Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott Talks About Exciting Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nomination

On the morning of October 9, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced the 15 nominees up for induction into its Class of 2019, as previously reported by the Inquisitr, and British hard rock band Def Leppard is one of the contenders.

The group behind megahits like “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Love Bites,” and “Rock of Ages” has been eligible for nomination since 2005, but this is the first time the quintet is appearing on the ballot.

Def Leppard put out its first record, On Through the Night, in 1980 and has managed to remain relevant ever since. The band has sold more than 100 million albums and continues to be a top-grossing concert act. In fact, on Sunday, October 7, the group wrapped up a 60-date co-headlining tour with Journey that earned over $100,000,000. So, while it’s no surprise that the band got nominated, it’s just a shocker that it took the Hall of Fame powers that be so long to nominate them.

“When I look at the list of who’s in [the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame], it’s just obvious you’d want to be in that club, isn’t it?” frontman Joe Elliott said during an interview with Billboard that occurred just hours after he learned about the nomination.

“I’m definitely not Groucho Marx, ‘Any club that would have me as a member, I don’t want to join.’ When you think that every band that means anything in the world, starting from the Beatles and the Stones and any artist that influenced them — your Chuck Berrys, your Little Richards, etc., etc. — then, of course, you want to be in. Why wouldn’t you?”

While the Def Leppard singer is happy about the nomination, he isn’t going to celebrate until the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame officially tells him that the band will be inducted.

“Judas Priest didn’t get in last year, and it’s a big disappointment for them that they didn’t, so I’m not taking anything for granted,” he told Billboard.

Elliott is hoping that the fan vote will help boost their chances like it did for Bon Jovi and the Moody Blues, who were both inducted earlier this year.

“I mean, it’s not really gonna change my life, really, one way or the other,” he summed it all up, “but Jon Bon Jovi has been telling me for at least 12 months that yes, it will.”

If Def Leppard do get selected to join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, seven of its past and current members will be inducted. The band’s current lineup consists of Elliott, guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, bassist Rick Savage, and drummer Rick Allen. Former guitarists Pete Willis and the late Steve Clark are also eligible for induction.

The other 14 acts nominated are Devo, Janet Jackson, John Prine, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, MC5, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Roxy Music, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Stevie Nicks, The Cure, The Zombies, and Todd Rundgren. About five acts typically get chosen each year, and the inductees will be announced in December.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2019 Induction Ceremony, presented by Klipsch Audio, will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on March 29, 2019.