Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott says the band would “politely refuse” an induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame if the situation arose.
Artists are qualified for entry into the Rock Hall 25 years after the release of their first recording; Def Leppard have been eligible since 2005.
"The biggest compliment I ever got was my first gold disc, or my first platinum disc,” Elliott tells HuffPost Live, “because it's the representation of one million people who bought your album, and those million mean a lot more to me than some people that decide whether you're fit for the Hall Of Fame or whether you should have a program made about you, if they make a program — 'Classic Albums' or 'Behind The Music' — you've made it, sort of thing. I mean, it's nice, but it's not that important."
"I could name you a hundred other artists more important than us that aren't in [the Rock Hall],” he continued. “I did one of the first-ever fundraisers to actually help build the place out in Cleveland, but for some reason that doesn't count for anything. But there you go. That's life. It doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't bother any of us.”
“In fact, we've kind of all decided that, even if we get asked, we're just gonna – how can I put this? – politely refuse, like the Sex Pistols did. Unless there was some kind of online campaign by our fans 'cause they were annoyed by us."
"My point is, it's nothing to do with the fans, because they don't get… I think they get, like, six percent of the vote or something,” added the singer. “It's people that don't like what we do that decide. We're not R.E.M., we're not Springsteen, U2, Loudon Wainwright, Bob Dylan, etc. They just don't believe we belong. So I don't necessarily wanna be in that particular club anyway.”
"I never joined a band so I could get into the Hall Of Fame. I joined a band 'cause I wanted to just do what Marc Bolan and David Bowie were doing on 'Top of The Pops' — wear silly clothes and sing silly songs."
Elliott and Def Leppard are currently in the studio working on the follow-up to 2008’s “Songs From The Sparkle Lounge.”
The band recently announced dates for an extensive North American tour with Styx and Tesla; the groups will play 48 cities across the continent over the 4-month run, which opens in Tampa, FL on June 23.
General public tickets go on sale Friday, February 20 at 10am local time.
The North American shows follow the band’s spring tour of Canada and summer dates across Europe.
See also:
Def Leppard announce North American tour
Def Leppard announce first US shows of 2015
Def Leppard guitarist shares cancer update
Def Leppard singer shares new album update
Search Def Leppard at hennemusic
