Before Taylor Swift was even born, Iron Maiden had already established itself as one in all the hottest heavy metallic bands of all time. Though the British legends have solely grown in stature and affect since then, it is fairly attainable that the pop celebrity will probably be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier than them.

Swift was born on Dec. 13, 1989. That’s a 12 months and a half after Iron Maiden launched their seventh studio album, 1988’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. They have been firmly established as area headliners by that point, and so they stay able to promoting out giant venues throughout the world right this moment.

Since the launch of her self-titled debut in 2006, Swift has rocketed to dizzying and practically unprecedented ranges of fame. She’s generated over $1 billion on her blockbuster Eras Tour and has bought an estimated 114 million albums in lower than twenty years. (Iron Maiden nonetheless has her beat in that division with 130 million gross sales, however given that they had a 26-year head begin, Swift appears sure to move them in some unspecified time in the future in the close to future.)

Read More: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 10 Worst Metal Snubs

Swift will probably be eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2031, 25 years after the launch of Taylor Swift. In current years, the establishment has widened its scope, inducting pop, nation and even hip-hop artists. If Swift can preserve something near her present degree of recognition, it appears fairly possible she’ll get voted in, maybe even in her first 12 months of eligibility.

On the different hand, regardless of being eligible since 2005, Iron Maiden has solely been nominated for the Rock Hall twice — in 2021 and 2023 — and not but inducted. The Rock Hall has been notoriously gradual to induct even the most clearly essential heavy metallic and exhausting rock acts. It took them over 20 years to induct Judas %@#%$# Priest, and even then it was solely in the secondary “musical excellence” class.

Of course, Iron Maiden hasn’t precisely endeared themselves to Rock Hall voters. In 2018, singer Bruce Dickinson made his distaste for the establishment fairly clear. “I’m really happy we’re not there and I would never want to be there,” he instructed the Jerusalem Post. “If we’re ever inducted, I will refuse — they won’t bloody be having my corpse in there. Rock and roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It’s a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it’s dead. It’s worse than horrible, it’s vulgar.”

So, which one in all these two vastly completely different artists will probably be the first to get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? We requested 4 of our writers, and this is what they stated:

Annie Zaleski (Author, Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs): First off, Swift is little doubt a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2031. Whether Iron Maiden will get there earlier than her is an attention-grabbing query. I’m going to be optimistic and lean towards sure. They’ve been nominated twice in the previous few years, which is an efficient signal — this implies they’ve advocates on the nominating committee — and it’s apparent that they’re one in all the final celebrity metallic bands not in the Rock Hall. (Translation: They have much less competitors and received’t break up the fan and total skilled vote.)

But I really feel like their greatest route into the Rock Hall is how Judas Priest was inducted: the Musical Excellence class. They match the profile of current teams on this class — perennial nominees (MC5) or artists with fervent fanbases (Jimmy Buffett) — and it bypasses needing to drum up large waves of trade help.

I don’t assume Bruce Dickinson’s damaging speak will have an effect on Iron Maiden’s induction possibilities. After all, he isn’t the solely artist to speak badly about the Rock Hall — contemplate Todd Rundgren, who expressed disdain for the establishment however was inducted anyway. Rundgren simply didn’t present up for the ceremony! Dickinson wouldn’t must both — although it might definitely be glorious to see Eddie get the enormous worldwide highlight.

Matthew Wilkening: I’ve to consider Iron Maiden’s going to get in first, in any other case my head may explode. It’s essential to keep in mind that the Rock Hall of Fame is only a personal group, who weren’t given any precise perception or authority from above. Your report and ticket stub assortment is the solely Hall of Fame that actually issues. Their voters are after all entitled to their very own opinions about what issues and what apparently doesn’t matter in rock historical past. But in some unspecified time in the future they’ve simply bought to understand that the line between subjective and goal has clearly been crossed right here. Like them or not — and, really, ever since 1986’s Somewhere in Time, their music has been more and more self-indulgent and overbaked for my tastes — Iron Maiden are one in all the hottest, essential and influential bands in the historical past of heavy metallic. If that is not Hall of Fame-worthy, what’s?

I consider Swift will — and, certain, why not, ought to — be inducted as quickly as attainable, which provides the Rock Hall six years to lastly do the proper factor by Iron Maiden. Also, having Judas Priest in and them out simply makes this exclusion all the extra obtrusive and self-incriminating. Dickinson’s public assaults should not matter; they’ve inducted quite a few artists — Axl Rose, Johnny Rotten, Ozzy Osbourne — who’ve spoken out in opposition to the group in the previous.

Matt Wardlaw: I actually do assume that Iron Maiden will get in lengthy earlier than Taylor — and hopefully quickly. It’s bonkers that we’re nonetheless speaking about Maiden and so they’re nonetheless not inducted. No matter what Bruce Dickinson could have stated about the Rock Hall, it’ll in the end not preserve the group from placing the band in, as we have seen with related previous examples. At the finish of the day, Iron Maiden are a key affect on numerous exhausting rock and heavy metallic bands. As it was with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and anybody else you may wish to title, Maiden helped write the guide for therefore many who’ve adopted of their footsteps. Brave New World was maybe their final actually nice album, however they’ve remained creatively engaged and a pressure to be reckoned with in the reside realm all the technique to the current. Like Judas Priest earlier than them, Iron Maiden’s correct invitation into the Hall is lengthy overdue. Every day that they are not in is a complete travesty.

Taylor Swift will little doubt be inducted when she turns into eligible, and I believe she deserves a slot in the Hall of Fame. If we contemplate Iron Maiden’s influence and lasting legacy, Taylor has additionally been a powerful trailblazer in a number of genres, together with pop and nation music. She’s nonetheless bought loads of profession to go, however I believe that like Maiden, we’ll nonetheless be speaking about Taylor for a few years to come back.

Bryan Rolli: I hate this query. Not as a result of it is unhealthy or invalid, however as a result of it makes me unhappy to contemplate one in all the biggest heavy metallic bands of all time being leapfrogged by a pop star who debuted 26 years after them. Swift is a shoo-in for the Rock Hall, most likely in her first 12 months of eligibility, because of the sheer magnitude of her success and her vice grip on just about each mainstream music publication. (Let’s not overlook that earlier than the HOF ousted cofounder Jann Wenner, artists mainly needed to be in mattress with Rolling Stone in the event that they had any hope of induction.)

That stated, I actually, actually hope — and maybe I may even persuade myself to consider — that the Hall will proper one in all its greatest wrongs and induct Iron Maiden inside the subsequent seven years. The clamoring will solely get louder with every passing 12 months, particularly in the wake of Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne’s current inductions. Nicko McBrain has additionally been candid about his well being points currently, and there is been growing stress on the Hall to induct sick and getting older artists whereas they’re nonetheless alive to savor the milestone. With all these elements at play, I do assume the Hall will in the end induct Maiden earlier than Swift — nonetheless egregiously late, thoughts you, however higher late than by no means, I assume.