Macklemore beats Sheeran and other Grammy surprises
NEW YORK There was little doubt who should take home the album of the year Grammy in 1984. That was Michael Jackson with a little record called “Thriller.” He won, of course, but the Recording Academy hasn’t always been seen to make the right call over its 60 years. And you don’t have to point to just Milli Vanilli to find some surprising decisions. This year’s Grammy Awards ceremony takes place Jan. 28. STAR CROSSED The winner of album of the year honour in 1981 wasn’t Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra or Pink Floyd. The winner was soft rocker Christopher Cross, whose self-titled album contained the hit “Sailing.” Streisand’s album “Guilty” gave us “Woman in Love,” the Joel record “Glass Houses” yielded “You May Be Right” “Don’t Ask Me Why” and “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” the Sinatra album “Trilogy: Past, Present, Future” contained his classic version of “New York, New York” and the double-LP “The Wall” is considered by Rolling Stone magazine to be among the top 100 greatest albums of all time. Cross actually won four Grammys that year and called it “a dream come true.” It was head-scratcher for many others. BEATLES BEATEN? Glen Campbell’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” won album of the year honours in 1969 and its title single was a huge hit for the country icon. The record beat out Jose Feliciano’s acoustic covers in “Felicano!” and Richard Harris’ “A Tramp Shining” (which had the massive hit “MacArthur Park”) but it also bested two rather fine projects: Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bookends” — with the songs “America” and "Mrs. Robinson" — and the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour,” with the songs “I Am the Walrus,” “Penny Lane,” “All You Need Is Love” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Rolling Stone named “Bookends” in its list of 500 greatest albums of all time and “Magical Mystery Tour” eventually went on to sell over six million copies in America alone. LUCKY MR. RICHIE Voters in 1985 had one of the toughest tasks in Grammy history to anoint album of the year. There were arguably four modern masterpieces — “She’s So Unusual” by Cyndi Lauper, “Private Dancer” by Tina Turner, “Can’t Slow Down” by Lionel Richie, “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen and “Purple Rain” by Prince. Lauper’s album gave us “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “She Bop,” Turner had “What’s Love Got to Do with It” and “Let’s Stay Together,” and Springsteen and Prince had, well, career-defining LPs that gave us “When Doves Cry” and “Glory Days,” among others. But it was Richie who took the honour with an album fueled by bona fide hits — “Hello,” “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Running With the Night.” WAIT, WHAT? Not all the dubious choices were made long ago. One recent decision the Grammys might want to do-over was in 2014 when Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won best new artist honours. Looking back, it may not have been the wisest decision. The pair behind “Thrift Shop,” which has not aged very well, managed to beat out Ed Sheeran, whose albums now dominate the Billboard charts; James Blake, who went on to win the 2013 Mercury Prize; Kacey Musgraves, who has blossomed into a pure country-pop star; and Kendrick Lamar, considered one of the most dynamic, exciting talents in hiphop. The voting that year was also called into question when Macklemore & Lewis beat Lamar for best rap album. WRONG METAL The Grammys came late to the party when they introduced the brand new — but awkwardly titled — category of best hard rock/heavy metal recording in 1989. Metallica were nominated — and were favourites — for “... And Justice For All.” It was up against AC/DC (“Blow Up Your Video”) Iggy Pop (“Cold Metal”) and Jane’s Addiction (“Nothing Shocking”). But the award went to the folksy, flutey rock band Jethro Tull, whose “Crest of a Knave” was decidedly not a heavy metal record. The British rockers weren’t even there at the ceremony to pick up their award, but the stunned response by award co-presenters Alice Cooper and Lita Ford was perfection. Cooper later said he had to tell the crowd he wasn’t punking them.