Chrissie Hynde made waves when she slammed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this week amidst discussions of diversifying the inductees.
Hynde herself was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2005 as part of The Pretenders, but has since taken to social media to decry its relevance. She stated, “I don’t even wanna be associated with it. It’s just more establishment backslapping.”
She continued, “Other than Neil Young’s participation in the induction process, the whole thing was, and is, total bollocks. It’s absolutely nothing to do with rock ‘n’ roll and anyone who thinks it is is a fool.”
Despite being inducted back in 2005, Hynde seems to have always viewed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in a negative light.
In her Facebook post, she stated, “I got in a band so I didn’t have to be part of all that. I was living a happy life in Rio when I got the call I was being inducted. My heart sank because I knew I’d have to go back for it as it would be too much of a kick in the teeth to my parents if I didn’t. I’d upset them enough by then, so it was one of those things that would bail me out from years of disappointing them. ( like moving out of the USA and being arrested at PETA protests and my general personality ).”
This discussion was sparked after Courtney Love called for more female acts to be inducted. Love shared her outrage at the lack of diversity on social media, telling the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to “GO TO HELL IN A HANDBAG BRO!”
@rockhall GO TO HELL IN A HANDBAG BRO!
I wrote this for the @guardian https://t.co/sjpCeYcqyY
— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023
Love, the lead singer of grunge band Hole, subsequently wrote an article for The Guardian in which she highlighted that “barely 8% of its inductees are female. The canon-making doesn’t just reek of sexist gatekeeping, but also purposeful ignorance and hostility.”
She continued, “the nominations for this year’s class, announced last month, offered the annual reminder of just how extraordinary a woman must be to make it into the ol’ boy’s club.”
Love also drew attention to the fact that “it doesn’t look good for black artists either.” “If the Rock Hall is not willing to look at the ways it is replicating the violence of structural racism and sexism that artists face in the music industry, if it cannot properly honour what visionary women artists have created, innovated, revolutionised and contributed to popular music – well, then let it go to hell in a handbag.”
Love responded to Chrissie Hynde’s Facebook post on Twitter, writing “principals b4 personalities!”
ARTISTS! Beef off the table. Principals b4 personalities! @chrissiehynde (blew my world into a rainbow in 79 #GOAT ) TBC. I would not accept, don’t need! @rockhall. BRO it isn’t 4 me I speak. THAT BOARD NEEDS A HOSE DOWN so women & poc can FEED THEIR KIDS. Not just Bon Jovi pic.twitter.com/LVJpPUa1g6 — Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023
Love has continued her tyrade on social media, claiming she was previously “silenced by boos” when she has previously tried to speak her mind.
BRO! @billboard
Me @rockhall HOLDING MY TONGUE.
When I went to speak? I was silenced by boos… So, yeah. pic.twitter.com/2mHdeuNSF7
— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023
Hynde and Love have both been met with varying receptions from fans after sharing their controversial standpoints.
The Pretenders are rumoured to be releasing a new album this year titled Relentless with the release date yet to be confirmed.
See The Pretenders at Midnight Sun Weekender Festival. Tickets available here.
