Corey Taylor: Slipknot Would Reject ‘Garbage’ Rock Hall Nod
Slipknot’s Corey Taylor slammed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a “pile of garbage” in a new interview and said he would “probably” reject the nod from the Cleveland institution if his band ever received one.
The masked frontman discussed the prospect of Slipknot’s future Rock Hall induction in a recent interview on Lazer 103.3, a radio station in Taylor’s native Iowa. Host Andy Hall pointed out that Slipknot become eligible for Rock Hall induction next year and proposed that fans “right all the wrongs of the past” by inducting the band along with other hard rock and metal giants such as Judas Priest and Scorpions.
“First of all, I don’t care about that Hall, ‘cause I think it’s a pile of garbage,” Taylor responded. “They don’t honor anything except pop music, really, and they only really induct real rock bands when they have to cave to pressure.”
The Rock Hall’s 2021 class likely did nothing to quell Taylor’s frustration, as artists like Tina Turner and Jay-Z got inducted over hard rock and metal trailblazers like Iron Maiden and Rage Against the Machine. Maiden’s snub comes one year after Judas Priest, Motorhead and Soundgarden got passed over for the 2020 class.
“They disrespected so many bands over the past by putting others in before the ones that actually deserve it, that I would probably go the way of the Sex Pistols,” Taylor continued. “I’d be like, ‘Your Hall is a sham. I don’t care if I’m a part of it or not. You have no idea what the spirit of rock and roll is actually about. So take this and shove it up your you-know-what.’”
The singer was referring to the time in 2006 when Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten rejected the Rock Hall’s invitation with a scathing letter in which he referred to the museum as a “piss stain” and said, “We’re not your monkeys, we’re not coming. You’re not paying attention.” He also took an apparent swipe at the fees that the Rock Hall requested from attendees, saying the punk icons could have “fame at $25,000 if we paid for a table or $15,000 to squeak up in the gallery.”
Artists are eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after releasing their first recording. Slipknot put out their demo album Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. in October 1996, which means they’ll be eligible next year. While the masked metal veterans are certainly heavier than any group that has previously been considered for induction, their cultural impact and incredible commercial success make them viable candidates. The group has earned several platinum and multi-platinum albums, with three of them topping the Billboard 200.
Still, Taylor said Slipknot “probably won’t ever be nominated” for the Rock Hall, and he doubts fans “would actually care if we were in it to begin with. It’s not gonna stop us from playing.”
Slipknot recently unveiled the 2021 Knotfest lineup, which includes heavy hitters like Faith No More, Megadeth, Lamb of God, Gojira, Trivium and many more.
You can listen to the interview below.