Tom Morello Says the Problem With the Rock Hall Is ‘Procedural’
Tom Morello has voiced his thoughts regarding the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, stating that the institution’s problems are largely “procedural.”
“The reason why they let me in the room is because I complained so much about how horrible the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was,” Morello explained during an appearance on the Tuna on Toast podcast, noting that he’s become actively involved with the Hall in recent years. “To their credit, they let me in to have a voice at that table.” While Morello said he’s “advocated for a number of bands that have gotten in that might not have otherwise had that voice,” he remains frustrated that many worthy acts continue to be left out.
“For me the problem is, it’s systemic in that there’s many more bands that deserve to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame than can be, just simply because of procedural stuff,” he explained.
Morello has participated in previous Rock Hall ceremonies, inducting the Clash in 2003 and Kiss in 2014. Despite his own resume, the guitarist himself remains out of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His band, Rage Against the Machine, has yet to be enshrined, though the group has been nominated on three occasions (2018, 2019 and 2021).
“I don't think that anyone in that room is like, ‘I hate Rage Against the Machine. I don’t think they should be in.’ But only x number can get in a year,” Morello opined, once again pointing to the Hall’s numbers crunch. “And then every year there’s a new number [of bands] that are available to be nominated, and so that takes up chairs at the table. And then some artist who got in with one band gets in as a solo artist, which takes up a chair. And so it’s, like, I think procedural stuff, which is stopping the right thing.”