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 1994

WINNER:

NOMINATED BETTER CHOICE:

 

In 1994, ‘The Bodyguard’ soundtrack received the Grammy Award in the Album Of The Year category. The disc was a massive success, selling over 45 million copies worldwide. In America, it enjoyed 20 non-consecutive weeks at #1.

The main reason for its impressive sales was Whitney Houston. She was responsible for six tracks on the soundtrack, including the hit singles “I Will Always Love You”, “I’m Every Woman”, “Queen Of The Night” and “I Have Nothing”. These all rank among the best in the exceptional singer’s catalogue. The tracks capture Houston at her vocal best. This is especially true of “I Will Always Love You” which was a record-breaking disc all over the globe.

As extraordinary as Houston’s vocal skill was on ‘The Bodyguard’, the other half dozen tracks are no match. They appear to be nothing more than filler. After the 6 Houston tracks, the remainder of the album’s quality descends sharply. For this reason, the soundtrack did not deserve the Album Of The Year Grammy. Houston was justifiably rewarded for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance- Female (“I Will Always Love You”) as she was, but the album in its entirety is lacklustre.

Although its sales never threatened ‘The Bodyguard’, R.E.M. was nominated that year for ‘Automatic For The People’. The group had been improving with each new album release. This new LP marked a significant leap forward. The songs reflected this progression. Among the album’s highlights are the tracks “Drive”, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite”, “Man On The Moon”, “Nightswimming” and “Find The River”. The best known single from the LP is “Everybody Hurts”, which quickly became a rock staple.

In Britain and New Zealand, ‘Automatic For The People’ reached #1. It peaked at #2 in America and Australia. The darlings of alternative rock had now established a place among the best bands of that time. Of all the nominated albums that year, this was the best choice, brimming with strong tracks from start to finish.

NEVER WON A GRAMMY AWARD*:

*(excludes life achievement categories)

 

RUN-D.M.C. etc.

The Academy has struggled with rap for decades. Pioneers such as Public Enemy, Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, N.W.A., Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G. and Run-D.M.C. have never received a Grammy. This is despite all of these acts playing a fundamental role in the evolution of hip hop. Today, it is one of the dominant genres in pop music. This reality is mostly due to the contributions made by these acts.  

“Rapper’s Delight” was the first major chart hit by a rap act. In fact, it introduced the new sound to the mainstream. Its release was a watershed. Run-D.M.C. fared even better, combining the rock from Aerosmith with rap beats on “Walk This Way”. The group remained vital with other seminal rap songs: “It’s Tricky”, “My Adidas” and “It’s Like That”.

The oversight has permeated across the genre and even a contemporary act as renowned as Snoop Dogg has yet to collect his first Grammy Award. This is despite annually highlighting rap recordings in its own categories.