After 16 years of eligibility, Iron Maiden are finally on the ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Whether you think that’s a huge honor or not, it’s an accomplishment for one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world. Now, whether Iron Maiden gets inducted or not, is up to voters. That’s a share of fan votes and the people who have an official vote. When a band gets elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, most, if not all of their members are inducted. In certain situations, members are left off, maybe because they’re not on official albums or they’re from before the band’s first recording.
In Iron Maiden’s case, Blaze Bayley is being left off being inducted with the band. Guitarist, Dennis Stratton, who played on their first, self-titled album, would be inducted with the band. Paul Di’Anno, who sung on Iron Maiden and Killers is also on the list of inductees, should the band be inducted. Finally, the late Clive Burr, in addition to the current six members, would go in, if Iron Maiden was inducted. Then why the diss to Blaze Bayley? The two albums that he performed on, The X-Factor and Virtual XI are not among the most revered in the band’s catalog. But they are far from the worst albums that they’ve recorded.
I know some of you might not care about Blaze Bayley or his music. But to simply erase him from the history of the band is not the correct way to go.
An Analog To Judas Priest
Judas Priest got snubbed from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for many years. In their case, they had a singer in the mid to late 90’s that also wasn’t as popular as the one before him. Tim “Ripper” Owens would likely go in with Judas Priest as a former lead singer. Judas Priest fans malign the two Ripper albums almost as much as Blaze’s albums. So what’s the difference here? I’m of the belief, that without Blaze Bayley, there would be a very different Iron Maiden today. His two albums shaped the sound of the band and guided it toward the more prog metal sound we have today.
This isn’t an article designed to slander, Clive Burr, Dennis Stratton, or Paul Di’Anno. Not at all. Some bands have loads of members included in their induction parties. It’s not Blaze Bayley’s fault that he had to follow-up one of the greatest heavy metal singers ever. He took the job and did the absolute best he could with it. So, honestly, if you don’t think Blaze belongs as part of Iron Maiden history, you don’t deserve to be an Iron Maiden fan. You don’t have to like his place in the history of the band, but you should recognize it.
Seeing how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn’t normally care about heavy metal or hard rock acts anyway, Iron Maiden isn’t likely to get in. Bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple took forever to get in. Judas Priest got snubbed last year. It’s a joke of an institution. The Metal Hall of Fame might be a smaller institution that isn’t as old or venerated, but it at least respects the artist they induct.
Blaze Deserves The Respect Of The Rock Hall
No matter what you might think, Blaze Bayley’s name will always be on Iron Maiden albums. He wrote or co-wrote 11 songs on Iron Maiden albums. That’s more than Paul Di’Anno or Dennis Stratton. The band plays songs from his era to this day. With two songs from The X-Factor and Virtual XI making it to their Legacy of the Beast tour. So if you think the albums are crap, the band certainly doesn’t. At the end of the day, this isn’t about you, I, or any other Maiden fans. This is about the disrespect of a major member of the band. Someone who guided the band through the roughest time in Heavy Metal’s history. The mid to late 90’s were a time where the genre almost died.
The albums that Blaze worked on, both hold high spots in my heart, and they should be recognized by the Rock Hall.
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Yeah man real shame if he is not inducted and unfair blaze helped pioneer metal in its dark times and helped it survive and metal thrived again in the next decade.x factor and virtual were great albums in maidens darker times and still was the best music of the era to let everyone in the bands history and not blaze is luticris and unfair he deserves to be in there
Es una verguenza lo que le hacen a blaze
Blaze needs to be on the list on the Iron Maiden induction list!!!!
Blaze no es, ni fue, ni será, un buen cantante. Gran error de Harris llevarlo a Maiden. X Factor tiene algún tema rescatable. El siguiente es muy malo.
En vivo desafinaba muchísimo.
Creo que ea una buena decisión dejarlo afuera.
How about Bruce Dickinson? He’s part of Iron Maiden. Doesn’t he get inducted with the band?
Why isn’t Tom Jones in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ?
Let me sum it up in words the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is nothing but a racist Institute that like to shun out on the real musicians people right Judas Priest Iron Maiden Luther Vandross Joe Tex Donny Hathaway Roberta Flack Minnie Riperton Johnnie Taylor ZZ Hill Little Milton Rick James Teena Marie Edgar Winter Johnny Winter Luther Ingram Lou Rawls Junior Walker & the All-Stars Johnny Ace The Bar-Kays confunkshun Roger Troutman and Zapp play Steve Arrington the Ohio Players Roberta Flack Carole King Tina Turner Carly Simon Brook Benton Dinah Washington these are the people who deserve to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
With all due respect, I like the 2 Tim “Ripper” Owens Judas Priest albums alot more than the Blayze Bailey era Iron Maiden albums. I also have never known many people who hate those 2 Priest albums as you suggested. I also like the 2 Paul Dianno era Maiden albums alot more than the Blayze era
I love the two blaze albums. X factor was so dark amd virtual 11 was so melodic and bright. I liked the ripper owens akbums albums but didnt like the guitar sound. Wasnt sure about rob halfords priest come back album liked it but it sound more like a halford album. Would love to hear maiden do loch ness
The band usually has some control over who is inducted into the hall in recent years. The hall used to decide based on the idea that you had to contribute to the material that got them into the hall and that is why so many official members got left out in the past, like that KISS example. The Cure and NIN got to decide and included people that never would have been included in the past so it’s just not consistent. They want the bands to participate so it seems like they are giving them more control or the bands are just leveraging it. If they get selected a fan campaign to include him might work.
I agree with you on the need for well deserved respect for Blaze. Unfortunately, the Bubblegum rock hall of fame board is clueless. The fan vote is BS. The results of the fan vote carry minimal weight on who is inducted or it’s ignored. I watched the polls very closely years ago when Judas Priest was polling in the number 5 spot. We obviously know that Rob Halford and company didn’t make the cut. I swore off the “rock hall” after that year. I’d had enough of some of the BS choices. How do you not include the likes of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, MC5, Bad Company, Boston, Scorpions, Thin Lizzy, Coltrane, Willie Nelson, Motley Crue. For Pete’s sake they have Abba inducted but none of the above. I’m sorry but the hall of fame lost their focus and credibility.
Blaze kept Maiden going when it looked like the end might have been upon them. I think the 2 albums he did were on the weaker side but there were certainly some great songs to come from the two. The Clansman, When 2 worlds collide, Sign of the Cross, Blood on the worlds hands, falling down……
I think its shameful NOT to include Blaze along with the other members of Iron Maiden. Then again, I always thought that this supposed Rock n Roll Hall of Fame was more of a “Hall of Shame”. If you think of the reason a band should be inducted into this list was of their influence to the genre of this type of music. And Blaze helped with this influence. Some people my not agree that the two albums he performed in were the best Iron Maiden albums, but they were a major part in their overall history and development as a BAND!
I love all the albums across all 3 singers, but X Factor and Virtual XI are better than their predecessors FOTD and NPFTD. Plus, they have much more influence on Maiden’s current sound. Even if The R&RHOF doesn’t want to recognize Blaze, the band should still bring him to the ceremony if they get in. (That would be a great statement.) To date, I don’t believe they have even made an official statement about their nomination. That alone should tell us what they think of it.
I think the majority of commentors on this post are getting it wrong. This is about one snub, out of MANY. It’s not about who is the biggest snub, or who was better than who, its the fact that three RnR Hall shouldn’t be allowed to judge which members get in. I get if a person was part of a band for a weekend, but Bailey was in Maiden for just under a decade, and contributed to two full recordings. Mr. Stratton wasn’t in for any length of time, nor is he on a recording that I know of, but he meets the criteria?
Further, I don’t think THE BAND BEING INDUCTED should decide either. Nor fans. If you played with a bans long enough to record with them, or make some significant contribution, you’re in, period. Bands hold grudges, so of course certain members wouldn’t want certain other members to be recognized. That’s wrong. Same with fans.
Establish fair rules, and go with that criteria. Is it ridiculous RJD didn’t get I with Sabbath? Yeah. Is it a shame that SO MANY GREATS have not been inducted? YES. When and if Mötley gets in, should Corabi, Castillo, and S Maloney be inducted as well? YES. And that is why Blaze Bailey should be recognized and inducted as well, whether you or ANYONE likes him or not! Harris liked him enough to do two recordings and almost a decade with him.
Good article, Mr. Bolding, and thank you.
I don’t think the R&RHF gives much if any credit for longevity. Many of the bands are inducted for just making a few albums of note. I actually think your chances of being inducted are better if you make a few great albums and then break up. I’d bet Maiden’s heyday, pre-Blaze albums are almost entirely why they were nominated. Janick was on two of the albums during Dickinson’s first stint. I think the committee’s intention is to induct what’s thought of as the band’s classic lineup along with those that contribute to the earlier albums that got their start. Anything after that is not of interest to the committee. Like I said, as far as the committee is concerned, IM could have disbanded in 1993 without losing any credibility towards their induction. Same for Sabbath, KISS, and numerous others.
I have to disagree! Eric Carr was in Kiss way longer than Peter, and deserves to be in the Rock Hall. So does Bruce. Put Vinnie in too! Besides he wrote their 2 best albums! Anyway, it’s a joke! Change the name to the music hall
I said singer and Thayer have been in the band longer than Ace and Peter .
I do love me the maiden and as much as I did not like the blaze era it’s wrong he’s not included…and well I’m a dianno fan more than any of them. I own all their stuff but haven’t really loved an album since power slave..that being said hall of fame is just a plain old joke
I don’t believe that Iron Maiden should get inducted – UNTIL Judas Priest gets inducted first. JP were the gold standard; the poster child for the genre. No JP no Iron Maiden. Oh, lets not forget about the most hurtful snub: that of Bob Welch (when Fleetwood Mac got inducted). Poor Welch, he wound up killing himself.