Former IRON MAIDEN singer BLAZE BAYLEY has reflected on being among the band members set to enter the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. BAYLEY, who fronted MAIDEN for five years and appeared on 1995's "The X Factor" and 1998's "Virtual XI", will be inducted alongside the current lineup — BRUCE DICKINSON, STEVE HARRIS, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers — as well as former members Paul Di'Anno, Dennis Stratton, Nicko McBrain and Clive Burr.
"I don't think any of us get into heavy metal and follow it as a profession to get awards, but it's nice to be recognized," BAYLEY told Sportzwire Radio. He singled out the significance of joining the same institution as "giant of giants" LED ZEPPELIN, adding that the honor means even more to his fans than to him: "For a lot of my fans, it's important. They think, 'Yes, he should be recognized.' That my fans enjoy the fact that their favorite singer has been recognized by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame — that's really, really cool."
The induction caps a long road to recognition for IRON MAIDEN, who had been eligible since 2004 but were nominated only twice before — in 2021 and 2023, when they finished fourth in the fan vote. The institution has historically been slow to embrace heavy music: MOTÖRHEAD remains absent despite decades of eligibility, while KISS and DEEP PURPLE each waited years after first becoming eligible.
To date, the only metal or metal-adjacent acts inducted have been BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA, AC/DC, JUDAS PRIEST, KISS, VAN HALEN, RUSH, GUNS N' ROSES, OZZY OSBOURNE and DEEP PURPLE. With the Class of 2026, IRON MAIDEN — and the singers who shaped distinct eras of the band, BAYLEY among them — finally join that company.