Bassist Nikki Sixx has mentioned Motley Crue is banned from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but is that true and if so, why? Here’s what we all know.
Mötley Crüe is known as much for his or her antics and rap sheets as they are for his or her song, if not extra so. The band was notorious for living up to their identify in the Nineteen Eighties and '90s, destroying hotel rooms and binging medication and alcohol. Lots of infamous rock bands have still managed to make their approach into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but bassist Nikki Sixx has stated Motley Crue is banned from ever being inducted to the Hall of Fame. But is that true and, if this is the case, why?
Article continues underneath advertisement
Is Mötley Crüe banned from the Hall of Fame — and why?
The foundation of this rumor comes from comments Nikki Sixx made to British rock weekly Kerrang in 2019 about whether some other reunion was ever in the playing cards for the band. Interest in a comeback surged with the release of The Dirt, the movie based on their biography of the same name.
Article continues under advertisement
Sixx informed the zine that they might been asked that during any other interview recently and drummer Tommy Lee had mentioned, "I don’t know. Maybe if we got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or something, we could dust off a couple of our old classics." However, Nikki says that is pretty much moot, "because we were told by the Hall of Fame that we would never get in, because of how we’ve acted, so that’s kind of it.”
According to the Hall of Fame website, the only strict requirement is that an artist does not become eligible until 25 years after the release of their first record, which for Mötley Crüe, made them eligible 14 years ago. The selection process also considers "the influence and importance of the artists’ contributions to the improvement and perpetuation of rock and roll."
Article continues below advertisement
Who decides who gets into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anyway?
If Nikki is telling the truth, somebody from the Hall of Fame selection committee made it clear Mötley Crüe isn't being considered for their "influence and importance." The question is who that person might have been. See, the thing is, not much is known about the body who determine the inductees to the Hall of Fame, and that seems to be by design.
Article continues below advertisement
CEO Greg Davis said in a 2016 Q&A that there are "more or less 24 people" who decide each year which artists will be honored, and their identities are shrouded to avoid giving artists the opportunity to curry favor with them. However, the site Future Rock Legends, which is not affiliated with the Hall of Fame, has lists of the supposed nominee selection committee members for each year.
The committee does not wholly change each year, according to the site, and the list of 2020 members includes musicians like Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters, Questlove of The Roots, Linda Perry, and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. The committee also includes music industry execs and music critics.
Article continues below advertisement
Who knows whether anyone with any authority told Nikki that the band is verboten, but with such a large selection committee, it seems possible, if enough members feel passionate enough about it, that the Crüe still has a shot at the HoF. But even if they never make it in, they're in good company. The list of snubs includes legends like Mariah Carey, Rage Against the Machine, Brian Eno, and fellow umlaut fans Hüsker Dü.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbXSramam6Ses7p6wqikaKhfrLW6ecisZKanpKGyunnCq6yeZZKWu6%2Bxw2afmqScYrynecWapJ4%3D