 gonna be the best year in my life, but it's gonna be the worst for my enemies. And I'm not gonna put any energy into pissing off my enemies just by having a good life. It drives them batty. What a dream."

Back in September 2023, Ted was asked if he thought he had a better chance of finally getting inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame now that Rolling Stone magazine co-founder Jann Wenner has been removed from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation's board after comments he made in a New York Times interview about female and black musicians sparked widespread criticism. Ted said in part: "Had you not posed that question to me about whether I should be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I would never even think about it. I'm too busy playing my guitar and making great music with my amazing musicians, playing for the greatest music-loving audience in my life.

"So whether I am ever in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame now that the lying, misogynistic, racist Jann Wenner has been thrown off the board, and my good friend, quite honestly, an ultra-leftist, Tom Morello from the band RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is on the board, some people have mentioned to me that they're considering putting me in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Nugent added: "I don't care. I don't care that I'm not in it. I just wish that TRIUMPH, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, so many killer rock and roll bands that somebody is giving the finger… I think it was Jann Wenner [who] was giving the finger to real honest-to-God rock and roll bands to assist inducting his stoner friends. That's my belief. I believe he got people that got high with him and that hung out with him and that spent time with him. I don't think it's really about rock and roll. And my point is, is that a Hall Of Fame that has Little Richard and James Brown and THE [ROLLING] STONES and THE BEATLES and THE WHO and THE KINKS and Tom Petty and Prince and Bo Diddley, for a Hall Of Fame to have them in it, and then put in Grandmaster Flash, who, he's anti-rock and roll, and ABBA, which is just pop music; I don't really think there's even a drum in the song. I'm, I'm being facetious now.

"So, I want honesty, and if someone decides that Ted Nugent should be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, all I can tell you is that if they do induct me, my acceptance speech will be very, very special and it will make fun, fun, music-loving people feel really good, and it'll make idiots squirm."

Nugent previously addressed his exclusion from the Rock Hall during a July 2022 edition of "The Nightly Nuge". He told co-host Keith Mark at the time: "My comment on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is I never speak from a personal anger that I'm not in it; I never reference that I should be in it, though obviously I should be in it. But that Grandmaster Flash and Madonna and ABBA are in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? I speak on behalf of the fan club of the founding fathers that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should always pay homage to and respect, and that's Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and Little Richard and Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis and the founding fathers of this most exciting, throttling, defiant, irreverent, uppity, fun soundtrack in the world. And that they would put people in there that are not just not rock and roll, but they're anti rock and roll.

"Let me go ahead and say this… Nobody can sue me because if they try to sue me, we'll prove that my words are accurate," Nugent added. "There's a lot of dope smoking going on at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and the more dope you smoke, the dumber you get, the more irresponsible you get and the more criminally inclined you will get. And the statistics to prove what I just said are irrefutable, unless you're so stoned that you can irrefute truth, logic and common sense, which I get a big kick out of… And again, it's not because I'm angry that I'm not in; I'm angry that they're dishonest and that they're not paying respect to the Chuck Berrys and the Bo Diddleys and the Elvis Presleys and the Little Richards and the Jerry Lee Lewises of the world, because rock and roll means something, and ABBA and Grandmaster Flash ain't it."

When Keith noted that Ted's "politics" are the main reason he hasn't been inducted into the Rock Hall, Nugent said: "Let's examine the foundation of that observation, very accurate observation. I'm not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame because of my politics. My politics are the U.S. Constitution. Thank you very much."

Ted has railed against the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame a number of times in the past, including in a 2017 interview with the Q103 radio station in Albany. At the time, he stated about his exclusion from the institution: "Jan Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone [magazine] and the boss hog at Rock And Roll Of Fame, he hates freedom, he hates the Second Amendment, he hates me, because I'm on the board of directors — quite proudly — of the National Rifle Association for, like, twenty-six years with some of the highest votes except for Charlton Heston [NRA's president]. And I couldn't be more proud of that, 'cause the NRA is the ultimate family, grassroots organization that fights for the right to defend ourselves. What kind of numbnut would be against that? And so I'm on the board of directors of the NRA, Jan Wenner hates the Second Amendment, so that's the only reason I'm not in the Rock And Roll Of Fame. And until they get their heads out of their ass, I'm more than happy to do what I do and do it with all the vim and vigor that I do it every night."

Nugent added: "Hey, write this down. My name is Ted Nugent. I am the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Eat me!"

Asked if he would show up for his Rock Hall induction if he eventually got the nod, Nugent said: "Oh, hell yes! And you know what I would do? I would lead… I've seen a lot of the ceremonies, and they're so moving. All of us that love music, how do you not just shed a tear of joy when you see Bob Seger and certainly ZZ TOP and Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and James Brown… Are you kidding me? These are the gods of the soundtrack of our quality of life. But you know what I will do? And I will do it. I will lead the most important moment in the history of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, because I will get on bended knee and I will say a prayer for Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis and THE VENTURES and James Brown and Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding and the Motown Funk Brothers and THE BEATLES and THE [ROLLING] STONES and THE KINKS and Howlin' Wolf and Buddy Guy and B.B. King and Freddie King and Albert King… you know what I'm saying? Because Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is paying tribute and homage to geniuses who gave us the ultimate soundtrack for our American Dream. I'm all in, man, I'm genuinely moved, and I'm glad there is a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Nugent went on to reiterate his belief that that rappers and non-rock artists like Madonna don't belong in the Hall Of Fame. "I mean, why don't you just piss on Chuck Berry's grave, you know what I mean?" he said.

According to Ted, the fact that both Patti Smith and Grandmaster Flash have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is the result of "political correctness," which he calls "a self-inflicted and embarrassing scourge." He added in a mocking tone: "Yeah, Grandmaster Flash is rock and roll. And I'm a gay pirate."

In July 2021 e-mail from NRA general counsel John Frazer sent to board members, it was announced that Nugent, who joined the board in 1995, was stepping down "due to ongoing schedule conflicts."

Ted's decision to leave the board came less than a year after he told Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show" that the National Rifle Association was "the most important civil rights organization in the world."

Back in May 2022, Nugent blasted Jett after her pointed retort in an interview in which she was asked to respond to the outspoken conservative rocker's assessment of her musical skills, when he claimed she didn't belong on a list of the best rock guitarists.

In a video he posted in December 2021, Nugent brought up a list originally published by Rolling Stone's David Fricke in December 2010 where Jett came in at No. 87 while Ted was not included at all. "You have to have shit for brains and you have to be a soulless, soulless prick to [include] Joan Jett," Nugent said. The now-77-year-old musician added: "How do you list the top 100 guitar players and not list Derek St. Holmes? How do you do that? You do that by lying. The same way you get Grandmaster Flash in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. You do that by lying. You have to be a liar."

When asked in an interview with NME to comment on Nugent's claim that she shouldn't be on the list, Jett said: "Neither should he.

"Is that his implication," Jett asked, "that he should be on the list instead of me? Well, that's just typical — it's what I've dealt with my whole life, being written off. Ted Nugent has to live with being Ted Nugent. He has to be in that body, so that's punishment enough."

After a brief pause, she added: "He's not a tough guy. He plays tough guy, but this is the guy who shit his pants — literally — so he didn't have to go in the Army." She then summoned her longtime manager Kenny Laguna to "help," imploring Laguna to relay the full tale of Nugent's supposed Vietnam War draft-dodging tactic (which the alleged pant-shitter himself shared with High Times magazine in 1977 and later retracted).

"So this," Jett concluded, "is the tough guy who's running around America, stirring things up against each other."

A few days later, Nugent responded to Jett's comments, calling her "stupid" and once again denying that he dodged the draft. Speaking during a YouTube livestream, he said: "All I expressed in an interview on WRIF was how I love Joan and her killer rocking band. She's got a great rocking band. Great songs. The best garage band maybe ever, except for maybe GREEN DAY. [I] love Joan — all I said is how I love her. But I used her as an example — along with Joni Mitchell. [I] love Joni Mitchell… People love that music. People love Joan Jett and Joni Mitchell. I love them. I expressed I love them. But she can't be in the top 100 guitar player list — either of them. They play nice strumming guitars; they play nice guitars. I like it. They're good. But top 100 before Rik Emmett of TRIUMPH? That's a lie.

"Joan Jett, I love you," he continued. "Don't get all upset. She calls me a racist and [says] I'm jealous. I didn't even mention that I should be on the list. Let's pretend that I don't play guitar. Let's pretend I'm just a keyboard player, or maybe a gay conga player. I never mentioned my name [as being excluded from] the top 100 guitar list — though someone might. But Joan, would you just relax?

"Maybe the plastic has gone to her brain," Ted added, apparently referencing the rumor that Jett underwent plastic surgery. "I don't know. I just didn't think she was that stupid. I never said anything about how stupid she was. I didn't think she was stupid; now we know how stupid she is.

"Joan Jett and Joni Mitchell cannot be on the top 100 guitar player list before Derek St. Holmes or Rickey Medlocke or Jimmy McCarty or Mark Farner. Certainly. Or Jared Nichols. Or Chris Duarte. This isn't an opinion. There's no room for an opinion here. I'm mentioning guitar players that are world-class monster virtuosos of undeniable musical authority and guitar prowess."

Nugent went on to say: "How about — Paul Reed Smith is a better guitar player than Joni Mitchell or Joan. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, guys, but your drummer, Joan, is a better drummer than I am. I shouldn't be on the top 100 drummers list. All my drummers should be — all my drummers are amazing. [Laughs]

"But don't you see what goes on? I guess they seek and accomplish the eternal terminal menstrual cycle — you know, the menstrual cycle that the governor of Washington and Oregon thinks that they should have tampons in the boys' bathrooms. That's where we are — you know that's where we are. That's not where we are, but it's where they are steering our great country, our once-great country.

"So, Joan, just relax, honey. I love you," Nugent added. "You make great music. But you're not a top 100 guitar player. You must know that. Joni Mitchell, you must know that — I love you, Joni. But you're in the top 100, maybe the top 20 folk singers, certainly. And Joan Jett would be in the… certainly Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and maybe the top 20 garage bands. THE AMBOY DUKES were a garage band, so that's not a negative; that's a positive. NIRVANA would be maybe number one garage band. BROWNSVILLE STATION number two. Joan Jett maybe number three. GREEN DAY maybe three and a half.

"See, I'm not knocking these people; I'm just telling you the truth. [Laughs] I didn't know they were that stupid."

Ted also once again shot down the allegation that he dodged the draft, saying: "No, I didn't. I didn't get drafted, but I didn't dodge the draft. [In the High Times interview] I was telling a story about a drummer friend who shit his pants and I don't know what else he did. It's a funny story. Plus I gave the story to a writer — I'm being awfully generous with that term — for High Times magazine. You're gonna have a serious interview with High Times magazine?

"See, they cling to these lies and hate 'cause they've got nothing else. Which is why they are absolutely helpless to debate me."