Will Taylor Swift be inducted into the Rock Hall before Iron Maiden?

Before Taylor Swift was even born, Iron Maiden had already established themselves as one of the most popular heavy metal bands of all time. Although the British legends have only grown in renown and influence since then, it’s entirely possible that the pop superstar will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ahead of them.

Swift was born on December 13, 1989. That is a year and a half after Iron Maiden released their seventh studio album, 1988 Seventh son of a seventh sonBy this time they had already established themselves as a staple arena headliner and today they are still able to sell out major venues around the world.

Since the release of her self-titled debut in 2006, Swift has achieved a dizzying and almost unprecedented level of fame, grossing over a billion dollars with her successful Eras Tour and selling an estimated 114 million albums in less than two decades. (Iron Maiden still outsells her in that regard, with 130 million albums sold, but since they had a 26-year head start, Swift is sure to overtake them in the near future.)

Read more: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 10 Worst Metal Slurs

Swift will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2031, 25 years after the release of. Taylor SwiftIn recent years, the institution has expanded its reach to include pop, country, and even hip-hop artists. If Swift can maintain anything like her current popularity, it’s quite likely she’ll be elected, perhaps even in her first year.

On the other hand, although Iron Maiden have been nominated since 2005, they have only been nominated for the Rock Hall twice – in 2021 and 2023 – and have not yet been inducted. The Rock Hall is notorious for being slow to induct even the most obviously important heavy metal and hard rock acts. It took over 20 years for them to induct Judas %@#%$# Priest, and even then it was only in the secondary “musical excellence” category.

Of course, Iron Maiden has not exactly endeared itself to Rock Hall voters. In 2018, singer Bruce Dickinson made his dislike of the institution quite clear. “I’m really glad we’re not there, and I would never want to be there,” he told the JerusalemPost. “If we’re ever recorded, I’m going to refuse – they’re not going to have my damn body there. Rock ‘n’ roll music doesn’t belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It’s a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, it’s dead. It’s worse than horrible, it’s vulgar.”

So which of these two very different artists will be the first to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? We asked four of our writers and here is their answer:

Annie Zaleski (Author, Taylor Swift: The stories behind the songs): First of all, Swift is undoubtedly an instant Hall of Famer in 2031. Whether Iron Maiden will get there before her is an interesting question. I’m optimistic and leaning toward yes. They’ve been nominated twice in the last few years, which is a good sign – it means they have supporters on the nominating committee – and it’s obvious that they’re one of the last superstar metal bands not in the Rock Hall. (Translation: They have less competition and won’t get the votes of the fans and the pundits.)

But I think their best path to the Rock Hall is the same as Judas Priest: the Musical Excellence category. They fit the profile of the recent groups in that category – perennial nominees (MC5) or artists with adoring fans (Jimmy Buffett) – and they don’t need to muster massive waves of industry support.

I don’t think Bruce Dickinson’s negative comments will hurt Iron Maiden’s chances of induction. After all, he’s not the only artist to speak badly of the Rock Hall – think of Todd Rundgren, who expressed his disdain for the institution but was inducted anyway. Rundgren simply didn’t show up for the ceremony! Dickinson didn’t have to – although it would certainly be great to see Eddie in the big international spotlight.

Matthew Wilkening: I have to believe that Iron Maiden will be the first to get in, otherwise my head will explode. You have to remember that the Rock Hall of Fame is just a private organization that has no insight or authority from above. Their record and ticket collection is the only Hall of Fame that really counts. Their voters are of course entitled to their own opinion about what is important in rock history and what apparently isn’t. But at some point they just have to realize that the line between subjectivity and objectivity has clearly been crossed here. Whether you like it or not – and that has been the case since 1986. Somewhere in timetheir music has become increasingly complacent and over the top for my taste – Iron Maiden are one of the most popular, important and influential bands in the history of heavy metal. If that’s not Hall of Fame worthy, what is?

I believe Swift will – and, of course, why not, should — be inducted as soon as possible, giving the Rock Hall six years to finally do the right thing for Iron Maiden. Plus, the fact that Judas Priest is in and they aren’t makes this exclusion all the more glaring and self-incriminating. Dickinson’s public attacks shouldn’t matter; they’ve inducted numerous artists – Axl Rose, Johnny Rotten, Ozzy Osbourne – who have spoken out against the organization in the past.

Matt Wardlaw: I really believe that Iron Maiden will come in long before Taylor – and hopefully soon. It’s crazy that we still talk about Maiden and they Despite it not inducted. No matter what Bruce Dickinson may have said about the Rock Hall, it ultimately won’t stop the organization from inducting the band, as we’ve seen with similar examples in the past. Ultimately, Iron Maiden have been a major influence on countless hard rock and heavy metal bands. As with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and anyone else you care to name, Maiden have helped write the book for so many who have followed in their footsteps. Brave new world may have been their last truly great album, but they remain creatively committed to this day and a force to be reckoned with in the live arena. Like Judas Priest before them, Iron Maiden’s fitting invitation to the Hall is long overdue. Every day they’re not there is a total travesty.

Taylor Swift will no doubt be inducted when she is eligible and I think she deserves a place in the Hall of Fame. When we consider Iron Maiden’s influence and lasting legacy, Taylor is also an impressive trailblazer across multiple genres including pop and country music. She still has a long career path ahead of her but, like Maiden, I think we will be talking about Taylor for years to come.

Bryan Rolli: I hate this question. Not because it’s bad or invalid, but because it makes me sad to consider one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time being overtaken by a pop star who debuted 26 years after them. Swift is a no-brainer for the Rock Hall, probably even in her first year, due to the sheer magnitude of her success and her power over virtually every mainstream music publication. (Let’s not forget that before the HOF fired co-founder Jann Wenner, artists basically had to be in bed with someone.) Rolling Stone if they had any hope of an induction.)

That is, I really, Really hope – and maybe I can even convince myself, believe – that the Hall will right one of its biggest mistakes and induct Iron Maiden within the next seven years. The outcry is getting louder with each passing year, especially after recent inductions by Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne. Nicko McBrain has also been open about his health problems recently, and the pressure is mounting on the Hall to induct ailing and aging artists while they are still alive to enjoy this milestone. Given all of these factors, I believe the Hall will ultimately induct Maiden before Swift – still tremendously late, mind you, but better late than never, I suppose.