In the past, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest had something of a rivalry, but in recent years the legendary UK metal acts have expressed a mutual respect for one another. Now, Priest frontman Rob Halford is hoping that Maiden follow the footsteps of his band by finally being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Priest were inducted into the Rock Hall last year via the Musical Excellence Award. Maiden are up for induction this year, along with other nominees such as Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, and more.
In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Halford said, “Iron Maiden’s nomination is absolutely overdue. I vote for them every day; you can do it by phone and it’s dead easy. It takes you to the list of nominees, then you pick the bands you are voting for – and I pick Maiden every single day.”
Halford was referring to the fan vote, which actually only counts as a small fraction of the overall vote. That said, the metal singer is also a member of the Rock Hall’s voting committee, where he is also giving his support to Maiden.
“When you’re actually in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame you’re given a vote as a band and Maiden will get Priest’s vote without a doubt,” he explained. “That’s just what we do for each other – we’ve had very similar journeys in both bands, so let’s make it happen for Maiden. It’d be brilliant: Black Sabbath, Priest, and Maiden — what more could a metal maniac ask for?”
One thing that might stand in the way is the fact that Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson lambasted the Rock Hall back in 2018 during his spoken word tour, saying, “I actually think the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is an utter and complete load of bollocks, to be honest with you.”‘
At least things are friendlier between Judas Priest and Iron Maiden these days, with Priest bassist Ian Hill even telling Audio Ink Radio in 2019 that he’d love for the two bands to tour together while they’re still going strong.