Earlier today Courtney Love published a Guardian op-ed decrying a history of “sexist” gatekeeping at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It echoed complaints from Alanis Morisette of a sexist production environment at last year’s ceremony. Lots of artists in the Rock Hall are either indifferent toward or actively repulsed by the institution. Todd Rundgren called it a “scam,” and even if Philip Selway says otherwise, it spoke volumes when Thom Yorke and the Greenwood brothers did not show up for Radiohead’s induction. Even Jann Wenner, who co-founded the Hall and presided over it for years, is now a vocal critic.

You can count Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders among those without respect for the Rock Hall. In a message on Facebook today, presumably reacting to Love’s op-ed, she writes that she only attended her own 2005 induction to make her parents happy. “Other than Neil Young’s participation in the induction process, the whole thing was, and is, total bollocks,” Hynde wrote. “It’s absolutely nothing to do with rock ‘n’ roll and anyone who thinks it is is a fool.”

Here’s the full message:

If anyone wants my position in the rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame they are welcome to it. I don’t even wanna be associated with it. It’s just more establishment backslapping. 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 ).

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.

XCH