Ratt Singer Stephen Pearcy Calls Out Rock Hall Bias Against 80s Bands

Stephen Pearcy, the singer of Ratt, has claimed that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame chooses their inductees based on a biased process against ’80s bands.

During an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, the rocker said:

“They don’t give a shit about us, the ’80s groups at all.

“The Hollywood scene, they don’t give a shit. You’re not gonna see Motley [Crue] up there any time soon, or Ratt. We were lucky enough to see Van Halen get it.”

In the past, many other artists have also expressed their disapproval of how the institution makes their inductions. Some complaints say that metal acts are being ignored and Pearcy also has something to say about the induction of Judas Priest in 2022. He added:

“That was a milestone, having Judas Priest in it.”

He mentioned that the election committee “had to break; they didn’t have a choice… They had to. I mean, it’s overwhelming. It’s, like, you’ve given everybody else this award.”

Talking about the ’80s groups like theirs, Pearcy stated:

“Inevitably, they have to throw us a bone.

“Our genre of music in the ’80s made billions of dollars for the music industry — billions. And what do we get for it? ‘Oh, it ain’t cool.’ ‘You’re not cheesy enough or cheeky enough’ or whatever the fuck. It’s, like fuck you! I have awards in my office that mean more to me than having a Grammy or something, because it’s from the hardcore fans, it’s from the heart.”

Meanwhile, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recently announced their 2023 inductees, including acts such as Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and Missy Elliott. The 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set to happen on Nov. 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.