Gene Simmons, the iconic bassist and co-founder of KISS, has reignited a long-standing debate about the Rock &. Roll Hall of Fame’s evolving criteria for induction, specifically taking issue with the inclusion of hip-hop artists. In a recent appearance on the LegendsNLeaders podcast, Simmons voiced his belief that genres outside of rock music, such as hip-hop, opera, and even symphony orchestras, don’t belong within the Hall’s walls.
“It’s not my music,” Simmons stated plainly. “I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language. And as I said in print many times, hip-hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, nor does opera or symphony orchestras.… How come the New York Philharmonic doesn’t get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Because it’s called the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
Simmons’ comments highlight a recurring tension within the music industry and among fans regarding the definition of “rock and roll” and the Hall of Fame’s increasingly inclusive approach. While the Hall has broadened its scope over the years to encompass a wider range of influential musical genres, Simmons remains steadfast in his view that the focus should remain firmly on rock’s origins and evolution.
The debate isn’t new. Simmons has publicly expressed similar sentiments for years, even stating in 2016 that he was “looking forward to the death of rap,” a comment he later attributed to a lack of cultural understanding. This latest outburst echoes those earlier statements, framing his critique as a matter of personal connection and artistic preference rather than a judgment of the artists’ talent or cultural impact.
Simmons specifically questioned the induction of Grandmaster Flash alongside artists like Iron Maiden, arguing that the latter’s stadium-selling power seems to be overlooked in favor of hip-hop pioneers. He also referenced a previous conversation with Ice Cube, acknowledging the rapper’s intelligence and success while still maintaining that hip-hop simply doesn’t resonate with him personally.
“Ice Cube and I had a back and forth,” Simmons recounted. “He’s a bright guy, and I respect what he’s done.…He shot back that it’s the ‘spirit’ of rock and roll.… So Ice Cube and Grandmaster Flash and all these guys are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I just want to know when Led Zeppelin’s going to be in the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame?”
Ice Cube himself previously addressed this very argument in 2015, following N.W.A’s induction into the Hall of Fame. He told Rolling Stone that rap is intrinsically linked to rock and roll, drawing on shared roots in soul, R&B, and blues. “Rap is a piece of rock & roll, but there’s also a piece of soul, a piece of R&B, a piece of blues — all of that music that comes before it,” Cube explained. “I think rap captures the spirit of rock & roll just like rappers and guys who do rock & roll capture the same spirit, but they might go in different directions with it. But it’s the same spirit.”
Simmons’ critique extends beyond hip-hop, questioning the very definition of music itself. He characterized rap as a “spoken-word art” that relies on verbal dexterity rather than traditional musical composition. “By and large, rap, hip-hop is a spoken-word art. Then you put beats in back of it and somebody comes up with a musical phrase, but it’s verbal. Notice some melodies, but by and large, it’s a verbal thing,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Simmons has expressed a broader skepticism about the current state of rock music. In 2017, he declared to Rolling Stone that “there will not be another Beatles,” lamenting the perceived lack of enduring superstars in contemporary music. He has repeatedly argued that the golden age of rock, spanning from the late 1950s to the late 1980s, represents an unparalleled period of musical innovation and cultural impact.
Simmons’ comments also resurfaced a previous debate about the relative popularity of rock bands compared to contemporary artists. He questioned whether artists like Radiohead possess the same level of mainstream recognition as established rock acts like Mötley Crüe, a claim that was challenged at the time.
KISS, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, has been largely on hiatus since concluding their farewell tour in December 2023. However, the band members have made occasional appearances, including a fan event in November 2025 and the Kennedy Center Honors the following month. Despite these appearances, Simmons continues to court controversy with his outspoken opinions, most recently questioning the songwriting credit for Peter Criss’s signature song, “Beth.”
In a recent interview with YouTube’s Professor of Rock, Simmons claimed that Peter Criss didn’t actually write “Beth,” despite being the song’s vocalist. “Peter had nothing to do with that song,” Simmons asserted. “He sang it.… The mythology of ‘Beth’ is exactly that: mythology. The real story is Peter was lucky enough to be in the same place at the same time as a guy who wrote a song called ‘Beth.’”
Criss swiftly refuted Simmons’ claims, stating, “Gene wouldn’t know how the song was originally written because Gene wasn’t there from the conception of the song in the late ‘60s and he wasn’t there for the completion of the song with Bob Ezrin.” He further dismissed Simmons’ statements as “ridiculous and very uncalled for,” emphasizing his own involvement in the song’s creation.
Simmons’ ongoing criticisms of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and his willingness to challenge established narratives within the music industry continue to generate discussion and debate, highlighting the complex and often contentious relationship between artistic legacy, cultural evolution, and personal preference.
