It was a pretty good year for Rock at the GRAMMYs.
In brushing up on my GRAMMY knowledge over the course of this experience, I’ve come to one conclusion about how the 700 or so Recording Academy voting members decide on the winners in Rock. To me, it seems that while the winners in the Pop and Rap genres are very of the moment, the Rock winners seem to be based on their whole catalog of work, thus, they go to the established acts. So while AC/DC should have won decades ago for Back in Black, they’re just now winning for work that’s, essentially, not their peak. Does that make them any less deserving? Not really, AC/DC deserves a GRAMMY. It just makes sense. Did ‘War Machine’ deserve a GRAMMY? Probably not. So Rock and the GRAMMYs are in a constant state of catch-up. Perhaps one day, Rock GRAMMYs will go to those artists of the moment, too, and Hard Rock and Metal will see categories for Album of the Year.
Record Of The Year
Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s), if other than the artist.
Winner:
Use Somebody
Kings Of Leon
Jacquire King & Angelo Petraglia, producers; Jacquire King, engineer/mixer
[RCA Records]
This was a big win for Rock: KoL took the prize over the Pop, Country, and R&B nominees. While the brothers are relatively young, they’ve been on the scene for a while. Is ‘Use Somebody’ a rock song? Marginally.
Other nominees:
Halo
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles & Ryan Tedder, producers; Jim Caruana, Mark “Spike” Stent & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers
Track from: I Am… Sasha Fierce
[Music World Music / Columbia]
I Gotta Feeling
The Black Eyed Peas
David Guetta & Frédéric Riesterer, producers; will.i.am, Dylan “3-D” Dresdow & Padraic “Padlock” Kerin, engineers/mixers
[Interscope]
Poker Face
Lady Gaga
RedOne, producer; Robert Orton, RedOne & Dave Russell, engineers/mixers
Track from: The Fame
[Streamline/Interscope/Konlive/Cherrytree]
You Belong With Me
Taylor Swift
Nathan Chapman & Taylor Swift, producers; Chad Carlson & Justin Niebank, engineers/mixers
[Big Machine Records]
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.
Winner:
Working On A Dream
Bruce Springsteen
Track from: Working On A Dream
[Columbia]
While I can understand the allure of Springsteen as America’s everyman, to me it is not a real rock track. Dylan or Prince deserved to win here.
Other nominees:
Beyond Here Lies Nothin’
Bob Dylan
Track from: Together Through Life
[Columbia]
Change In The Weather
John Fogerty
Track from: The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
[Verve Forecast]
Dreamer
Prince
Track from: LotusFlow3r
[NPG Records]
Fork In The Road
Neil Young
Track from: Fork In The Road
[Reprise]
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
For duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.
Winner:
Use Somebody
Kings Of Leon
[RCA Records]
It makes sense that KoL would win here if they were going to take the top prize for Record of the Year. Based on the competition, only Green Day competes as being a real Rock song.
Other nominees:
Can’t Find My Way Home
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood
Track from: Live From Madison Square Garden
[Reprise]
Life In Technicolor II
Coldplay
Track from: Prospekt’s March EP
[Capitol]
21 Guns
Green Day
Track from: 21st Century Breakdown
[Reprise]
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
U2
Track from: No Line On The Horizon
[Interscope]
Best Hard Rock Performance
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.
Winner:
War Machine
AC/DC
Track from: Black Ice
[Columbia]
I am big enough to remove my personal bias as an AiC fangirl here and say I’m ok with AC/DC winning, especially considering the other nominees. I still think ‘Check My Brain’ is a better song.
Other nominees:
Check My Brain
Alice In Chains
[Virgin]
What I’ve Done
Linkin Park
Track from: Road To Revolution: Live At Milton Keynes
[Warner Bros.]
The Unforgiven III
Metallica
Track from: Death Magnetic
[Warner Bros.]
Burn It To The Ground
Nickelback
Track from: Dark Horse
[Roadrunner Records]
Best Metal Performance
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.
Winner:
Dissident Aggressor
Judas Priest
Track from: A Touch Of Evil – Live
[Epic]
This is tricky. Does Judas Priest deserve a GRAMMY? Yes. Does Judas Priest deserve a GRAMMY for a song originally recorded in ’77 and only eligible because of it was on a live album? Not really. The same goes for the Ministry track that was nominated. In my opinion, live recordings should be a separate category; it’s just not an apples to apples comparison here.
Other nominees:
Set To Fail
Lamb Of God
Track from: Wrath
[Epic]
Head Crusher
Megadeth
Track from: Endgame
[Roadrunner Records]
Señor Peligro
Ministry
Track from: Adios…
[13th Planet]
Hate Worldwide
Slayer
[American / Columbia]
Best Rock Instrumental Performance
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal. Singles or Tracks only.
Winner:
A Day In The Life
Jeff Beck
Track from: Performing This Week…Live At Ronnie Scott’s
[Eagle Records]
I agree with this one- rock instrumentals are hard to judge, but Beck would be the most ‘rock’ sounding of the bunch.
Other nominees:
Warped Sister
Booker T. Jones
Track from: Potato Hole
[ANTI]
Playing With Fire
Brad Paisley
Track from: Play
[Arista Nashville]
Mr. Surfer Goes Jazzin’
Brian Setzer Orchestra
[Surfdog Records]
Now We Run
Steve Vai
[Favored Nations Entertainment]
Best Rock Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see the Song Of The Year award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
Winner:
Use Somebody
Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
[RCA Records; Publishers: Martha Street Music/Songs of Combustion Music/Music of Windswept, Followill Music/Songs of Combustion Music/Music of Windswept, McFearless Music/Bug Music, Coffee, Tea or Me Publishing/Bug Music.]
Once again, it makes sense that KoL would win this based on the other wins. ‘Use Somebody’ is officially the poster child of rock songs for the GRAMMYs.
Other nominees:
The Fixer
Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready & Eddie Vedder, songwriters (Pearl Jam)
[Monkeywrench; Publishers: Innocent Bystander, Jumpin’ Cat Music, Theory of Color, Write Treatage Music.]
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge & Larry Mullen Jr., songwriters (U2)
Track from: No Line On The Horizon
[Interscope; Publishers: Universal Music Publishing, Upala Music.]
21 Guns
Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt & Tré Cool, songwriters (Green Day)
Track from: 21st Century Breakdown
[Reprise; Publishers: WB Music Corp./Green Daze Music.]
Working On A Dream
Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)
Track from: Working On A Dream
[Columbia; Publisher: Bruce Springsteen]
Best Rock Album
Vocal or Instrumental. Includes Hard Rock and Metal.
Winner:
21st Century Breakdown
Green Day
[Reprise]
Green Day has the formula down, as American Idiot also took this prize. They are both essentially concept albums, so it makes sense that this would win as an album because it is a true cohesive effort. I would have also been happy with AC/DC. Thank you for not choosing U2…just sayin’.
Other nominees:
Black Ice
AC/DC
[Columbia]
Live From Madison Square Garden
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood
[Reprise/Duck]
Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King
Dave Matthews Band
[RCA Records / Bama Rags Recordings, LLC.]
No Line On The Horizon
U2
[Interscope]
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