GRAMMY WTF?  1986 - Album Of the Year. More: tomorrow.

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?

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1986

WINNER:

NOMINATED BETTER CHOICE:

In a year when strong albums such as ‘Brothers In Arms’ by Dire Straits and Sting’s solo debut ‘Dream Of The Blue Turtles’ were also nominated, it is disappointing that the Academy recognized the bland and soulless ‘No Jacket Required’ by Phil Collins for Album Of The Year.

The British singer had previously released superior recordings such as “In The Air Tonight”, “Against All Odds”, “I Missed Again” and a fun cover of “You Can’t Hurry Love”. But his 1985 album was filled with banal and formulaic tracks such as “Sussudio”, “Don’t Lose My Number”, “One More Night” and “Take Me Home”. Radio loved it, particularly in the United States. At the time, Collins’ voice was ubiquitous.

Dire Straits and Sting would have been wiser choices. Both ‘Brothers In Arms’ and ‘Dream Of The Blue Turtles’ were successful releases and reflected a progression for the respective acts. As great as these albums are, there was an even worthier choice nominated in the same category.

Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut album introduced the public to the extraordinary talent of an exciting new artist. The LP spawned three US #1 singles (“Saving All My Love For You”, “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love Of All”). Houston’s was the first debut album to achieve this trifecta. It was also the first LP by a solo female artist to accomplish this feat. It remains one of the best-selling albums of all-time.

This category had long been dominated by male acts. Only 3 female soloists had won a Grammy for Album Of the Year: Judy Garland (in 1962), Barbra Streisand (1964) and Carole King (1972). Houston did finally win in this category in 1994 with ‘The Bodyguard’ film soundtrack.

NEVER WON A GRAMMY AWARD*:

*(excludes life achievement categories)

 

BLONDIE

Blondie rarely gets praise for its genre-shifting and trend-setting music. With an enviable success rate, the band managed to score worldwide hits with several songs that spanned a diverse range of styles.

Although classified as new wave in its seminal years, Blondie delivered key songs such as “Picture This” and “Union City Blue”. They dabbled in disco (“Heart Of Glass”; “Call Me”; “Atomic”), reggae (“The Tide Is High”), rap (“Rapture”), power pop (“Hanging On The Telephone”) and other sub-genres.

Lead singer Deborah Harry remains one of the most iconic frontwomen in rock music, holding her own at a time when female rockers were a minority. Blondie accumulated 4 US chart-topping singles and 6 in the UK. Despite such a solid track record, Blondie never received a Grammy Award. The group was nominated twice.