Dee Snider calls the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame committee “arrogant elitist assholes” over lack of inducted metal bands

Dee Snider has criticised the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s committee, accusing them of looking down on metal bands despite the popularity of the genre.

The former Twisted Sister frontman initially took to Twitter to inform fans how to vote for Iron Maiden in the ‘Fan Vote’ section of the process. It was revealed that Iron Maiden, along with Tina Turner, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Rage Against The Machine, Kate Bush, The Go-Go’s, Mary J. Blige, New York Dolls, Fela Kuti, Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren, Carole King, Devo, Dionne Warwick and Foo Fighters, are up for inclusion last month.

A fan then replied with an article about Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson’s plan to refuse induction. Another fan then asked why anyone would refuse being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, which prompted Snider to give his thoughts on the matter. He called the organisation’s voting committee “arrogant elitist assholes who look down on metal and other bands that sell millions because we’re not their definition of cool.”

Addressing his choice to encourage fan votes for Iron Maiden, Snider then said: “The fan vote is their ‘throwing a bone’ to the peasants. I want to say FU, but I want them to have to deal with us!”

The RnR Hall committee members are arrogant elitist assholes who look down on metal & other bands that sell millions because we’re not their definition of cool. The fan vote is their “throwing a bone” to the peasants. I want to say FU, but I want them to have to deal with us! https://t.co/mUoUbkYx3C

— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) February 21, 2021

A fan also posited to Snider that the Halls’ lack of metal bands is just a result of “catering to the masses”. Snider responded: “If they were catering to the masses they would have the biggest selling bands. Corporate rock bands that sell tens of millions are ignored because they aren’t ‘cool.’”

Criteria for induction into the artist category is given as bands that have “influence and significance to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll,” and for 25 years to have passed since their first record.

If Iron Maiden or Rage Against The Machine are indeed inducted into the Hall this year, they will join just two other metal bands: Black Sabbath and Metallica. In 2020, Judas Priest and Motorhead were both nominated but not inducted into the Hall, which prompted conversations about its “heavy metal problem”.

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