GRAMMY WTF?  1969 Song Of the Year. More: Sunday.

The Grammy Awards are one of music’s most prestigious trophies. Since the inaugural ceremony in 1959, winners have spanned a vast array of musical styles and winners as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Eminem and Lizzo. There have, however, been some instances where one can’t comprehend the outcomes and omissions. Caffè Lattè looks back on some of the most baffling moments and unsuccessful -yet influential- acts…

GRAMMY WTF?

SONG OF THE YEAR 1969

WINNER:

NOMINATED BETTER CHOICE:

It’s fair to say that O.C. Smith and his song “Little Green Apples” have faded into obscurity in the decades since 1969. The disc was a #2 hit in the U.S., but failed to make much impact elsewhere.

Conversely, one of the other nominated songs in the same category remains one of the most enduring moments in pop culture. Even at the time of its release, “Hey Jude” was recognized as one of the standouts in the acclaimed canon of the world’s most popular music group. In 1968, the disc broke records for time spent on top of the American and Australian charts. It was a worldwide hit and Billboard ranked it as the #1 single of that year.

How then, could the Grammy Award not have been bestowed upon such an iconic rock track? Again, the voters failed in reflecting the vast influence of The Beatles and one of the group’s most enduring classics.

NEVER WON A GRAMMY AWARD*:

*(excludes life achievement categories)

 

THE FOUR SEASONS

Despite charting with some of the best pop recordings of the 1960s, The Four Seasons were inexplicably overlooked many times by Grammy voters. The vocal group from New Jersey served a series of hit songs during that decade, including: “Walk Like A Man”, “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Rag Doll” and “Dawn (Go Away)”. They enjoyed a revival in the 1970s with the major smash singles such as “December, 1963 (Oh What A Night) and “Who Loves You”.

Curiously, the group only received 2 nominations, both in 1962. One was for Best Rock And Roll Recording which that year saw “Big Girls Don’t Cry” competing against songs by The Drifters, Neil Sedaka, Mary Wells and Sam Cooke. All were worthy recipients, but the Grammy went instead to the jazz piano hit “Alley Cat” by Bent Fabric; hardly rock and roll! The other missed opportunity for Frankie Valli & the group will be discussed in a later post.