Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French has expressed frustration about his band's continued absence from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, arguing they deserve induction given their commercial success and international influence. In an interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, French highlighted the band's 30 million record sales internationally, 37 gold and platinum albums, and headline performances in 40 countries, contesting the notion that they lack the credentials for inclusion. He suggested that politics and regional bias—particularly against Long Island acts—play a role in the Hall's selection process, drawing a comparison with the Velvet Underground, who were inducted despite selling considerably fewer records.

French pointed to Twisted Sister's commercial dominance in the late 1970s New York area, when the band was selling out 5,000-capacity venues and twice filled the Palladium Theater in 1979 without a record deal. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's criteria officially prioritise influence and significance over record sales, though the selection process remains open to interpretation. Other bands have faced similar delays: Kiss, eligible since 1999, was not inducted until 2014, whilst Deep Purple waited from 1993 until 2016. To date, only 11 metal or metal-adjacent acts have been inducted into the Hall, with selections made by over 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals.