The latest musician to criticise the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite being inducted into the exclusive club on three occasions.
Established in 1983, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was designed to celebrate legends of the music industry, however, it has come under fire various times throughout the years due to its exclusion of many important artists.
Now, Clapton has stated that it is nothing more than a “frat boys club,” sharing his disappointment that the Rock Hall has not inducted many musical pioneers.
He explained to the Real Music Observer, “I came to that thing, whatever it is. I think of it as a frat boys club that happened to lure [me] in. I think the fact that they had Ahmet Ertegun was the ticket for me. He was doing it for people like Ruth Brown and The Drifters, all those early Atlantic artists that were being forgotten. And then, it just kind of started to snowball.”
Ertegun established the organisation and acted as the chairman until his death in 2006. He was also the president of Atlantic Records.
Clapton highlighted the fact that the Rock Hall excludes artists that might be a little more experimental. “The fact that someone like J.J. [Cale] has never even been suggested is proof of what that thing is or proof of what it isn’t.”
“It’s not like he’ll ever come up. It’s not their thing. I don’t know what their thing is. But he’s too anonymous for those guys,” he continued.
Artists don’t even have to be particularly left-field to be excluded from the Rock Hall, according to Courtney Love, who claimed last year, “If so few women are being inducted into the Rock Hall, then the nominating committee is broken. If so few Black artists, so few women of colour, are being inducted, then the voting process needs to be overhauled. Music is a lifeforce that is constantly evolving – and they can’t keep up.”
Her article also included the shocking statistic that, in 2023, just 8.48 per cent of nominees were women. Clapton believes the organisation is not for “rebels,” concluding, “It’s establishment stuff.”
Meanwhile, Joe Bonamassa recently hit out at the organisation for waiting until artists pass away to honour their legacy.
Speaking on the Artists on Record podcast, the guitarist shared, “There’s a lot of people that are now aging out or becoming in their late 70s and 80s that really should have been in decades ago. They need to get them in because it’s the right thing to do for the artist.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2024 inductees:
Performers:
- Mary J. Blige
- Cher
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Dave Matthews Band
- Foreigner
- Kool and the Gang
- Peter Frampton
- A Tribe Called Quest
Musical Excellence Award:
- MC5
- Dionne Warwick
- Jimmy Buffett
- Norman Whitfield
Musical Influence Award:
- Big Mama Thornton
- Alexis Korner
- John Mayall
