The Grammy Awards, which return Sunday from Las Vegas, honor the perfect of music, the songs and albums and performances that can endure for many years to come back.
Not less than, in concept, that's. In actuality? Eh, not a lot.
Queen, Run-DMC, Jimi Hendrix and ABBA are fairly good, proper? The Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame thinks so. However they share a mixed complete of zero Grammy Awards.
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On the similar time, much less memorable acts, just like the Starland Vocal Band, Debby Boone, and a comic doing a John F. Kennedy impersonation every gained Grammys in prestigious classes. (Spoiler alert: None are within the Rock Corridor.)
It’s moments like that, together with Jethro Tull beating Metallica for Greatest Onerous Rock/Metallic Efficiency Vocal or Instrumental, or – two phrases – Milli Vanilli, which have given the Grammys a popularity for getting issues fallacious.
So we puzzled: How do the Grammy winners of 1982 stack up when thought-about from 2022?
The Large 4 Awards
Album of the yr: John Lennon and Yoko Ono gained this for “Double Fantasy,” which after his homicide in December 1980 turned the final album of his lifetime. Don’t think about it’s a posthumous reward, although; it’s a powerful album with such songs as “(Simply Like) Beginning Over,” “Watching The Wheels,” and “Girl.”
Oh, additionally: Was something extra worthy? Nope. The opposite nominees included Al Jarreau’s “Breakin’ Away,” Kim Carnes’ “Mistaken Identification,” Quincy Jones’ “The Dude,” and Steely Dan’s “Gaucho.”
Report of the yr: Singer Kim Carnes took this one residence for “Bette Davis Eyes,” which is a positive music, one we’re completely happy to sing loudly when it comes on the radio. And it was the top-selling music of 1981, too, not that gross sales equals artwork.
Oh, additionally: It beat “Simply the Two of Us,” by Invoice Withers and Grover Washington Jr., “Arthur’s Theme (The Greatest That You Can Do),” by Christopher Cross, “Countless Love,” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, and “(Simply Like) Beginning Over,” by John Lennon. (And what was the cope with parenthetical titles in ’82?)
Tune of the yr: “Bette Davis Eyes” didn’t blink, choosing up this Grammy as effectively. However this class goes to the songwriters, so Carnes didn’t get a second trophy. As an alternative, writers Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss received the hardware.
Oh, additionally: “Simply the Two of Us,” “Countless Love,” and “Arthur’s Theme” additionally confirmed up right here, with the ultimate slot taken by Dolly Parton for “9 to five.”
Greatest new artist: Scottish singer Sheena Easton is a positive performer, although now her star has dimmed, however was she a extra worthy selection for brand new artist than the Go-Go’s or Luther Vandross? Different worthies comparable to Adam and the Ants and James Ingram have been shut down on this class.
Oh, additionally: This may be the class the place the Grammys look the worst in hindsight. Setting apart all of the artists who weren’t even nominated, unbelievable acts together with the Byrds, Elton John, Elvis Costello, and Kendrick Lamar misplaced to very good however much less compelling acts like Tom Jones, the Carpenters, A Style of Honey, and Macklemore, respectively.
(To be truthful, this Grammy has gone to artists comparable to Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Adele extra not too long ago, in order that they’re doing loads higher.)
Bonus tracks
John Denver hosted the present. Invoice Withers sang “Simply The Two of Us.” Jerry Lee Lewis and his cousin nation singer Mickey Gilley performed a duet after which gave the Oakridge Boys a rustic music Grammy for his or her music “Elvira.”
Listed here are a number of of the opposite highlights, lowlights, and in-betweens of the 1982 awards.
A working-class canine beat the Boss: Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Woman,” off his album “Working Class Canine,” is a unbelievable singalong quantity. However did it should win finest rock vocal efficiency by a dude over “The River” by Bruce Springsteen? Ummm.
Sesame Stagecoach: The album “Sesame Nation,” which paired Loretta Lynn with the Depend, Glen Campbell with Oscar the Grouch, and Large Hen with each Tanya Tucker and Crystal Gayle, gained for finest kids’s recording. And now all we'd like is for the Stagecoach Competition to get this band again collectively.
Dolly is Queen: Dolly Parton wrote and sang the title music for “9 to five,” successful each finest nation vocal efficiency by a lady and finest nation music. And our hearts. Dolly at all times wins our hearts.
Late for Trane: John Coltrane, who died in 1967, gained his solely Grammy in 1982 for a reside album, “Bye Bye Blackbird,” he recorded in 1962.
The Police cop two: New Wave rock was nonetheless edgy stuff for Grammy voters, however the Police broke down the door for the style with a pair of wins in 1982, together with finest rock vocal group for “Don’t Stand So Shut To Me,” beating nominees comparable to The Rolling Stones, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, and Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Citizen Kane beats the Cute One: Orson Welles had a powerful voice, and in 1982 he gained the Grammy for finest spoken phrase, documentary, or drama recording for studying the sci-fi novel “Donovan’s Mind.” He beat, amongst others, Paul McCartney of the Beatles, whose interview by journalist Vic Garbarini was launched on vinyl with tracks together with “Beatles Haircuts and Picture,” “Adverse Criticism of the Beatles and Wings,” and “New Wave, Bowie, Ferry and Elvis.”
Music movies, kinda: The Grammys didn’t know what to do with music movies. The inaugural video of the yr in 1982 went to former Monkee member Michael Nesmith for “Elephant Components,” a set of music movies and comedy sketches. Different nominees included a laserdisc for Blondie’s “Eat To The Beat Album” – great things – and one thing known as “The First Nationwide Kidisc,” additionally a laserdisc with interactive video games for youths.
A yr later, video of the yr went to Olivia Newton-John for “Olivia Bodily,” and after that, the class was dropped, the Grammys saying in impact, let MTV have ’em.
Heard this one earlier than? Richard Pryor gained finest comedy album for “Rev. Du-Ceremony,” a report cobbled collectively from reside tapes at the very least a decade outdated, to which his former label had the rights. He beat Mel Brooks, who had two nominations, the soundtrack to “Airplane!” and “City Chipmunk,” a rustic parody album by Alvin & the Chipmunks.
Posting up: Composer Mike Submit gained twice for his theme for the TV sequence “Hill Avenue Blues,” choosing up Grammys for each finest instrumental composition and finest pop instrumental efficiency. A couple of years earlier, he pulled off the identical feat for his theme to “The Rockford Information,” which my editor nonetheless thinks is a good music.
‘And the Grammy goes to … ‘: Musician and producer Quincy Jones, who additionally hosted the present, was the massive winner of 1982 with 5 Grammys, principally for his album “The Dude,” although he additionally picked up finest forged present album for producing “Lena Horne: The Woman and Her Music,” in addition to producer of the yr.