When it comes to accolades in the rock and metal world, there really are few more prestigious things than getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now, that’s not to say the people behind the hall know their asses from a pothole on the New Jersey Turnpike, but getting your name enshrined for perpetuity can be a big deal for some people.
For Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx? Not so much — which is probably for the best. Over the weekend, he shared his thoughts on Twitter about how his band’s been eligible for induction since 2006, yet still hasn’t gotten in after all these years.
“I think people get too worked up about the RRHF. If you get in that’s cool and if not, it’s not a big deal. It’s not some elite club that defines you. It’s an award. None of us hopefully make music just for awards. I do like the idea of jamming with other musicians at the ceremony.”
Sixx’s statement comes a few years after he publicly stated that the band was told directly by the rock hall that the band would never get in because of their antics. However, drummer Tommy Lee also also gone on record and contradicted that statement.
“Mötley’s always been that kind of band that just, (a) won’t go away, and (b) with some of those kind of people, we’ve always butted heads with that kind of stuff. People sometimes don’t think that we’re the fucking real deal, I guess. I don’t know what their deal is. Who knows, bro? Who knows?”
That’s a nice sentiment, but let’s be realistic — there’s a long list of bands that should absolutely already be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so it’s no surprise Mötley Crüe hasn’t gotten in themselves. Just a cursory look at the list of approved inductees shows even more influential bands like Deep Purple, Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Blue Öyster Cult, Thin Lizzy, and countless more are getting snubbed.
Couple that with the fact that personally, I think their best output ended with 1989’s Dr. Feelgood and you’ve got even more reason why Mötley Crüe might not be making it into the hall. One Netflix biopic does not an inductee make, after all.
And how would the band’s induction even go?! Given all the apparent animosity between the band and former band members like Mick Mars, that could make for an awkward award ceremony, to say the least.