The battle for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote: Duran Duran dominance, allegations of stolen votes and fan alliances

Duran Duran took the lead in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote, topping rapper Eminem a day after his high-profile Super Bowl halftime show performance, no less, and it didn't take long for things to get ugly.

After overcoming a 20,000-vote deficit, Duran fell behind again. Apparently, Eminem fans were starting to get angry (his music skews angry, after all). Some Duran fans reported being unable to log their daily votes after a list of emails was gleaned from a Facebook group. But Duranies rocked on: They started voting at 12:01 a.m. each day.

Then came the allegations against Duranies: that fans were forming alliances with the fan bases of acts like BTS, Taylor Swift, and One Direction. Twitter posts indicate there is a small movement to support a pop/rock band over a rapper for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but it's unclear if Duranies played any role in encouraging those fan bases.

Now, Eminem fans, or "Stans," as they call themselves, are calling out Duran fans for using multiple email addresses to cast votes. But the rules seem clear: "Enter a valid email address" to "cast one ballot per day." Email addresses must be verified, a rule likely aimed at preventing bots from voting. Using more than a few different email addresses to vote daily is possible. However, the potential for one person to vote from multiple emails is likely why the fan vote counts for so little in the overall scheme of things.

If there's one thing that's clear, it's that Duranies are loyal. They ask their families, friends, and others to vote for the band daily. They remind their fellow fans to vote daily. 

The honor of even being nominated to the rock hall has been a long time coming: Duran has been eligible for several years. Duranies are going to make this nomination count, even if we play just a small role in its outcome.

The battle is moving past Eminem, though it was never about him. It's about showing the world how much Duran Duran matters. The next goal: getting the most votes. We're at nearly half a million with about two months to go. Let's continue to rock the vote: 

https://vote.rockhall.com/en/.

Duran Duran leads Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote after scoring first nomination

Duran Duran has finally been nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, more than 40 years after the band's debut album. 

And a sweet side note on Valentine’s Day: Duran has taken the lead in the fan vote.

Duran long ago crossed the 25-year threshold of eligibility, as it was deemed a "mascara" band, doomed to be passed over by the hall (something I wrote about in 2016). But times have changed. In addition to Duran's 2022 nomination, other overlooked '80s bands like Depeche Mode and the Cure have been inducted, along with Duran heroes Roxy Music, who Simon Le Bon and John Taylor inducted themselves. 

Duran has also continued to stay relevant, releasing a critically praised new album, “Future Past,” last year.

If Duran makes the cut as a first-time nominee, Le Bon, Taylor, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor, as well as departed guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo, are to be inducted, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

A turning of the tide at the rock hall may have taken place when Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner stepped aside as the hall's chairman and was replaced by MTV co-founder John Sykes. Since then, the influence of Duranies like Nile Rodgers and Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield has also risen. 

Duran's "army of fans" is making a difference in the fan voting. After the band's nomination, Le Bon thanked fans from "around the world" for their unwavering support over four decades.

Fans can vote once a day, and their top five favorites will make up a fans' ballot that will count toward a vote in the overall contest.

Duranies, instead of feeling resignation over the band being passed over another year, are now speculating whether Andy Taylor and/or Cuccurullo will join their old bandmates if they are indeed inducted. But that may be a better discussion for another day. For now, Duranies can continue to make a small difference in the outcome by taking a moment each day to vote for their favorite band.

So keep voting, now until April 29, here.