DEF LEPPARD Guitarist On Being Excluded From ROCK HALL: 'What Matters To Us Is Seeing People Come To The Shows'

Vivian Campbell says that DEF LEPPARD isn't bothered by the fact that the band has not been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Asked why he thinks the British rock icons — as well as some of their key influences, including bands like JUDAS PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD and IRON MAIDEN — have yet to get the nod, the guitarist told the Cleveland Scene: "I don't keep track of that and have a strong opinion about other bands. I was a DEF LEPPARD fan before I was in the band. I bought the 'Hysteria' album twice. I had a cassette of it, and I wore it. It was one of the very first CDs I ever had. I was a fan for many years. 'Pyromania' was a great groundbreaking album, and then when 'Hysteria' came along, there were seven or eight hit songs on that album. It didn't win a Grammy or even get nominated. The awards are wonderful, but at the end of the day, what matters to us is seeing people come to the shows."

One of the top-selling rock acts of of all time, DEF LEPPARD has been eligible for the Rock Hall since 2004.

Campbell's comments echo those made by fellow DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, who told the Albany, New York radio station Q103 that he wasn't concerned about being included in the Rock Hall. "Honestly, it doesn't bother us at all," he said. "We hope our fans just like the music, they come to the tours, buy the records, and the music means something special to 'em. All of that stuff really means nothing. If it ever happens, great; if not, great."

Collen went to reiterate that he is "not even slightly" upset by the fact that DEF LEPPARD has been excluded from the Rock Hall. "It doesn't even come into our radar," he said. "Other people get really upset about it, and me and Joe Elliott [DEF LEPPARD singer], we laugh at it. It's got nothing to do with what we do; it really doesn't. What's special is playing the Royal Albert Hall for a bunch of cancer victims who happen to be teenagers, and everyone having an amazing night. That's way more special than [being inducted into] the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.