Judas Priest to be inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
They will receive a special honour
Last updated 4th May 2022
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2022 today (4th May).
The seven acts from the 17-strong shortlist set be inducted in the Performers Category this year are Dolly Parton, Eminem, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and Pat Benatar.
Heavy metal legends Judas Priest will be inducted this year in what the Rock Hall dubs a “special category” – the Musical Excellence Award – alongside Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Formerly known as the Sidemen Award, the Award for Musical Excellence is given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.
The Judas Priest band members set for induction are Rob Halford (vocals),Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums), together with former guitarist K.K. Downing and drummer Les Binks, and late drummer Dave Holland.
Rob Halford told Billboard: "Wow, this is so exciting — at last. At last, you know? And, glory hallelujah, there's another metal band in the Hall Of Fame! That's the blessing we've all been waiting for."
Elsewhere in this year’s Rock Hall, Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten will both receive the Early Influence Award, while Interscope and Beats founder Jimmy Iovine, Sugarhill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, and lawyer Allen Grubman will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The acts who made the performers shortlist this year but won’t be inducted are Beck, A Tribe Called Quest, Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, Devo, Fela Kuti, New York Dolls, MC5, and Dionne Warwick.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 will all be inducted at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday 5th November 2022.
It’s been something of a tumultuous year for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after Dolly Parton attempted to withdraw from the shortlist in March.
Parton said she did not “feel that I have earned (the) right” to be included on the Rock Hall’s list and she was “bowing out” as she did not “want votes to be split because of me.”
After the Rock Hall refused her request, Parton dropped her plan to withdraw from the shortlist last week.
Asked what she’ll do if she’s inducted, Parton said: “I’ll accept gracefully and I’ll accept it because the fans vote.
“It was always my belief that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was for people in rock music. I have found out lately that it’s not necessarily that.”
Dionne Warwick also said she didn’t “give a damn” about her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination as she’s “not a rock and roller.”
Artists are eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their debut recording.
The Rock Hall says: "Nominee ballots are sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historian, and members of the music industry.
"Factors such as an artist's musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2022 inductees:
Performer Category:
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
Duran Duran
Eminem
Eurythmics
Dolly Parton
Lionel Richie
Carly Simon
Musical Excellence Award:
Judas Priest
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
Early Influence Award:
Harry Belafonte
Elizabeth Cotten
Ahmet Ertegun Award:
Allen Grubman
Jimmy Iovine
Sylvia Robinson
Rock bands named after songs by other bands:
Judas Priest
British heavy metal legends Judas Priest took inspiration for their brilliant name from the Bob Dylan song 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' from his 1967 album 'John Wesley Harding.' The moniker was the idea of early Judas Priest bassist Brian 'Bruno' Stapenhill who exited the band in 1970 before they had laid down any recordings.
Deep Purple
Initially called Roundabout, the rock legends initially toyed with band names including Orpheus, Concrete God and Sugarlump but eventually settled on Deep Purple; taken from the 1933 Peter DeRose piano composition. The song was a huge favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother and she would often perform it on piano throughout Ritchie's childhood.
Mr Big
In 1988, Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and the late-great Pat Torpey named their new band after the Free song 'Mr. Big', which appeared on their breakthrough 1970 album 'Fire and Water'. Mr. Big later covered 'Mr. Big' on their third studio album 'Bump Ahead' in 1993.
Motörhead
After being dismissed from Hawkwind in 1975 following an arrest for drug possession in Canada, Lemmy started his own self-professed "fast and vicious" band and took the name Motörhead from the final song he had penned for Hawkwind just a few months earlier, 'Motorhead'. Two years later, Motörhead re-recorded 'Motorhead' as the opening track on their eponymous debut album.
Poison
Originally called Paris upon their formation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett wisely ditched their tame sounding band name in favour of 'Poison'; a nod to the 1981 track 'Poison' by glam metallers 'Sinner'.
Nazareth
The Scottish hard rock veterans were called the Shadettes upon their formation in the late 1960s but were unhappy with what they perceived to be a 'lightweight' name. They decided to hit a boozer to discuss a new name when 'The Weight' by The Band started playing through the bar's soundsystem. Upon hearing the opening line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead", bassist Pete Agnew suggested 'Nazareth' and the band agreed. The rest, they say, is history.
Volbeat
Danish rockers Volbeat took their name from the 1997 studio album 'Vol.Beat' by singer Michael Poulsen's previous band, the death metal act Dominus.
The Rolling Stones
Founder and original band leader Brian Jones gave The Rolling Stones their moniker after the 1950 Muddy Waters track 'Rollin' Stone'. The fledgling group played their first show as The Rolling Stones on 12th July 1962, at the famous Marquee Club in London.
Sepultura
The idea of former guitarist, singer and co-founding band member Max Cavalera, the Brazilian metallers called themselves Sepultura, which is the Portuguese word for "grave". Max took inspiration from one of his favourite songs, Motörhead's 'Dancing On Your Grave.'
Radiohead
Founded in Oxford in mid-1980s, Radiohead were originally called On A Friday in reference to their music rehearsal day at Abingdon School. When they signed a six-album deal with EMI in 1991, the imprint implored them to change their name and they ultimately took their band name from the song 'Radio Head' from Talking Heads' 1986 album 'True Stories'.
Bad Brains
Washington DC punks Bad Brains named themselves after the Ramones track 'Bad Brain', which appears on their 1978 album 'Road To Ruin'.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta's stage name is derived from the Queen classic 'Radio Ga Ga'. Producer Rob Fusari claims to have been the person who coined 'Lady Gaga' in the mid-noughties when they worked together.
At The Drive-In
Influential post-hardcore noisemakers At The Drive-In got their moniker from a line in Poison's 1987 single 'Talk Dirty To Me' – "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in / In the old man's ford / Behind the bushes / Till I'm screamin' for more." The name was guitartist Jim Ward's suggestion shortly after the band former in 1993.
Seether
Formed in South Africa in 1999 as Saron Gas, the band ditched the name as their US label Wind-up Records noted its similarity to the toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound, sarin gas. Ultimately they settled on Seether after the 1994 Veruca Salt single 'Seether'.
The Sisters of Mercy
When they formed 40 years ago in Leeds, the gothic rockers took their name from the Leonard Cohen track 'Sisters of Mercy' from his seminal 1967 album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.' The Sisters of Mercy took inspiration from Robert Altman's 1971 movie McCabe & Mrs Miller thats' soundtracked by three Leonard Cohen songs.
Stiff Little Fingers
Previously called Highway Star and The Fast, the Belfast punks eventually decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers after the 1977 Vibrators song of the same name.
Overkill
Wisely abandoning the prospective band name Virgin Killer (a nod to the Scorpions), New Jersey thrash metallers Overkill ultimately honoured their other musical heroes Motörhead by naming themselves after the trio's 1979 album 'Overkill' and the single of the same name.
Panic! at the Disco
Although many people erroneously think that Panic! at the Disco are named after The Smiths' song 'Panic' and its chorus of "burn down the disco", former band leader Brendon Urie has said in multiple interviews that they take their name from a track also called 'Panic' by Californian emo band Name Taken. The song's lyrics read: "Panic at the disco/Sat back and took it so slow/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?".