10 Metal Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Snubs

We all know that recently some bands have been inducted into the "hallowed" halls of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. A lot of people are upset at some of the choices. Noticeably, there are no metal bands that have been inducted. When I saw some of the choices, my only thought is "WTF?" I definitely agree with Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner, Randy Rhoads and that band from Germany some consider strange called Kraftwerk. But LL Cool J and Jay-Z? Really? According to the good people at Ultimate Classic Rock, they've compiled a list of 10 bands that SHOULD be in these halls instead of rap and the other music there. Also, a lot of people think this should be called simply the Music Hall of Fame because of the menagerie of non-rock/metal artists inside.

Besides Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, who already were inducted, metal seems to be the black sheep of the family in these halls. Out of the 40 years this hall has been up and running, only two metal bands have been inducted: Black Sabbath and Metallica. New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends Iron Maiden and speed metal legends Judas Priest have been nominated, but not inducted. And in years past, other thrash bands like Slayer and Megadeth don't even get a breath. While Motley Crue insists they've been blackballed from this institution.

Plenty of the metal bands out there are understandably frustrated at the hall including up and coming pop/hip hop artists. They are worthy, somewhat, but these metal bands think these artists should have come AFTER metal music, since metal was around before hip hop, which seems to be laced with stereotypes and slurs, depending on the artist.

According to the good people at Ultimate Classic Rock, here are 10 bands they believe NEED to be inducted into this hall

Iron Maiden

-No one does "do it yourself" metal better than Iron Maiden. This gang of East Enders was doing what no other band was doing at the time of their creation. And that is, instead of taking the money they've earned and blowing it on things they don't need, they took any money they earned and put it back towards the band for even bigger shows next time. Their manager, Rod Smallwood, even earned the nickname Rod Smallwallet because he wouldn't let the band spend ANY money unless it was to further progress the band. They've also worked their hands to the bone to make sure this band was known for producing good quality metal and not chasing trends. This band has inspired countless metal legends, with it's signature galloping bass, screaming lead dual guitars and soaring vocals that take you to the highest highs. Meanwhile, 40 years later, this band shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, they are picking up pace. The only time they've slowed down, in fact, is in 2016, when vocalist Bruce Dickinson came down with throat cancer.

Judas Priest

-The studded leather biker look has inspired many bands in the 80s glam era. Even for a time, Iron Maiden had adopted the leather and studs look, which, not shockingly, upset Priest. Their unique look is only one part of the equation. Toss in music ranging from doom-laden tracks of the 1970s to hard as steel rockers in the 1980s. Their 1980 album British Steel is said to be a defining record, inspiring hard rockers everywhere. More than 50 years later, vocalist Rob Halford can still scream and sing "Metal God", putting singers half his age, unfortunately even Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, to shame

Ozzy Osbourne

-His solo stuff from the 1980s did for rock then what Black Sabbath did for rock in the 1970s. He brought in a new type of rock, with axe slinger Randy Rhoads, together this band brought in upbeat, yet still slightly sinister rock that seemed perfect for the 1980s. Osbourne seems to have unnatural talent at picking guitarists. Zakk Wylde, Jake E. Lee, Randy Rhoads are just some of the names he used the axe slinging talents of over the years and these names went on to form bands of their own. The hall did do one thing right-they inducted Rhoads in 2021, posthumously.

Dio

-You almost can't say the word "metal" without thinking of Ronnie James Dio. It's almost a crime in metal fans' minds that this vocalist wasn't inducted. He helped rescue Black Sabbath in the 1980s from complete failure with The Mob Rules and Heaven & Hell. He helped get Rainbow successful with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Rising, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll. He even formed his own self-named band and had successful hit after successful hit, like "Rainbow in the Dark", "Stand Up and Shout" and more. These are three reasons right here why this soaring vocalled, if short in stature singer needs to be inducted!

Motley Crue

-Unlike most of the 80s hair metal bands, Motley Crue survived. They outgrew the makeup and spandex, but they still dish out dirty, ratty metal about anything they like. They weathered the hurricane called grunge in the 1990s and came in to the 2000s shouting for the devil. They even managed to gain a new fanbase thanks to the Netflix adaptation of their memoir The Dirt. As time went on, their tours got more complex and insane, thus making the fans happy, which is what some bands want, right? The longevity this band has should earn them a place in this "hallowed hall"

Motorhead

-When it comes to Motorhead, a few things come to mind: outlaw attitude, loud music, gruff vocals. That and so much more all but perfectly describe this band of legendary metallers. Why Motorhead is NOT already in this hall is anyone's guess. This three man band revolutionized British metal, with frontman/bassist Ian Fraser Kilmister aka "Lemmy" up front, singing with vocals that make it hard to understand but give them a unique sound, thunderous drums from "Philthy" Phil Taylor and breakneck fast riffs from "Fast" Eddie Clarke. This band inspired dozens of bands, with songs like "Ace of Spades", "Overkill", which inspired thrash metal bands and even speed metal bands like Metallica, Napalm Death, Venom. Despite being called metal legends, Lemmy made it clear that he doesn't identify with metal. He declares at every show "We are Motorhead and we play rock 'n' roll"

Slayer

-Part of the "Big 4", they are said to have invented the subgenre extreme metal. They added aggression to their music, making them harder, faster, more aggressive than the other Big 4 bands. More than 35 years after its release, 1986's Reign in Blood remains their classic trademark album, raising the bar even higher on metal music. Even to this day, they are one of the best yet biggest extreme metal acts of all time. Fans love hearing the breakneck fast guitars, thundering drums, graphic imagery that comes with equally graphic lyrics.

Megadeth

-Metallica brought thrash metal to people's attention in 1991 with the release of the Black Album. Megadeth beat Metallica to it first by releasing 1990's Rust in Peace. There's always been a slight level of competition between Metallica and Megadeth. Front man Dave Mustaine had more to offer in Megadeth than Metallica. He and his bandmates out Metallica'd Metallica. He made sure he and his bandmates offered grittier, more thrash metal than his former bandmates. While Megadeth would never get the massive critical success of Metallica, their contributions to metal none the less are still important. They deserve induction. They match all the qualifications, one of which includes being around at least 25 years.

Pantera

-This metal band thankfully managed to survive the storm that was 90s grunge. They came out unscathed and are still making metal to this day. Their 1990 album, Cowboys from Hell pushed groove-metal into people's awareness and showed them that metal can have a groove to it. 1994 seen the release of Far Beyond Driven introducing extreme metal and going to #1 on the Billboard 200. The whole band together is successful in each of their own ways. Vocalist Phil Anselmo screams venomous lyrics that seem to almost relate to or soothe teens, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott plays with such speed it's mind blowing. This makes him almost as successful as Eddie Van Halen. It's obvious this band deserves induction!

Scorpions

-This band was already on the path to success with their 80s albums Blackout and Love at First Sting. Between vocalist Klaus Meine's sometimes raspy, sometimes operatic vocals and twin lead guitarists Matthias Jabs and Rudolph Schenker, it's only natural that "No One Like You", "Rock You Like a Hurricane" have become successful hits. They inspired Metallica, Motley Crue and more, and yet, for them NOT to be inducted is a crime of the highest order in the minds of their fans

Guitar Legends: Ritchie Blackmore

 When it comes to famed names in guitar, one name sometimes pops to the front of the line, depending on what kind of music you're in to. That name tends to be Ritchie Blackmore if you're in to hard rock or even metal. Or it tends to be Rory Gallagher or other names, depending on your taste in music or who inspires you. A lot of things tend to represent this intensely private man. All black clothing. A love of the medieval. Fender Stratocasters. His iconic hat, known by some as a "pilgrim" hat

When it comes to guitar legends, Ritchie Blackmore seems, by some, to get less recognition than Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Both are good in their own rights. They both play hard rock, but with different playing styles. Rory Gallagher is also said to be a legendary name as well. Can't forget him. While these two initial guitarists have a lot in common, from age to the instrument they play to the never ending list of axe slingers they've inspired, one thing that differs between them are the paths they take. Ritchie has gone in all sorts of directions, from the strange pop rock of the late 50s, early 60s to hard rock with Deep Purple and early Rainbow to more radio-friendly Rainbow to medieval melodies with Blackmore's Night. Blackmore is often compared to Page more than usual, only because of them being roughly the same age and in almost the same type of music

Early Days

-Like Page, Ritchie, who went by Ricky or Blackie in the early days, started out doing session work. He's been playing guitar since he 11 or 12. He actually pestered his dad for a guitar and his father even told him "If you don't learn this guitar, I'm going to wrap it 'round your head", only because he knew of his youngest son's easily bored habit. He lived around the corner from "Big" Jim Sullivan and often took lessons from him. Jim told him to use all of his fingers, including his thumbs, despite Ritchie telling him that his classical guitar teacher told him not to. Jim said "your thumb is a digit. You can play with that." Ritchie pursued the guitar because of then legend Tommy Steele

-When he got older, that is to say, 15, he started playing professionally with bands. He started out working for Joe Meek, with his backing band The Outlaws. As his talents grew, whispers started coming up about the 15 year old from Heston who could play breakneck fast guitar, despite being originally from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. In this band was also Chas Hodges of Chas & Dave. He played guitar as backup to German singer Heinz on the single "Just Like Eddie". Of course, one more thing Blackmore had in common with Page is the work he had done with "Screaming" Lord Sutch, who would often change costumes more than anything.

-As time went on, his talents grew and in 1967, he joined or rather formed a band called Roundabout. This band would eventually morph into the hard rock legend Deep Purple, named after an old Nino Temple song Blackmore's grandmother played on the piano. Despite the fact Blackmore simply played guitar and only guitar, the primary songwriter was keyboardist Jon Lord. Of course, the initial 1967 lineup, known as Mark I, was radically different than that of Mark II and so on. The initial lineup featured Blackmore on guitar, Rod Evans on vocals, Nick Simper on bass, Jon Lord on keyboard, Ian Paice on drums. The first three Deep Purple albums-Shades of Deep Purple, The Book of Taliesyn, Deep Purple are deeply rooted in psychedelic rock, art rock, what was then popular at the time. They were radically different compared to the explosive debut album of Led Zeppelin. One song that brought fame to the fledgling Purple was their electrified cover of the Joe South written, Billy Joe Royal-performed "Hush".

Mark I Lineup. L-R: Rod Evans, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, Nick Simper, Ian Paice

-One of the earliest guitars that Blackmore used was a Framus guitar early in his teens, which he upgraded to a Hofner Club 50. It was only into the early days of Purple that he upgraded to a red Gibson ES335. It was inspired by people such as Eric Clapton, Alvin Lee of Ten Years After, US blues legend Shuggie Otis. In an interview, Blackmore mentioned the influence Jeff Beck had on him. "When Shapes of Things came out in 1966, everybody went "Oh my God! Who is that...and why is he playing this Indian stuff? It shouldn't be allowed." It was just too good."

Going Purple

-1970 saw the birth of the Mark II lineup of Deep Purple. Out went Nick Simper on bass and Rod Evans on vocals. In came Roger Glover on bass and Ian Gillan on vocals. Blackmore started to increase his control and lead of the band. Roger Glover mentioned "Ritchie wasn't just the guitar player, he was a brilliant innovator. Things he wrote defy description. Ritchie was phenomenal in what he was doing in the late 60s and early 70s. He was a magnetic, dynamic writer." Unfortunately, not everyone agreed. Tension started to build in the band with the band's first LP with Gillan, titled Concerto for Group and Orchestra. Jon Lord later remarked that this had upset Blackmore due to the focus being taken away from him

-As Blackmore later confirmed in an interview "That's true. We're a rock band. I couldn't understand why we kept playing with orchestras. I was impressed with what Zeppelin did, and I wanted to do that kind of stuff, and if it doesn't take off we'll go and play with orchestras the rest of our lives. So we did it, and it was Deep Purple In Rock.

-1970 also saw the birth of one of the band's more successful albums, In Rock. This album spawned songs that would inspire countless generations of musicians, who all thought that mastering "Smoke on the Water" meant you were going places on the guitar. This album produced some of Purple's best known songs, which are still played live today. But, no more would Blackmore be compared to Page. Blackmore would forever be known as the precise guitarist who could also play at breakneck speeds. His fast playing would inspire guitar "shredders" later on down the road. Gillan would later depart from the band as would bassist Roger Glover, only to be replaced by former Trapeze bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes and a young unknown singer named David Coverdale. The two newbies' love of soul, funk started to seep into the band and Blackmore started to play what some would now call "neoclassical" metal

-He moved on from a Gibson ES335 to his now signature instrument- a Fender Stratocaster. This allowed him tons more flexibility to play as well as using the tremolo arm to no end.

Rainbow Rising

-1975, however, seen Blackmore becoming increasingly frustrated with Purple. David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes were funk/soul freaks and they allowed their love of this music to cloud their judgement. He started planning a side project with then Elf vocalist Ronnie James Dio. He had known the American vocalist from the days of Elf supporting Purple throughout much of 1972. After approaching Dio, the two formed a plan to form a new band. As for the name, Blackmore stated in an interview "It came from the Hollywood Bar & Grill, [the Rainbow on LA's Sunset Strip]. I was in there with Ronnie, getting drunk as usual, and said "What shall we call the band?" and just pointed to the sign."

-With Dio on vocals, they made three albums under the moniker Rainbow. Initially, the debut album was titled Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. But it was decided to change the name to simply Rainbow so it would not seem that the band members were simply following Blackmore. The first three Rainbow albums were said to be the most complex and even thought-provoking albums. You can almost picture Medieval culture while listening to some of them. As time went on, Blackmore's guitar playing got more intense, more aggressive. For proof, listen to "Kill the King" from Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, "Man on the Silver Mountain" from Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and even the title track to Long Live Rock 'n' Roll. Of course, it can't be forgotten that Dio's love of dungeons and dragons also managed to get into the songs. For proof, check out "Stargazer", "Catch the Rainbow"

-Some would even call "Stargazer" Blackmore's attempt at Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". But, despite Blackmore's "no orchestra" attitude, he was certainly fine using the Munich Philharmonic on "Stargazer". His solos tended to be inspired by a scale called a Phyrgian scale, usually used in Indian rags, Egyptian music and flamnco music. In an interview, Blackmore stated "It's amazing how many guitarists use the same old lines. They never dare touch Arabic or Turkish scales."

-The "classic" lineup of Rainbow soon dissolved. Dio left in 1979 only to join Black Sabbath on vocals in 1980. Bassist Jimmy Bain was fired; drummer Cozy Powell stayed until 1980. Blackmore still ran the band until 1984. It was in 1979 when he decided to go more radio-friendly. He brought in vocalist Graham Bonnet, whose raspy voice would bring the band awareness on American radio. Bassist Jimmy Bain revealed in an interview "He was perturbed that he wasn't being played on the radio." With singer Graham Bonnet and eventually Joe Lynn Turner, this band would get radio airplay once and for all.  Some of the more popular tracks to come out of the Graham Bonnet/Joe Lynn Turner era include "Since You've Been Been Gone, "I Surrender", "Street of Dreams", "All Night Long" and more. Of course, with them going more radio-friendly, they started sounding like other bands, like REO Speedwagon, Styx, Foreigner. They were quickly losing their fan base. In 1981, the fans of heavy metal magazine Kerrang! voted 1976's Rising as the "Greatest Heavy Metal Album Ever". It certainly managed to inspire a group of young London East Enders who would go on to heavy metal success as Iron Maiden and would also inspire power metal, neo-classical shred and more

-In an interview, Blackmore talked about the 1976 album Rising. "Everybody who's heard it thinks it's my best playing in a long time, which I suppose is a compliment. Then again, what do they know?"

Going to the Renaissance Fair

-1984 saw the rebirth of the Mark II lineup of Deep Purple. The band came back together to record Perfect Strangers and House of Blue Light in 1987. Unfortunately, old tensions between vocalist Ian Gillan and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore started flaring again. Both were leaders, trying to take the band in separate directions. They ran until the early 1990s, when Blackmore formed Rainbow once more, with a different singer, to record Stranger in Us All. November 1993 marks the year Blackmore quit for good from Deep Purple. His final album with the band was The Battle Rages On, a rather fitting name especially for the tensions building between Gillan and Blackmore. 1997, however, saw the birth of a new project for him-Blackmore's Night, a band he formed with then girlfriend Candace Night. This band is still running strong today. So far, with 24 years and 11 albums, this proves someone out there likes this music, which is good for the band. A laughable fact is that with these stats, Steve Morse, Purple's current axe slinger, has been Deep Purple's lead guitarist longer than Blackmore himself. Morse, originally a guitarist for The Dixie Dregs, joined the band almost immediately after Blackmore left in 1993.

-Any tensions between singer-guitarist disappeared for Blackmore: he married his band's singer, Candice Night. Occasionally, that white Fender Stratocaster will come out, but he's more commonly seen playing Medieval-type instruments. He seems almost relaxed when playing this type of music, as if it's reducing his stress. When asked in an interview about Blackmore's Night, he stated "I'm finding it harder and harder to be inspired by just playing loud. I'd rather just sit down with a guitar and play. This whole 'You've got to hit with a big riff' thing is beginning to wear off."

Aww, this picture looks so sweet

-While this band isn't for everyone, it's not a joke to Blackmore. He once stated "I just don't fit in the 'fun' area. A lot of musicians go "Oh, that was really fun." Well, I like to think that music...is hard work and it's really gratifying to do, but fun? Fun is something where someone tells a joke and they laugh for 10 seconds. Music's much deeper than that."

-For all the people with blown minds about his guitar playing, he's highly keen on reminding them of what's truly important in guitar playing. "If you try to play too technically, you lose something in the music-like you're playing for another guitar player. I like to play for people. I often think of the guitar last when I'm recording. The most important thing to me are the vocals, then comes the arrangement, then the song. And then, way down: "Oh yes, there has to be a guitar solo." But for a lot of players, everything revolves around the solo."

Equipment

-When he turned 11, he pestered his dad for a guitar. He got it, but with this threat from his dad. "If you don't learn to play this, I'm going to wrap it 'round your head." His father spent what was then a small fortune on a guitar and he warned his youngest son because he knew of Ritchie's easily bored habits. His first guitar was a Framus. By 1961, he acquired an electric guitar, a cherry red Gibson ES335. He paired it with a Vox AC30 amp, which was a then desirable amplifier.

-In the early days of Purple, he still used his ES335, up until 1970. That year, he upgraded to his iconic instrument-a Fender Stratocaster. You can still see him using the Gibson ES335 on footage from Concerto for Group and Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall and on In Rock. It was even used on one of Deep Purple's most iconic songs, "Child in Time". By 1970, he upgraded to his iconic Fender Stratocaster. He wanted one of these for a more "electric" sound. In an interview, Blackmore stated "The Strat had more of a cut for rock 'n' roll; the Gibson's more of a jazzy guitar. It has a very mellow sound - full sound, great sound - but when I heard Hendrix, I liked the way he cut through the notes. I wanted to reach that. I got my first Strat indirectly through Eric Clapton. He gave his roadie, who is my friend, a Strat that he didn't want. He [the roadie] gave it to me, and that's when I started playing the Strat."

-This was just after Clapton himself had moved on to Stratocasters. The first Stratocaster Ritchie had gotten was a black finish with maple neck, which he replaced the strings on with Gibson wire. 1972 seen him getting another Strat, once again, black in color. He used a sunburst Strat on the album Machine Head. It's thought that during him having his first Stratocaster, he sanded down the fretboard to create a more "scalloped" look

-Blackmore often gets the praise for creating the "scalloped" look on fretboards. It's not exactly true; it actually goes back to various ancient instruments, especially from the East. But Blackmore using this created some serious inspiration. Swedish guitar shredder Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai would not have become the legendary axe slingers they are if it wasn't for Blackmore. This method of "scalloping" your fretboards doesn't add speed; it adds to dexterity in which you can play, but you will have to play slower to achieve the perfect balance of sharpness and flatness. This will add, over time, to the control and dexterity. That trait is 100% Blackmore. He's not like Jimmy Page, who is said to play his guitar "admirably sloppy". This fretboard modification allows for lighter touch, thus meaning more movement in your picking hand, which is where the speed comes in

-He's played many guitars over the years, mostly if not all Fender Stratocasters. He also owns mostly if not all Fender Stratocasters. He's played a 1972 Fender Stratocaster while in Deep Purple. This model of guitar is known for its "bullet truss rod" on the head. He's also played a 1972 Fender Strat with natural ash body. He also played this during his waning days in Purple and even into the early Rainbow days. He then moved on to a 1974 model, which is one of his favorites. He played this during the days of Rainbow. For the axe slingers wanting to play a model identical to Blackmore's, the current option would be a Fender Vintera 70s Stratocaster

His style of playing

-Growing up, he lived near "Big" Jim Sullivan. The young Blackmore sought out the guitar legend, who proceeded to teach him to play guitar with all his fingers. He taught young Ritchie to even use his pinky fingers. This helped set Blackmore apart from other guitarists because it allowed for greater stretches and more speed, but is a lot harder to master.

-Brian May of Queen said in an interview "Ritchie was already a source of mystery and wonder - nobody could play like that in those days. It's not just the speed, there were other people who can play fast...but they aren't Ritchie Blackmore."

-Joe Satriani once said "Highway Star makes everyone who think he's a guitar player need to pick up a guitar and say 'Can I really do that?' "

10 Things Fans Want from Iron Maiden in 2021

The people at MetalHammer.com must be MASSIVE Iron Maiden fans. They've compiled a list of things they think fans want from the veteran British metallers in the upcoming days, months or even years.

A new album

-Fans all over have been getting that itch for a new album. September this years marks six full years since Maiden released their last album, 2015's The Book of Souls. That one had almost come to a screeching halt because of vocalist Bruce Dickinson's throat cancer diagnosis. But he had already finished his singing for the album, so it wasn't too bad. Last year, in an interview, vocalist Bruce Dickinson and bassist Steve Harris confirmed the band are using this down time to work on something. "We're doing bits of writing. I'm talking to Steve, we've been working together a little in the studio. On what, I can't tell you 'cause they'd have to kill me."

A new Eddie

-With each album released and subsequent tour to follow, Eddie has gotten more fearsome as time went on. The last tour saw Eddie as a Mayan warrior stalking the stage. Anything is possible when it comes to Eddie the 'Ead, as he's often called in his home of the East End by die hard Maiden fans

More of the Legacy of the Beast

-Everyone is hoping to see more out of this tour. Considering they are already planning to continue, fans should be happy to know that this heavy metal machine is going to roll right on. Although, it's been said one thing is missing...

...And that is a UK gig

-When the COVID-19 situation started getting worse, all festivals were pulled, including Maiden's gig at the famed Download Festival. As it stands, Maiden won't be rocking Europe this year. Fingers crossed that they hit Europe. That's where a lot of fans are

New books

-So far, the only man in Maiden who had released a book was vocalist Bruce Dickinson. His autobiography, What Does This Button Do? An Autobiography was released in 2017 and guitarist Adrian Smith releasing one in 2020, some fans want to know, "where's the book on Nicko? Janick? Dave? and most importantly, Steve?" I, for one, would love to read about these guys. Sure, reading a book about the history of Maiden is one thing, but to read about the lives of the men who made the band possible would be another thing, a thing that would be so fascinating to read.

A new Trooper ale

-Fans are flocking to the new Day of the Dead ale like it's a million dollars at stake. The people at MetalHammer.com are hoping the people at Robinsons Brewery, the people responsible for the production of the ale, are getting hints from the fans

New levels in The Legacy of the Beast game

-This, for those unaware, is a mobile phone game. Fans are playing this more than anything else. They're hoping for new levels and with new levels, hopefully new Eddies and new characters based on songs and Maiden history

New Funko Pop! Vinyls

-Already four have been released. One for Iron Maiden, one for Killers, one for The Number of the Beast, one for Piece of Mind (which I own, still have to get the others). Fans are clamoring for any kind of Funko Pop! Vinyls. Fans would probably go over the top if the company making the Funkos would release Pop! figures of the actual band themselves. I, for one, would love it. My sister, would jokingly say they are gosh darn adorable while probably buying one of her favorite, Dave Murray

New Bruce shows

-When Bruce released his book in 2017, he followed it with spoken-word shows. With the amount of material he talked about in there, fans are curious about the stuff he didn't cover there

An honorary Killers celebration

-Last year, the debut album, Iron Maiden, turned 40. Now it's Killers' turn to hit the big 4-0. Maiden managed to inspire dozens of bands, but Killers would turn them into the most innovative metal band in history. They would turn into metal royalty by that point. Fans are hoping the band do something to celebrate one of their more successful albums

5 Reasons Why Iron Maiden Should Be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

 This ought to shock some. The "hallowed" (and I use this term with severe sarcasm) Rock Hall of Fame has decided on nominating legendary British metallers Iron Maiden in to their supposed "hallowed" halls. According to the good people at Ultimate Classic Rock, here are their five reasons why this legendary East End band of metallers ought to be in there over some others

BTW, I just found out, Iron Maiden are NOT among the inductees this year. Instead, Jay-Z somehow is. [insert eye roll]

Basic info about the band

-Created on Christmas Day in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris

This picture is from 1976 actually

-Went through a series of lineup changes before settling on a solid one to make 1980's Iron Maiden and 1981's Killers

-Bruce Dickinson coming in during 1982 for The Number of the Beast changed it all for Maiden. His soaring vocals made them popular in America. 1983, however, saw a new drummer coming in, former Trust drummer Nicko McBrain. The band continued to release legendary albums through the 1980s-Powerslave, Somewhere in Time, Piece of Mind and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

-Dickinson quit the band in 1993 to pursue a solo career, which allowed him to blow off the creative steam building in his head. His solo career proved to be quite successful while his former Maiden mates forged on with a new singer, former Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley. The dark, ominous tone the music had taken had alienated a lot of the band's fans, because of its dark, adult-oriented lyrics

-But vocalist Bruce Dickinson and axe slinger Adrian Smith returned in 1999, despite already having two guitarists at this point-Dave Murray and Janick Gers. Worried about the prospect of losing his job, Gers was reassured by Harris: "You're not going anywhere. I always wanted three guitarists anyway". Because of the scale of their tours and the multiple levels of success they've had, here are the five reasons why the good people at Ultimate Classic Rock believe this band needs to be inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame

Their General History

-Maiden has rocked the metal scene for more than forty years, gaining new fanbases everywhere with each passing day. They are one of the most popular bands, unwilling to compromise their sound, look, stage sets for the promise of commercial success. It's almost as if they don't care if people like them. Their attitude almost seems to say "Take us or leave us. This is what we do. If you don't like us, it's not going to affect us". Despite having very few, if any, of their songs played on American radio, they are one of the most highly successful bands in America. They did manage to crack the #8 spot on the Top 10 mainstream rock radio with 1983's "Flight of Icarus". Their manager, Rod Smallwood, even jokingly says that them getting American radio airplay ruins his plans to keep them off the radio

Reasoning for their induction

Their resume is stronger than most bands

-This East End, London metal band has rocked the metal scene for more than four decades, gaining new fans every day. They are uncompromising, not willing to put commercial success over good songs. They don't care if people like them. They do what they like, no matter the consequences. They are one of the most commercially successful metal bands, selling over 100 million albums worldwide. They have been the highest-selling band throughout all the changes in lineup. It's like worldwide news every time Iron Maiden releases an album. Fans flock in droves to the nearest music store to snatch up anything and everything with Eddie the 'Ead's iconic face on it because they feel like being a fan of Iron Maiden is like being part of a special club where you feel like you belong to something bigger than yourself

They've inspired countless bands

-They have inspired future generations of metal heads. Just ask Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich from a 2011 MusicRadar interview. "I don't think Metallica would be where Metallica is today if it wasn't for Iron Maiden. Not only paving the way but also for just inspiring me in 1981 to form a band." Or ask Slayer guitarist Kerry King, who revealed in a 2017 Rolling Stone Magazine interview, what his favorite Maiden album was. He had trouble singling out just one. "I love the first three equally. I went with 1982's The Number of the Beast because that was Bruce's first record, and he just stomped all over everybody's guts on that record...Bruce was the singer that made them metal royalty." Scott Ian, guitarist of Anthrax, said in his 2015 autobiography I'm the Man: The Story of That Guy from Anthrax. "I f---ing lived and breathed Iron Maiden. That's what I wanted to be from 1980-1985. Whatever we did, we looked to Iron Maiden because they did it best."

Anthrax

Metallica

Slayer

Nobody did DIY (do it yourself) better than Maiden

-This is one of those rare bands that never chased a trend just to make more money or allowed others outside of their tight knit circle to influence their creative stream. Too many bands had allowed outside songwriters into their circle and it compromised their success. Iron Maiden never allowed that. There was one funny moment in 1982 when manager Rod Smallwood was eagerly awaiting the finish of The Number of the Beast to slap artwork on it to release it. The band had hung a sign saying "No northern managers welcome". If they felt like writing an 8+ minute song about the Gulf War, then that's what they do. If they felt like raging against the atrocities Sharon Osbourne forced at them in 2005, like they did in the 2006 song "These Colors Don't Run", then they will. That's what that song is about. The problems Sharon Osbourne gave them in 2005 in San Bernadino at Ozzfest over a perceived dig at her family from Bruce Dickinson. This band has done what they want, done it themselves and not cared what others thought. The scale of it has changed ever so slightly over the years. Their own hands on, do it yourself approach has continued to inspire bands. They still handle their own transportation from hotel to venue. They travel internationally in a massive cargo jet piloted by vocalist/pilot Bruce Dickinson.

They don't rely on past successes

-At this day in age, most bands rely on the success of past fame and past successes. Not Iron Maiden. They don't look to the past. They look to the future. This band likes to pose challenges to themselves and fans. For proof, check out the most recent album of theirs, their 2016 album The Book of Souls. No short 2-3 minute songs like they did with initial singer Paul Di'Anno. This album features sweeping songs of epic length, from "The Red and the Black", to the title track. The subsequent tour following it had the band performing half the album every night

They probably wouldn't show up anyway

-If this legendary, veteran metal band does receive induction, they probably won't show up. They probably feel as if they don't need it; they know their worth. Their fans truly know their worth. As vocalist Bruce Dickinson stated in a 2018 interview, "I'm really happy we're not there, and I would never want to be there. If we're ever inducted, I will refuse - they won't bloody be having my corpse in there. Rock 'n' roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It's a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it's dead. It's worse than horrible, it's vulgar."

Moments in mob films that were real

 We all know most of those mob movies are either strongly based/loosely based on real life. Who knew there were moments in those films that actually happened?

1. John Dillinger really did break out of prison using a fake wooden gun he made himself

-This sounds like something you would hear about or see in cartoons. But there's no mistaking the truth here-famed criminal John Dillinger really did it. After killing a Chicago police officer in 1934, he was arrested and sent to prison, but had escaped. He was then sent to the Lake County Jail in Crown Point, Indiana, an "escape-proof" penitentiary. Shortly after arriving, he proved any ideas about jail being wrong. On March 3, he produced a chunk of wood that looked like a gun. He had been whittling it in full view of the guards. He pointed his fake gun at the guards, who didn't respond as they were fearful of Dillinger. He escaped and continued his crime spree. Michael Mann, who directed the Dillinger biopic Public Enemies, had to tone down some of Dillinger's real life escapades because they seemed so outlandish that they wouldn't be believable

2. Tommy De Vito from Goodfellas really did shoot Spider for talking back

-There is a scene when a young kid named Spider (Michael Imperioli) is slow bringing Tommy a drink when he and his friends are playing cards. Tommy pulls out his gun and starts shooting, trying to get Spider to dance. Only he ended up shooting Spider in the foot. Later, he comes back with heavily bandaged foot. Tommy insults him and cracks jokes, but Spider stands up for himself. As a comeback, Tommy shoots him dead, all because of a fight he started. This shows just how warped Tommy is

-According to Henry Hill, who was played by Ray Liotta, this all happened in real life as it did in the movie. Thomas DeSimone, known as "Tommy" and Spider were both real people. They were members of Jimmy "The Gent" Conway's crew, as was Hill. Tommy did insult and eventually fatally shoot Spider over an insult. This was the moment when everyone realized how much Tommy was a "total psychopath"

3. Nucky Thompson really did rent out a whole floor of the Ritz-Carlton to use as his apartment, despite being investigated for tax evasion

-Despite the fact Boardwalk Empire is not always historically accurate, the main character, Nucky Thompson, is shown as he really was. On the show, he uses his position as an Atlantic City treasurer to build a criminal world including bootlegging, gambling, prostitution. His power is so large he can live year-round in the Ritz-Carlton. The real man's name was Johnson, but he was just as powerful in real life as he is portrayed on the show. He occupied the entire ninth floor of the hotel and cost him $5,000 a year, despite his salary being $6,000 a year. He lived at the Ritz from 1921, when it was built, to 1941, when the cops came calling for his arrest on tax evasion

4. Sam Rothstein from the film Casino did insist on every muffin having an equal amount of blueberries

-One notable scene from the 1995 film is where Sam "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro) is complaining that his muffin has no blueberries at all and he complains to the head chef at his casino about ensuring every muffin has the same amount of blueberries. It would seem crazy that something like that would matter. But as a casino manager, it's about quality control. The real life person Ace is based on is Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. It was confirmed that Lefty did insist on each muffin having at least 10 blueberries in them. He started as a low level staff member at the Stardust Hotel in 1968 before he became known as the ultimate sports betting handicapper. One line from Casino that rings true, even to this day is "Casinos are operations that involve hundreds of people and thousands of customers, all of whom want to bilk the casino out of as much money as possible."

5. The Santaro brothers, Nicky and Dominick, were really beaten and stripped to their underwear in Casino

-In the film Casino, Joe Pesci's character, Nicky Santaro, is heavily based on Tony Spilotro. Nicky was Ace's enforcer, and as such, was to protect him. But because of the many lawsuits Nicky was facing due to organized crime-related activities, the Kansas City bosses had their limit with him. They ordered a hit on Nicky and his brother Dominick. The bosses and men met up with Nicky and Dominick in an Indiana cornfield because it was still too hot in Vegas. There, Nicky and Dominick were beaten nearly to death. They were beaten, stripped to their underwear and thrown in a hole while they were still breathing

-Nicky was heavily based on Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro, who was the right-hand man for Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. Like Nicky, Tony was a hot-tempered flashy mobster who skimmed the Vegas casinos for cash. He also had side jobs which earned money but the wrong attention as well. He and a bunch of guys starting robbing places and became known as the Hole in the Wall Gang, due to their trademark-leaving a hole in the wall of the places they robbed. Due to one of Nicky's jobs going bad, Chicago mob boss Joey Aiuppa ended up in prison. He ordered a hit on Tony and his brother Michael. The two brothers were murdered in a basement, not a cornfield, but they did end up buried in an Indiana cornfield. They were in their underwear and were discovered by the farmer who owns the field a week later. The farmer noticed the dirt was disturbed and found the bodies. They were beaten so bad they had to be identified through dental records. 2005 saw 14 Chicago-based mobsters and 16 others charged with these murders

6. Al Capone really did beat three of his henchmen with a baseball bat

-The famous scene from The Untouchables seems like something that could only happen in a movie. Al Capone (Robert De Niro) is holding a dinner party/meeting for his close associates. He walks around with a baseball bat, talking about the importance of teamwork in baseball or any other challenge in life. Out of nowhere, one of his associates gets a baseball bat to the head. This almost reveals who Capone was-demanding, violent, psychopathic

-It was thought the real Capone did something like this. In 1929, a rumor started that three of his close associates, John Scalise, Albert Anselmi and Joseph "Hop Toad" Giunta, were planning to whack (murder) Capone. He invited the three men to a lavish dinner party, got them liquored up and then revealed his intentions. He picked up a baseball bat and brutally beat all three of them before his men finished them off with gunshots.

7. Jimmy Hoffa was just as into ice cream as he was in The Irishman

-It seems absurd that one of the most notorious and well known union figures like Jimmy Hoffa would have such a sweet tooth, but according to this film, he did. He can been eating ice cream throughout the movie. In one scene, while he and Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) are going mini-golfing, Hoffa is eating ice cream. In another scene, Tony Provenzano (Stephen Graham) is angrily confronting Hoffa while still eating ice cream

-This is not just some random quirky thing thrown into the movie. The real Jimmy Hoffa did love ice cream. Despite living a healthy lifestyle, he avoided drugs and alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine. Ice cream was his one vice.

8. The Godfather restaurant shooting scene was inspired by a real-life hit by Charles "Lucky" Luciano

-In The Godfather, there is a scene where Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is meeting at a restaurant with Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo and police Captain Mike McCluskey. He invited them there to settle any differences. They believed that Michael was the quiet, innocent member of the Corleone family. During the meal, he excuses himself to go to the bathroom, where someone in the family had hidden a gun. When he comes back, he shoots them both dead, completing the change from WWII war hero to complete mob member

-It might seem a devious way to remove someone, but it's all not that far removed from reality. This was inspired by a real life hit orchestrated on Charles "Lucky" Luciano. in 1920, Sicilian-born mobsters Joe Masseria recruited Lucky Luciano to be his gunman. Luciano proved he was successful in bootlegging during Prohibition and quickly became rich and powerful on his own. 1929 seen Masseria starting a war with another Sicilian mobster named Salvatore Maranzano. After Masseria had a former friend killed, Luciano betrayed his former boss. He invited Masseria to lunch at a restaurant in Coney Island. During the meal, he excused himself to go to the bathroom. With him gone and Masseria unprotected, a group of men entered the restaurant and opened fire, killing Masseria

9. Harlem drug boss Frank Lucas claims he used the coffins of Vietnam War casualties to smuggle heroin into the US

-The 2007 film American Gangster told the story of how Frank Lucas went from a quiet upbringing in North Carolina to becoming one of the top distributors of heroin in 1970s Harlem. The movie suggests that Lucas used a morbid way of getting heroin into the US. He bought it in Thailand and used the coffins of soldiers killed in Vietnam to bring it home, since no one would look inside a coffin of a soldier.

-In a 2000 interview, Lucas admitted it did that.

10. Whitey Bulger did win $14.3 million in a lottery jackpot

-Early in the film Black Mass, Whitey Bulger, a famed Boston Irish mobster, admitted he won $14 million in the local lottery. It was the strangest coincidence that a local Boston mobster would play the lottery and just so happen to win. But the real Whitey Bulger did try and claim his winnings. It started as a scam in 1991. A man named Michael Linskey made a claim to have bought the ticket that won in a local liquor store that was owned by Bulger. After Linskey came forward, he made an announcment-he would split the winnings with Bulger, Bulger's friend Kevin Weeks and Linskey's brother Patrick. Linskey also made a claim that Bulger and his associates made a $2 million payment in cash for half the winnings, which would be meted out in installments over the next 20 years. Despite being a known mobster, the lottery had to accept him as a winner. The FBI seized the cash and accused Bulger of using the lottery scheme to launder money. It's unclear whether Michael Linskey forged the ticket that won or he geuinely won

11. Famed Boston Irish Mob boss Whitey Bulger was an informant

-The famed Boston mobster was the inspiration for Frank Costello in the film The Departed. The 2006 film was said to be a remake of a Hong Kong film called Internal Affairs from 2002. The premise was more or less the same, just a few things changed here and there. Many things in the American film were based on real life events. Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson, was partially inspired by famed Boston mobster Whitey Bulger. In fact, towards the end when Costello admits to secretly working for the FBI, that is directly based on Bulger's relationship with the FBI

-Starting in 1975, Bulger worked closely with FBI agent John Connolly. Similar to Matt Damon's character Sgt. Colin Sullivan, Connolly had grown up in South Boston, or Southie as the locals call it. As a child, Bulger looked after Connolly, similar to what Costello did to Sullivan. As he approached adulthood, Connolly came to Bulger with an offer to help him inform on the Angiulo crime family, local rivals. While it is known Bulger hated snitches, he was more than willing to aid the FBI in eliminating the competition and snatch a bigger piece of Boston's drug-dealing and racketeering markets. Similar to Costello, Bulger's status as an informant allowed him to get out of punishment from law enforcement for years. But, as far as any one knows, unlike The Departed, Bulger didn't have an implanted mole in law enforcement

12. The real life Moe Green from The Godfather was killed in an approved hit from the real life Hyman Roth from The Godfather Pt. II

-The first two installments of the famed Godfather series don't involve just Sicilian or New York Italian organized crime. They also involve Jewish organized crime. The characters Moe Greene and Hyman Roth are based on real-life Jewish organized crime figures Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and Meyer Lansky. Like the character Moe Greene, Siegel was flashy, a mobster from the East Coast who brought organized crime to Vegas, managing the construction of The Flamingo Hotel with money earned from the mob. Like the character Hyman Roth, Lanskey was a mobster based out of Florida who helped to establish the National Crime Syndicate. By the 1950s, he was providing the money to fuel The Flamingo Hotel. At one point, Lansky and Roth tried to move to Israel, but due to their criminal pasts, they were denied entry.

-Even the way Moe Greene died was similar to Bugsy Siegel's death. They both crossed the wrong people and both were shot through the eye. The Godfather does make one massive difference from the real-life tale of Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel. In The Godfather Pt. I, The Corleone family takes out Moe Greene after repeated accounts of disrespect and in the second film, Hyman Roth orders a hit on Michael Corleone as payback. In reality, it was thought to be Meyer Lansky who ordered the hit on Bugsy Siegel. The theory goes that Lansky got tired of the construction of The Flamingo Hotel constantly running over budget