The Grammys: A History of Bad Artists and Awards
The Grammys Snub the Best and Honor the Worst
Dec 9, 2008
Carey Grant and Alfred Hitchcock never won an Oscar for any of their individual works. Desi Arnaz, one of the leading innovators in the history of television, never took home an Emmy. The Grammys, however, often seem to top this ludicrous list of awards show miscues.
The Best Artists Never to Win a Grammy
Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson have Grammys; but Janis Joplin, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, Tupac, The Who and The Doors round a considerably longer list of music legends never to pick up their respective industry’s most prestigious award.
History has proven that the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys fail to discern the “good” from the “trendy.” The Grammys, however, not only give statues to the wrong people, they often appear to honor the worst artists in music.
The Black Eyed Peas song “My Humps” earned a Grammy, but “Yesterday” by The Beatles did not receive an award. “Yesterday” is the most covered song in the history of music; “My Humps” goes like this: “What you gon' do with all that junk?/All that junk inside that trunk?/I'ma get, get, get, get you drunk,/Get you love drunk off my hump.”
The Grammys “Best New Artist” Blunders
In 2004, Nellie McKay became the first woman ever to release a double album for her debut and failed even to be nominated. This in a category in which the Grammy voters irrationally gave trendy group Milli Vanilli an award in 1990 before stripping them of it nine months later, after it was revealed that they did not even sing the vocals on their record.
McKay’s terrific jazz double album with gritty and sometimes satirical lyrics received high acclaim from critics, but McKay’s more edgy and sometimes cynical songs likely put off Grammy voters who chucked awards at young female jazz artist Norah Jones in 2002 like she was a noisy cat outside their bedroom windows.
Why Regina Spektor Does Not Have a Grammy…Or Even a Nomination
Maynard James Keenan blew off the Grammys on his band’s (Tool) big night.
“I think the Grammys are nothing more than some gigantic promotional machine for the music industry…They don't honor the arts or the artist for what he created. It's the music business celebrating itself,” Keenan explained.
Keenan’s insight helps explain why Mariah Carey has five wins, but the brilliant Ani DiFranco has just one win—and DiFranco's statue is not even for her music (the Grammy is for “Best Recording Package”).
It also helps one understand why Avril Lavigne has been recognized by the Grammys with nominations, but songwriting prodigy Regina Spektor has never been up for an award.
The Oscars and Emmys may have made a bundle of blunders over the years, but they do not go as far as to honor the worst of their industry just because those actors or shows are trendy.
MTV’s Jackass did not win an Emmy over The Sopranos; but, if they did, that would be about the degree of insanity that drives Grammy voters to nominate and award Britney Spears over Regina Spektor.
The problem with the Grammys is not so much that they consistently ignore brilliant but less prestigious artists; the reason the Grammys warrant an article such as this is because they award the “worst” instead of just not awarding the “best.”
