Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott Insists Rock Music Isn’t Dying


Joe Elliott, the famous lead singer from Def Leppard, has problems with people claiming that rock music is dying. Elliott’s band, Def Leppard, is set to enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and he feels that the genre is still going strong. However, Elliott feels that not all bands that deserve the same honor his band is receiving get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

While Elliott does find it a bit odd when non-rock bands earn an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he has one band in mind he feels really deserves the honor, Wu-Tang Clan, according to TMZ.

Along with Elliott’s band, Def Leppard, The Zombies, Janet Jackson, The Cure, Stevie Nicks, and Roxy Music are also being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Elliott’s top pick, Wu-Tang Clan, has been eligible for induction since 2017, but they aren’t even on the ballot this year. While it is odd to Elliot that those outside of the rock genre get inducted, he still gave Wu-Tang Clan plenty of props for an honor many feel is long overdue.

However, Elliot understands how upsetting the wait for an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame can be. As for Elliot’s band, Def Leppard has been eligible to join the hall since 2005, but it still took years for the band to achieve the honor. Elliot says fans of the band really deserve a lot of credit for Def Leppard’s induction this year, since they voted like crazy late into the polls last year. Fan votes are important for bands to achieve an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Every year, the top five artists wind up on a fan ballot, and the fan ballot is tallied up with other ballots utilized by music industry insiders.

“We got this huge fan vote, which then really kind of turned our heads as well. Because what it was then, it wasn’t just this faceless committee deciding who was cool enough and it was not good enough — it was the fans,” said Elliott, according to AP News. “And we’d been told the last six years whoever won the fan vote was, you know, inducted. So, we kind of figured if we win it, we’ll probably get in and here we are.”

Elliot is also excited that one of his old friends from his wild rock days will be inducting his band as Def Leppard achieves their long-awaited honor. Queen’s Brian May will be inducting Def Leppard into the hall. Queen and Def Leppard have interacted with each other since 1981, and May has known Elliot for many years.

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