The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been notorious for snubbing a great deal of well deserving bands/artists over the years. According to founding Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman many of the bands ignored by the Hall are prog rock bands. Due to that fact among other reasons, if Yes does get inducted this year he probably won't attend the ceremony.
This is Yes's third time being nominated for induction since they first became eligible in 1994. Unfortunately though due to the nature of the Hall they haven't been inducted. Wakeman weighs in during an interview with WROR, saying:
“I pushed for Yes to go in the Hall of Fame when I wasn't in the band, because I felt the band deserved to go in years ago. There's some bands that have been inducted that I have no idea why they’re in there. There’s bands like Yes and a few others and you go, ‘Why aren't they in?’ It just doesn’t make an ounce of sense to me.
It seems that anything to do with prog rock was considered a dirty word by them. It’s the most inventive and the most influential music to musicians that there’s ever been in the history of rock’n’roll – and yet it’s ignored. I’m not sure whether I’d turn up. I’m so disgusted with the way that prog rock and Yes have been treated, I might be busy. I might be washing my hair that night.”
I can kind of understand why Wakeman feels the way he does. If the Hall is snubbing prog rock bands just because they aren't big hit producing machines like so many of the other inductees then I don't blame Wakeman for wanting to opt out of the ceremony if they do get inducted. Prog rock is some of the most creative, exploratory, and mind expanding music to ever exist. Those who do it well deserve to be recognized just as much as anyone else for their accomplishments.
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