Certainly not not influenced by Paul McCartney's constant campaigning for someone's inclusion on any given year (last year it was Foreigner; now he's going to bat for Joe Cocker), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — and who is or isn't in it — remains a topic of conversation, and consequently an interview question.
Burton Cummings was, admittedly, being interviewed by Cleveland.com ahead of his show in the city tomorrow (March 7) when he was asked how he felt about the Guess Who's exclusion, so it kind of makes sense. Likewise, the Canadian band's former frontman said that he's very much not losing sleep over it.
"I don't think about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," Cummings told the publication's Gary Graff. "It's not a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Madonna is in there. It's not rock 'n' roll."
The musician continued, "So I don't lose any sleep. I'm not concerned about it, believe me. I don't lose any sleep about it."
For those who do care about this kind of thing, the Guess Who have been eligible for the Rock Hall since 1991 — and have yet to even receive a nomination for inclusion. Cocker, Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and the White Stripes are currently in the running to be inducted in the institution's 2025 class.
Notably, the only Canadian acts included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thus far are Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Rush and the Band, with some critics pointing to an organizational bias toward Americana and British artists. Courtney Love has also been a vocal critic of the Rock Hall's blatant misogyny.