Soundgarden, Judas Priest Finish In Top 5 Of Rock Hall Fan Vote

Judas Priest With Uriah Heep In Concert - Las Vegas, NV

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters have never denied the No. 1 fan vote-getters enshrinement, so Dave Matthews Band is a safe bet to join the Hall of Fame's ranks this year.

It's hard to imagine second-place vote-getter Pat Benatar getting snubbed, as well, given her unassailable catalog of hits. The Doobie Brothers, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary tour this year, also have a strong case.

Rounding out the top 5 is where it gets particularly interested. We have a pair of acts from the heavy rock sphere, which has historically struggled to be recognized by the Hall of Fame.

Fourth place Soundgarden and fifth place Judas Priest earned a special "fan ballot" distinction by virtue of their strong voting numbers that makes their induction just a little bit more likely.

Voting concluded midnight on January 10. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces the 2020 inductees tomorrow, Wednesday, January 15.

Judas Priest enthusiastically thanked fans for "defending" the band in the fan vote category, writing that "Whatever the outcome we are blessed having the best metal fans in the world of heavy metal!"

Even the most pessimistic among us have to admit that there is precedence for both acts to make the cut.

Members of Judas Priest can take heart from fellow Birmingham-born heavy metal legends Black Sabbath's 2006 induction. And for what it's worth, front man Rob Halford and former guitarist K.K. Downing have both expressed optimism that the band will finally be recognized 20 years after it became eligible.

Members of Soundgarden, meanwhile, can look at fellow grunge leaders Nirvana and Pearl Jam's respective Rock Hall receptions (in 2014 and 2017) as cause for hope that there will be one more public tribute to the legacy of Chris Cornell.

In October, Soundgarden co-founder and guitarist Kim Thayil remarked on the "bittersweet" news of Soundgarden's Rock Hall nomination.

"I thought this is important, especially for the legacy of Soundgarden, and for Chris' legacy," he explained. "It's really important to understand this from the perspective of the fans and to understand Soundgarden as both a current enterprise as well as a posthumous exercise."

Photos: Getty Images


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