A former member of Iron Maiden has been quietly added to the band’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination ballot after previously being excluded.
Blaze Bayley, who fronted the band during the mid-to-late ’90s following Bruce Dickinson’s departure, will now enter the esteemed institution if the metal legends get inducted.
This year marks Iron Maiden’s third Rock Hall nomination after previous unsuccessful bids in 2021 and 2023. They’ve been eligible since 2005.
READ MORE: 5 Reasons Iron Maiden Should Be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
How Long Was Blaze Bayley in Iron Maiden?
Bayley joined Iron Maiden in 1994, one year after Dickinson left the band. The former Wolfsbane frontman sang on two Maiden albums, 1995’s The X Factor and 1998’s Virtual XI.
Bayley’s tenure marked a decline in Iron Maiden’s popularity, though they reclaimed their title as one of metal’s biggest global bands after Dickinson rejoined in 1999 and they issued their lauded 2000 comeback album Brave New World.
Iron Maiden continues to play select Bayley-era songs, with The X Factor‘s “Sign of the Cross” and Virtual XI‘s “The Clansman” appearing in their set lists as recently as 2022.
Bayley’s initial omission from Iron Maiden’s Rock Hall ballot drew the ire of some rock and metal fans, including radio personality Eddie Trunk, who called the decision “a massive oversight considering they were including literally every other person who had been in the band. The randomness of who is and isn’t included with each band is a huge issue that gets no coverage. I also take this as a positive sign maybe Maiden is finally getting in. Because why add a person if they are getting the votes to make it … ?”
READ MORE: Iron Maiden Albums Ranked
Why Bruce Dickinson Thinks the Rock Hall Is ‘Vulgar’
Of course, there’s still the issue of Iron Maiden’s own stance on the Rock Hall. Dickinson has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with the institution and insisted that he would reject the band’s induction.
“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,” the singer told the Jerusalem Post in 2018.
“Rock and roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland,” he continued. “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.”
See Iron Maiden on our list of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s worst metal snubs:
Metal Snubs: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Worst Omissions
The Hall still has a long way to go when it comes to metal.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
