Stephen Pearcy: Rock Hall Doesn’t ‘Give a S—‘ About ’80s Bands

Ratt singer Stephen Pearcy has called out the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, claiming the institution has a bias against bands from the ‘80s.

“They don't give a shit about us, the '80s groups at all,” he said during an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF. “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.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has routinely been criticized for who has – and has not – been inducted. Among the loudest complaints is that voters ignore metal acts, so Pearcy expressed his approval that Judas Priest finally got inducted in 2022.

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

As for ‘80s groups, Pearcy predicts that the Hall will eventually have to honor more of the decade’s biggest bands – whether they like it or not.

"Inevitably, they have to throw us a bone,” the singer opined. “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.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recently announced their 2023 inductees, with Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and Missy Elliott leading the group. The 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Nov. 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.