The first ever Brits to be inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were The Beatles in 1988, the first year they were eligible.
George Harrison and Ringo Starr attended the ceremony but Paul McCartney did not, issuing a statement saying: “After 20 years, the Beatles still have some business differences, which I had hoped would have been settled by now. Unfortunately, they haven’t been, so I would feel like a complete hypocrite waving and smiling with them at a fake reunion.”
Pink Floyd fall-outs were at a peak back in 1996, when David Gilmour brandished their Hall of Fame trophy on stage and said: “I’ll have to grab a couple more of these for our two band members who have started playing different tunes. Roger (Waters) and Syd (Barrett). We’ll take a couple of these home.”
That same year, David Bowie gave no explanation as to why he left it to Madonna to pick up his trophy, with the Material Girl thanking him “wherever you are”.
In 2006 Johnny Lydon from punk band The Sex Pistols sent a hand-written letter, external explaining why they would not be going: “Were (sic) not your monkey”and describing the museum as “urine in wine”.
In 2018, Dire Straits front man Mark Knopfler missed his band’s induction, with bass player John Illsley telling Billboard, external: “It just didn’t appeal to him. He’s got his reasons, which he really doesn’t want to share with me which is unusual because we’ve shared most things over the years.”