Rush type Movie

Image Credit: Andrew MacNaughtanRush was conspicuously absent from the list of 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees released this morning. For fans of the Canadian prog-rockers, it’s deja vu all over again. While Rush has been eligible for the Hall since way back in 1999, somehow they’ve never made the cut.

“It’s unfortunate,” says Scot McFadyen, who co-directed the recent film Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. “We were hoping a lot more people in the [nominating] room had seen our documentary, and maybe that would have given them a different perspective on the band. But there are just some people that are holding out.”

As disappointing as Rush’s latest snub was, McFadyen wasn’t necessarily surprised. “They’ve never been a critics’ band. The industry people that are involved with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rush has never been cool enough for them.”

Even so, McFadyen says he’s spoken with some Hall insiders who support inducting Rush. “The same people that got Genesis in last year were pitching for Rush this year,” he says. In fact, he predicts Rush could be nominated as soon as next year. “Rush doesn’t need it, you know. But I think it would be nice.”

How do you feel about Rush’s continued exclusion from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Could 2012 be their year at last? Express your outrage in the comments, preferably to the tune of “Tom Sawyer” (after the jump).

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More on the Music Mix: