Rush Hall Of Fame Inductee Campaign

"I couldn't care less, look who's up for induction, its a joke" - Alex Lifeson, Janurary 2007

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Eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame since 1999, 25 years after the release of their first record in the US, Rush has been left out in the cold. With cumulative worldwide sales of over 35 million, Rush were inducted into the Juno Awards Hall of Fame in 1994, received the esteemed Order of Canada in 1997 and were given their own star on the Canadian Walk of Fame in 1999, yet they have yet to even be nominated for the US Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Although the merits of the hall itself are arguable, its a travesty that Rush has been ignored this long. Will we have to wait for the year 2112 to see Rush in the hall? Please sign the peitition to induct Rush into the hall. Facebook users, please join "Put Rush in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame".

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Costello Views Hall As 'Dirty Rotten Shame': "The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (is)...really about the people who run it...It isn't about the people who are in it. That was obvious in the speeches they made. We were just the hired help...it wasn't really a party in our honor. We were just the cabaret. It's about getting people through the turnstiles in Cleveland. Any pretense that it's anything noble is laughable." - Rocky Moutain News, July 16, 2003

Treated Like A Fly By Night Outfit, The Rock And Roll Hall's Shame: "Rush was given the brush-off by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame again yesterday, exasperating fans who have been petitioning for the Canadian rock giants' inclusion for six years. Yesterday, the Cleveland-based institution announced the induction of Black Sabbath, Blondie, The Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even jazzman Miles Davis, but Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart once again felt the caress of steel as the Hall of Fame's door slammed in their faces." - Canada.com, November 29, 2005

Sex Pistols Snub US Hall Of Fame: "Punk band the Sex Pistols have refused to attend their own induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...In a handwritten note posted on their website, they called the institution 'urine in wine'...Pistols lead singer Johnny Rotten once famously derided the rock 'n' roll institution as 'a place where old rockers go to die', dubbing it the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Shame'. - BBC News, February 25, 2006

KISS' Gene Simmons Discusses the R&R HOF: "I have mixed feelings about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On the one hand, I believe it's a sham. It has a group of music execs who decide who gets in. Hardly a gauge of what the people want. There are groups in there that have one gold record to their name. Not a complaint, simply an observation. And, while it may be nice to be included, it doesn't in the least stop my days from being fun filled. It's simply not an issue, because the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has little credibility in my mind. However, if we get in, I would like to appear and perhaps make a statement about how insulting it is for the entity to ignore SABBATH for so long and AC/DC and bands that deserve to be in right away." - Gene Simmons, Kissonline.com, June 9, 2006

Alex Lifeson Interview/Comments on R&RHOF: When interviewed regarding the upcoming Rush album, Alex Lifeson was asked about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lerxst states "I couldn't care less, look who's up for induction, its a joke". To hear the entire 15 minute interview, click on "Rock Interviews" at therock951.com. - January 15, 2007

Rolling Stone Magazine Hits a Sour Note With Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees (Like Madonna): "...If you love rock 'n' roll, stop buying Rolling Stone until the tremendous insults of the Hall of Fame are corrected. Wenner’s nominating committee consists largely of his current and former employees from Rolling Stone (Nathan Brackett, David Fricke, Jim Henke, Joe Levy, Brian Keizer, Toure, and Anthony DeCurtis). But they have little say over who really is inducted. Last year, in a story reported by this column exclusively, Wenner threw out a vote in which the classic British invasion group Dave Clark Five was voted in and changed it for another round that favored rappers Grandmaster Flash. As one insider from the Hall has maintained, 'Once Ahmet Ertegun died, Jann felt like he could run wild.' The legendary co-founder of Atlantic Records was considered the only person who could control Wenner. He died in 2006. The Dave Clark Five incident has repercussions, however. I’m told that Wenner was made to meet Clark after I broke that story last March. The group now is guaranteed entry, although it’s a bittersweet win. They are probably not, to paraphrase one of their hits, 'Glad All Over.' But this year’s choices are a complete affront to fans of the Rock and Roll Hall. And to show how much Wenner controls what’s happening, the exclusive announcement was made on Rolling Stone’s Web site. If you’re still reading or buying Rolling Stone, it’s time to stop..." - FoxNews, October 1, 2007

Settle the Beef: Does Rush Deserve the Hall of Fame?: "'You are yet to be inducted,' Stephen Colbert asked the Canadian power trio on his show in June. 'Is there any chance that your next album will be titled That's Bullsh*t?' A fair, and hilarious, question, and one with legs..." - Wired.com, August 2, 2008

Wired: Time's Up! Is Rush Making the Hall of Fame or Not?: "Three months ago, Listening Post followed Stephen Colbert's lead and wondered aloud why Rush hadn't made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet. We asked the readership to chime in on the snub, and it hit us back with a record 500 responses....So time's up, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Listening Post sifted through the hundreds of responses and found their major recurring themes, which are best exemplified by the three urgent queries below." - Wired.com, November 10, 2008
  • According to Wikipedia, Rush possesses 24 gold records and 14 platinum records, placing fifth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kiss and Aerosmith for most consecutive gold and platinum rock albums, moving an estimated total 40 million units worldwide. And although the Hall of Fame argues that sales don't count, given that Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart are consistently recognized and decorated as some of the most skilled performers on their given instruments, hasn't Rush made the commercial and professional case that it belongs in the Hall?
  • Rush is still together, while other bands, including those already in the Hall of Fame, have fragmented and ceased production. As a result, the power trio has amassed a diehard core following of early adopters, including several accomplished musicians, as well as a significant audience of latecomers. Doesn't this longevity and influence demand the band's inclusion?
  • Does Jann Wenner dislike Rush, and is his alleged dislike of the band responsible for its controversial exclusion from the Hall of Fame?"
Metallica Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Press Conference Video: "I'd have to say Rush. I think they're a great band who took rock to a different level altogether in terms of songwriting and technical proficiency. And I believe that they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame." - Metallic's Kirk Hammet, brightcove.com, January 14, 2009

Rush Inducted Into Playboy Magazine's Hall Of Fame: Though Rush's dozens of gold and platinum albums and performances before as many as 60,000 fans apparently don't warrant its inclusion in Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hame of Fame, we're proud to welcome the band, on behalf of our millions of readers, to ours." - Playboy Magazine, March 2009 (click for more).

Why the Rock Hall says: No Rush for you! Prog rock gets ignored by the selection committee every year: "So who picked Run-DMC over Rush? Well, it’s a secret. Sort of". (click for more) - MSNBC.msn.com, March 20, 2009

Top 10 Rock Hall of Fame Snubs: "Rolling Stone has called Rush fans the 'Trekkies' of rock — they defend their Canadian rock heroes vehemently. The band certainly has carved out a place in rock history. With 24 consecutive gold or platinum albums, they trail only The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Aerosmith. But commercial success belies a career that took the occasional wrong turn. Critics cite the band's over-fascination with synthesizers in the 1980s, but fans say the period is simply proof that Rush doesn't care about convention. That independent streak might keep Rush from the Hall, but it doesn't seem to bother them in the slightest — guitarist Alex Lifeson called the Hall selection process a 'joke.'" - Time.com, September 2009

Metallica's newly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers bring 'Magnetic' personalities to town for a concert at The Q: "I would love to see Rush in the Hall of Fame, as well as Motorhead and Deep Purple. Those are three that come to mind, only because I'm a hard-rock guy, and those bands had a lot to contribute to the genre. Those bands have been around a lot longer than we have. It's almost embarrassing that we're in the Hall of Fame and they're not. But everyone has their opinions. There's a bit of a bureaucracy and there's a bit of politics that come along with it." - Cleveland.com, October 8, 2009

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Discord Progression: "In pop, as in the sporting world that provided a model for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one fan's dream is another's disappointment. This is true of the annual artist inductions, which elevate some while ignoring others -- Rush was robbed again!". - October 25, 2009

Letting The Freaks And Geeks Into The Hall Of Fame: "As the years progress, the process of getting into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is beginning to look a lot like the process of earning a letter for a high school letter jacket: The superstars (Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Aerosmith) are awarded just for showing up, as are the academic overachievers who are still social enough to get a seat on student council (U2, The Police, Talking Heads). However, the nerds who create the science fiction clubs and painstakingly put together the yearbook (Rush, Genesis, Yes, Kraftwerk) face a much steeper battle for recognition." - PopMatters.com, November 19, 2009

Rock Hall: Dozen acts that deserve induction: "Among hard-core music fans, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame probably is about as popular as a skin rash. For every beloved band it inducts - Stones, Zeppelin, Sabbath - it leaves out a Rush or a Deep Purple, while inducting such perceived non-rockers as Madonna and Grandmaster Flash. While influence and significance are supposed to be key criteria, some bands seem to get in based on sales or popularity with the committee, headed by Jann Wenner, and its 500 'experts.' The end result is that some, like recent inductee Johnny Rotten, write off the institution as a bad joke (he had harsher words in the Sex Pistols' refusal to participate) while others bother to roll up their sleeves and argue its transgressions. That's what we'll do here as we identify the next 12 acts that should be in. (Note that artists are eligible 25 years after their first recording.) 1. RUSH..." - PittsburghPostGazette.com, March 15, 2010

Rush say Canadian songwriters' hall induction means more than Rock hall snub: "The Toronto trio is being inducted into the Canadian songwriters' hall of fame on Sunday, just the latest accolade for the acclaimed prog veterans. But many fans still linger on the one honour that's eluded the band: an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. Drummer Neil Peart says the band really doesn't care about the perceived snub. 'No ... you know who it matters to, is the fans...It would matter a lot to our fans for us to have that validation. It doesn't matter to me. I've got the success and respect that we've had, and the opportunity to do exactly what we wanted for 35 years, do we need them to make us feel better? No, not at all. Being in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, that's 10 times - 100 times - more (important) than being in some critics' list." - The Canadian Press, March 25, 2010

Rush Talks Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Snub: "Well, c'mon, Abba was a great rock band, and sold a lot of records...I kind of like the status quo, where they don't want us in there and we don't really want to be in there, so it's kind of a good place to be." - Alex Lifeson, Artisan News Service, July 1, 2010