Judas Priest, Soundgarden + Motorhead Snubbed by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2020 Class Revealed

Judas Priest have been snubbed again for inclusion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, the MC5 and Soundgarden were also denied entry into the Hall, though Nine Inch Nails have secured a position as Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.

The full list of 2020 inductees includes Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G. and T-Rex, while Jon Landau and Irving Azoff will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Awards.

Pat Benetar, Dave Matthews Band, Kraftwerk, Rufus feat. Chaka Khan and Todd Rundgren were also part of the list of nominees announced last year, but they did not receive the votes for induction.

The Rock Hall’s annual “fan ballot” did little to sway the opinion of its voting body, as Dave Matthews Band received the most votes, followed by Pat Benatar. The Doobie Brothers — the only future inductees within the Top 5 — came in third, while Soundgarden and Judas Priest rounded out fourth and fifth place, respectively.

This marks the second time Judas Priest have been nominated, also failing to receive the Rock Hall’s vote for the Class of 2019. The MC5 have been nominated a staggering five times, including the last four straight years. Soundgarden and Motorhead were both nominated for the first time in 2019.

Future inductees Nine Inch Nails received nominations in both 2015 and 2016, finally securing a spot in the Hall on their third time.

The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class represents, once again, a complete distaste for heavy metal by an inept voting body, and an outright failure to recognize the genre as historically important.

The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will be held May 2 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner Calls Rock Hall Exclusion a ‘Total Joke’

For the second time, Judas Priest have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, placed in the Top 5 fan voting, but didn't hear their name called when the induction class was announced.

Their absence from the upcoming proceedings has left many upset and choosing to vent online, while Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner has answered a few of those comments with those of his own.

When one fan tweeted, "Wait. Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails and Biggie Smalls BEFORE Judas Priest in Rock Hall 2020? How do I explain this to my child if I don't understand it?," Faulkner responded, "Doesn’t make sense does it Kenny? Hence why the rock hall holds no credibility for me and never has RHRF DOTF."

Later, another Twitter follower commented, "Rock Hall is a joke Richie. It's an absolute sham. 50 years of heavy metal is proof enough," to which Faulkner replied, "I’ve said it before but 50 years in and still making music, touring the globe to the best fans in the world is the biggest accolade I can think of. These institutions are founded on what these guys helped create and to not be included is a total joke. I have spoken haha RHRF DOTF"

In both years that Judas Priest were included on the ballot, the other time coming in 2018, the group made the Top 5 fan ballot, but ultimately found themselves not included in the induction. They've been eligible since 1999, but still didn't even find themselves included on the ballot to be voted on until 2018.

Last fall, when the band was announced as part of the ballot for a second time, singer Rob Halford stated, "There's always a tinge of controversy about the Hall, but the fact that Priest is here again speaks volumes about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame respecting heavy metal music, especially British heavy metal music. I'm so thrilled to be in esteemed company because both of those bands have their roots back in the U.K. We're very big friends of Scott Gorham from Thin Lizzy and equally with Phil (Taylor) and Mikkey (Dee) from Motorhead. It's just an extra, extra feeling to know that we're surrounded by our great friends in the music world." Thin Lizzy and Motorhead were also absent from the 2020 induction class.

This past week, when Priest once again made the "fan ballot," the group stated, "A huge metal thank you to our Priest family for voting & defending Judas Priest in the fan vote for RRHoF 2020 - we made and stayed in the top five fan votes through your love and support. Whatever the outcome we are blessed having the best metal fans in the world of heavy metal!"