The most egregious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snub is not open to debate

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I’ve recently found myself really getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though I’m not sure why. For years, I’ve just been a casual fan – I think it’s great that it exists and it’s a fun place to check out. But when it comes to who gets inducted…

Let’s be honest, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame could be better. The biggest issue isn’t necessarily who gets inducted or rejected, but the Hall’s lack of clear criteria for choosing inductees. This leads to unpredictable selections that leave fans confused and disappointed.

Many of my rock and roll colleagues don’t pay any attention to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – they feel it’s unimportant, and I get why. But it’s strange, because they’ll passionately debate who should be included and excluded, and why the whole process is flawed. The fact that they’re so engaged in these discussions suggests they actually care a lot more than they let on.

The biggest RRHOF snub, bar none

That sounds good. I often joke that (your favorite sport) isn’t a big deal, but I actually get really upset when my team loses, especially at the last minute.

There are generally two ways to start arguing about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One is to discuss whether a specific band deserves to be inducted – like, should Styx, The Monkees, or Waylon Jennings be in?

Another common topic of conversation is who deserved to be recognized but wasn’t. It’s essentially a different angle on the issue of overlooked artists, and it’s something almost every music writer has covered – including me. I’ve written a few articles about those who were unfairly left out.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is, in many ways, a place for fans to argue about who deserves to be inducted but hasn’t been.

I recently got caught up in researching something after reading an article published last month. The website Consequence – which I have no issues with – created a list of the biggest omissions, calling it their “Worst” snubs. It was a collaborative effort from their staff.

Then they proceeded to omit what is far and away the single most egregious snub in RRHOF history.

The list was surprisingly diverse, ranging from the quirky Weird Al Yankovic at number 30 to the legendary John Coltrane at the top. It included a mix of popular artists like Britney Spears and Mariah Carey, hip-hop icons like De La Soul and Nas, and even progressive bands – like Bjork and King Crimson – that the Hall of Fame hasn’t usually recognized.

Some artists have faced criticism for not releasing a lot of music, like bands such as Television and the Smiths. Other artists appealed to a specific audience, such as Phish and Fugazi. Punk music, as a genre, has also often been overlooked. Bad Brains was ranked third on a particular list.

Growing up in DC with a love for punk music, I was happy to see the list, though I don’t entirely agree with it. Bad Brains was amazing, but it seems odd to place them third when influential bands like the Replacements and Black Flag aren’t even included. In fact, Greg Ginn deserves a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just for starting SST Records.

This gets into tricky territory, of course. I’m a big fan of The Replacements, and based on my personal preference, they deserve to be included. The same goes for J Geils Band and Little Feat. However, I realize none of them are, and I can see why if I try to be objective.

I really don’t understand why Jethro Tull isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It just doesn’t make any sense.

That Consequence article really bothered me because it completely left out Jethro Tull – it’s like they’re trying to erase them from music history.

It’s surprising that Jethro Tull has never even made it to the final round of nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Artists like The Sir Douglas Quintet, The Spinners, and Joe Tex have all been nominated multiple times – some even four or five times. While I enjoy those artists, it’s hard to believe they had a bigger impact on rock and roll history than Jethro Tull.

Formed in 1967, Jethro Tull continues to create music today, having released 24 studio albums. A remarkable 16 of those albums – including all eight released in their early years between 1968 and 1975 – reached the top 20. The band enjoyed significant success between 1969 and 1972, with one album hitting number one and three more landing in the top five. They first entered the top ten in 1968, and impressively, achieved another top ten album in 2022 – a span of 54 years!

However, it’s important to remember these statistics come from the British music charts. There are many other bands that did well in the UK but aren’t likely candidates for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For example, Madness released 13 studio albums, with 12 of them reaching the top 20 in the UK – and they even had a number one hit in 2023.

Madness didn’t achieve much popularity in the United States. None of their albums reached the top 100 on the Billboard charts, and they only had two songs that made it into the top 40.

Jethro Tull achieved considerable success in the United States, with eleven albums reaching the top 20 and two hitting number one. They were a consistent presence on American FM radio stations from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s.

When it comes to musical impact and skill, Jethro Tull is just as impressive. It’s difficult to find another band from the beginning of rock music that blended so many different styles into their sound.

Ian Anderson, the leader of the band, was a skilled flutist, and his music often blended rock with elements of classical and Celtic folk. Jethro Tull’s albums were known for their experimentation, and remarkably, they achieved significant success despite being quite innovative and forward-thinking.

Man, Jethro Tull was all over the place, and that’s what I loved about them. One minute I’d be rocking out to Aqualung from ’71, the next I’d be chilled out with the folk vibes of Songs From the Wood in ’77. And then there’s Thick as a Brick from ’73 – seriously, one of the funniest and best albums ever. It was totally a parody, but a good album! That’s just Ian Anderson for you – always keeping things interesting and proving he could do anything.

It is also part of why he is not in the RRHOF.

Many critics disliked Tull. While some may have honestly thought their music was overly pretentious, I believe most were bothered because Ian Anderson seemed to be mocking the industry’s own seriousness.

This bias was particularly clear in Rolling Stone magazine. Jann Wenner, the publisher, openly disliked Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson, and this is the main reason they haven’t been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For years, Wenner essentially ran the Hall of Fame like a private club, inducting artists he liked and excluding those he didn’t.

These days, being criticized by Jann Wenner should be seen as a positive thing. It’s debatable whether he truly disliked female and non-white musicians, or simply didn’t appreciate them, but his controversial views ultimately led to his removal from his influential position.

But that has not opened the door for Tull. And that is sad.

There are two other reasons why Jethro Tull is not in the RRHOF, and neither should matter.

Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson has publicly questioned the band’s place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, his criticism isn’t harsh or inaccurate; he simply points out that the Hall of Fame primarily celebrates American artists, while Jethro Tull, named after a British agriculturalist, is fundamentally a British band, even though they’ve been successful in the United States. Ultimately, Anderson believes Jethro Tull doesn’t fit the Hall’s focus.

Honestly, if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants to be taken seriously, the opinions of artists being considered shouldn’t factor into the decision. Just because Jon Anderson doesn’t think Jethro Tull deserves to be inducted doesn’t change whether or not they’re worthy.

Another issue stems from the controversial 1989 Grammy Awards, where Jethro Tull unexpectedly won the first-ever Grammy for Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance – a win many felt was undeserved. It’s important to note the mistake wasn’t the band’s fault, but rather a misjudgment by the Recording Academy. However, the band has been unfairly associated with that controversial moment ever since.

Look, you don’t have to be a huge Jethro Tull fan, and honestly, I’m not even their biggest supporter. But seriously, how can you say they aren’t a rock band? They gave us classics like “Aqualung” and “Cross-Eyed Mary!” And let’s not forget how popular they were with songs like “Living in the Past” and “Bungle in the Jungle.” They were huge!

It’s hard to argue that the band behind “Thick as a Brick” wasn’t incredibly creative. Plus, with 11 top-20 albums in the US and 16 in the UK, they were definitely popular enough to deserve a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It’s hard to argue that a band with around 60 million albums sold doesn’t deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Just to be clear, I want to emphasize that point again.

No one from the band has ever even made it to the final round. It’s natural to feel like someone deserving was overlooked, especially when it comes to our personal favorites – I’m a big fan of Motörhead, for example. Ultimately, these kinds of opinions are always subjective. But when it comes to Jethro Tull, their omission is by far the biggest and most obvious snub.

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2026-05-27 14:01