Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner calls Rock Hall snub “a total joke”

Earlier today, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced that this year’s inductees would be Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, T-Rex, The Doobie Brothers, The Notorious B.I.G. and Whitney Houston.

The decision means that artists including Judas Priest, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Soundgarden, MC5, Pat Benatar and Todd Rundgren, who were shortlisted, didn’t make it in.

And that’s drawn criticism from Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, who has called the decision “a total joke.”

Responding to one fan on Twitter, who was bemused by the final selection, Faulkner replied: “Doesn’t make sense does it? Hence why the Rock Hall holds no credibility for me and never has.”

He went on to say: “I’ve said it before but 50 years in and still making music, touring the globe to the best fans in the world is the biggest accolade I can think of. 

“These institutions are founded on what these guys helped create and to not be included is a total joke. I have spoken.

“If you wanna call it the Rock Hall, then you should start with a healthy foundation of rock – in all its forms – to build on. The founding brothers and sisters that created and developed our beloved style of music and aided its evolution. Otherwise, what does it mean?”

Judas Priest, who were also nominated in 2017, will kick off their 50th anniversary celebrations in Helsinki on May 30 and complete the first run of shows with a headline set at the UK’s Bloodstock festival on August 9. 

They’ll then head out across the UK and Europe with Ozzy Osbourne on his rescheduled dates.