Ted Nugent Knows Exactly Why He’s Not In The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame – And Who’s To Blame For It

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Ted Sounds Off On Rock Hall

Like The Monkees and all too many others, Motor City Madman Ted Nugent knows exactly why he’s not likely to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – and he even knows who’s to blame.

Ted’s more than met the Rock Hall’s prerequisites for induction. His double platinum 1975 debut album made him eligible for induction as of 2000 and with over 30 million records sold worldwide, it’s safe to say that the weight the Rock Hall committee gives to “the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll” is also satisfied.

CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 1978: Ted Nugent sits in a new “Nugent” pinball machine on the assembly-line at the Stern Electronics manufacturing plant in Chicago, IL. November 29, 1978 (Ron Pownall/Getty Images)

So what’s the problem?

Ted points his finger at โ€œpolitical correctness,” setting his sights squarely onย Rolling Stoneย co-founder and Rock Hall founder Jann Wenner, who he says โ€œhatesโ€ both the NRA and Ted’s affiliation with the gun rights advocacy group.

โ€œAnd so Iโ€™m on the board of directors of the NRA, Jann Wenner hates the Second Amendment, so thatโ€™s the only reason Iโ€™m not in the Rock and Roll of Fame. And until they get their heads out of their ass, Iโ€™m more than happy to do what I do and do it with all the vim and vigor that I do it every night,” he told Albany’s Q103.

Ted’s not the first artist to call out Wenner and the Rock Hall powers that be.

STERLING HEIGHTS, MI – AUGUST 25: Ted Nugent performs in support of the Rockin America Again! Tour at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on August 25, 2017 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. (Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images)

In 2007, The Monkees’ Peter Tork revealed that while he doesn’t know why The Monkees have yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or whether they even belong there,ย “it’s pretty clear that we’re not in there because of a personal whim.” Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi leveled similar criticism at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fameย prior to his own induction earlier this year, citingย several members of the votingย boardย โ€œmaking it their personal missionโ€ to keep Bon Jovi from being inducted.

Despite his exclusion, Ted wouldn’t balk at the chance to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if it ever comes around – in fact, he’d be overjoyed.

โ€œThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is paying tribute and homage to geniuses who gave us the ultimate soundtrack for our American Dream,โ€ said Nugent. โ€œIโ€™m all in, man, Iโ€™m genuinely moved, and Iโ€™m glad there is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.โ€

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