Most controversial Grammy wins—and how they’ve aged
Most controversial Grammy wins—and how they’ve gentle
For the explanation that ceremony began in 1959, then hosted at the Beverly Hilton, the Annual Grammy Awards were regarded as amongst the greatest awards in music. That first 365 days rewarded the likes of iconic stars including Frank Sinatra, the Kingston Trio, Count Basie, and Ella Fitzgerald. Since then, many other prominent artists—regarded as by critics and followers to be amongst the ideal of all time—accept as true with additionally stumbled on acclaim. Beyoncé, within the meanwhile basically the most Grammy-favorable female artist of all time to this point, has obtained 28; Stevie Wonder has earned 25; Jay-Z has 23 Grammys; Kanye West and U2 garnered 22 trophies, respectively; and Bruce Springsteen has taken dwelling 20.
Alternatively, whereas loads of the favorable artists were deserving and their legacies accept as true with stood the take a look at of time, the Grammy Awards accept as true with had their comely fragment of controversies. Track followers accept as true with complained that the balloting system tends to reward those with high-selling info in preference to the ideal music, divorcing winners from the truth of what’s going down within the industry. And following an remarkable snub for a inform at the 2021 ceremony for his significantly acclaimed album “After Hours,” The Weeknd even spearheaded a boycott against the inform, accusing the awards of corruption. Some undeniably iconic artists, equivalent to Diana Ross and Jimi Hendrix, below no circumstances obtained awards all over their vaunted careers. What’s more, tremendous winners beat out favorable artists (or as a minimal artists that followers or critics insisted had been greater). In about a cases, artists had been nominated in categories that made no sense for their form of music.
What are basically the most controversial wins in Grammy historic previous? Stacker compiled an fashioned checklist utilizing unbiased research to search out the tip Grammy flubs and how those choices accept as true with gentle. Read on to search out out which moments made the slash.
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Herbie Hancock beats Amy Winehouse
By 2008, Amy Winehouse’s second (and supreme) studio album “Relief to Sunless” had been out for several years and was once regarded as among the ideal subject matter for that 365 days’s Grammy Awards. Winehouse left rehab to assemble for the ceremony by satellite and obtained five awards, including Song of the 365 days and Most piquant New Artist. Alternatively, for Most piquant Album, the winner was once Herbie Hancock, a jazz artist who had launched an album of reimagined Joni Mitchell songs. It is seemingly you’ll per chance per chance per chance now now not know of Hancock except you’re a jazz mega-fan. Winehouse’s pop legacy, on the opposite hand, was once cemented after her tragic loss of life in 2011.
Kevork Djansezian / /Getty Images
Macklemore bests Kendrick Lamar
Hip-hop followers weren’t elated when Macklemore, a white artist, beat out Kendrick Lamar for Most piquant Rap Album in 2014. They had been device more perplexed when Macklemore posted a text exchange with Lamar, whereby he apologized for favorable the award he felt Lamar deserved. Modified into he being merely or pandering to public thought? Regardless of: Lamar went on to ranking the award at the 2016 ceremony for “To Pimp a Butterfly” and in 2018 for “Rattling,” which even obtained him the Pulitzer Prize for Track.
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Milli Vanilli’s award rescinded
In 1990, Milli Vanilli was once awarded the Most piquant New Artist award. But when the pop duo admitted that they hadn’t undoubtedly sung any of their songs themselves, each and every on their album or in concert, the Academy stripped them of their award. The pair turned a laughing stock and, despite seeking to stage a comeback, would possibly per chance per chance per chance now now not catch their footing sooner than member Clutch Pilatus died at age 32.
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José Feliciano wins Most piquant New Artist
It wasn’t that José Feliciano was once unfit of the Most piquant New Artist award in 1969, but of us had been vastly surprised that he beat Cream, a rock band now regarded as amongst the ideal of all time by many. Feliciano’s lasting contributions embody singing basically the most simple version of “Feliz Navidad.”
[Pictured: José Feliciano playing a concert in 2007.]
Eric Clapton beats Nirvana
Eric Clapton is an undeniable music account—as effectively as the lead guitarist of the aforementioned Cream—and his song, “Layla,” has stood the take a look at of time. Alternatively, in 1993, it was once an acoustic hide of that song—which, by then, was once 20 years damaged-down—that beat out Nirvana’s “Smells Indulge in Teen Spirit” for Most piquant Rock Song. In the present day time, “Teen Spirit” is regarded as a touchstone of the ’90s and amongst Nirvana’s finest works.
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Jethro Tull wins for Most piquant Laborious Rock/Steel
In 1989, the Grammys provided a brand modern class to gift that they had been hip to the times: Most piquant Laborious Rock/Steel Recording. Amongst the nominees had been Metallica, Iggy Pop, AC/DC, and Jane’s Addiction. When Jethro Tull—a revolutionary rock band that closely featured flute—obtained, many within the crowd started laughing. In the present day time, it’s peaceable regarded as a hilarious bungle, even by the members of Jethro Tull.
[Pictured: British rock band Jethro Tull performs on stage, August 12, 2007, in Crozon, western France.]
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Shelby Lynn wins Most piquant New Artist
When country singer Shelby Lynn obtained Most piquant New Artist in 2001, followers felt that per chance it was once a tad slack for her to be regarded as a “modern” artist. She had already been recording for years. As she joked in her acceptance speech, it took her “13 years and six albums to get right here.” Since then, she’s launched seven more studio albums and dozens of singles.
Bryan Ledgard // Wikimedia Commons
Sinéad O’Connor refuses her award
The 365 days was once 1991 and Sinéad O’Connor was once nominated for Most piquant Female Pop Vocal Performance, Most piquant Different Track Performance, and Anecdote of the 365 days. Even supposing she obtained the Most piquant Different class, she was once now now not there to procure it, as she withdrew herself from the ceremony attributable to its “spurious and adversarial materialistic values.” Since then, O’Connor has staged many other high-profile protests, including ripping up a picture of the pope on “Saturday Evening Are living.”
New Vaudeville Band beats out rock legends
New Vaudeville Band, the 1960s novelty pop band, obtained Most piquant Up-to-the-minute Rock & Roll Recording for their song “Winchester Cathedral” in 1967. They beat out “Monday, Monday” by The Mamas & the Papas, “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles, and “Correct Vibrations” by The Seaside Boys—all of that are regarded as classics at the present time.
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Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder’s awkward speech
Many artists are elated to ranking their first Grammy Award—now now not so for Pearl Jam’s lead man, Eddie Vedder. After they obtained Most piquant Rock Performance in 1996, Vedder took the stage to negate, “I don’t know what this means. I don’t mediate it capability anything else. That’s correct how I get dangle of.” Even supposing his nonchalance confounded some, Pearl Jam went on to total monumental acclaim. In 2000, he dissed the Grammys once more at a 10-365 days anniversary performance for this band in Las Vegas, thanking his followers, and including, “I’d below no circumstances get this accepting a Grammy or something.”
[Pictured: Pearl Jam performs August 23, 2000, at the Jones Beach Theater in Long Island, New York.]
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50 Cent interrupts Evanescence
Kanye West famously interrupted Taylor Swift’s Video Track Awards speech in 2009. Maybe he was once impressed by yet every other rapper relieve in 2004. When the assorted rock band Evanescence obtained for Most piquant New Artist and commenced their speech, 50 Cent, who had additionally been nominated for the award, jumped on stage and paraded spherical the band sooner than making his capability relieve to his seat. Evanescence singer Amy Lee took it in walk, joking about it. In the present day time, it’s peaceable regarded as an oversight that 50 Cent misplaced, brooding about he was once nominated for five awards that night—and didn’t ranking any.
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Adele apologizes to Beyoncé
Adele’s response to favorable the Grammy for Album of the 365 days in 2017 for “25” wasn’t elation. In point of truth, she admitted “a dinky share of [her] died” when she was once provided the winner. On stage, she apologized to Beyoncé, who she acknowledged deserved the award for her album “Lemonade.” Some critics identified that Sunless artists hadn’t secured that particular individual award since 2008—and that dry trip continues at the present time.
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Christina Aguilera tops Britney Spears
The 365 days? 2000. The question on all people’s thoughts: Which pop princess will prefer Most piquant New Artist, Christina Aguilera or Britney Spears? By night’s stop, Aguilera would prevail, signaling a reign that would possibly per chance per chance per chance watch the pop star dominating the Grammy Awards for years to attain relieve, having claimed five trophies to this point. Spears, whereas a pop icon in her like correct, has finest obtained one Grammy for her song “Poisonous.”
‘Thriller’ wins, but ‘1999’ isn’t nominated
In 1984, Michael Jackson’s acclaimed album “Thriller” obtained Album of the 365 days. It was once a deserved award in many followers’ eyes. Alternatively, the competition would possibly per chance per chance per chance now now not were utterly comely. Prince’s traditional “1999” wasn’t even nominated. That album, in which Prince performs with regards to all of the instrumentals himself, secured his establish amongst music’s greats and is basically regarded as one amongst the greatest albums of all time.
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Maroon 5 and Ray Charles beat Kanye West
The 2005 Grammy Awards saw 10 nominations for Kanye West’s “The Faculty Dropout,” basically the most nominations for any artist there. While West secured three wins, there had been two main oversights. First, his defeat by Maroon 5 for Most piquant New Artist. 2d, and perchance most egregiously, his loss to Ray Charles for Album of the 365 days. Charles had correct died, and the award given to his file “Genius Loves Company” was once viewed as overly sentimental or misplaced allegiance to the music account. West isn’t hurting for Grammy wins at the present time, even if: He has obtained 22 all over his profession.
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