The Grammy Academy has announced their nominees for their 2019 awards ceremony. I haven't scrolled through them all, but from what I've seen, things look just as disappointing as usual.
But Scott, if you think the Grammy's are total crap, why do you still care about them?
I'll probably always follow the Grammy's. While the Grammy Academy is a stupid novelty establishment, there are enough curve balls to keep me interested. There's some genre diversity. I follow popular music; heck, I even like it sometimes. I like the idea of a big fat TV event solely dedicated to modern music. I'm a music snob, and this league of human juggernauts in cigar-scented tuxedos deserves to be music snobs as well. I am Scott, and I legitimately enjoy watching other people be music snobs. My sister Callie simplified it best: "I like the Grammy's because they're fun."
The Grammy's are fun. I found this quote particularly profound coming from one of my siblings, because everyone in our family is quite musical. And at one point or another--whether or not we meant to--we've all been into some Grammy-approved music. I got around to wondering... How many albums do we own, within just our family, that have won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year?
Between myself, my siblings and my parents, the answer is 25. But we all spread the board together with our separate music tastes. Let's see who our winners are.
Nominations: 3
Random Access Memories Daft Punk
Elephant The White Stripes
Late Registration Kanye West
*Richie is the youngest sibling, and perhaps the internet has perverted him into listening to music that's too weird for the Grammy's at a young age. Not only that, but there's no reason to own anything anymore. The age of streaming kinda hurts Rich here, but that didn't stop him from getting a CD copy of Random Access Memories from his high school drama teacher.
KEITH 2
Nominations: 8
Two Against Nature Steely Dan
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack Various Artists
Revolver The Beatles
Born In The U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen
The Globe Sessions Sheryl Crow
The Rising Bruce Springsteen
Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends Coldplay
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King Dave Matthews Band
*Keith is a purist of sorts. Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews Band, the old American music of O Brother, Where Art Thou?. This is all vaguely political and undeniably American. Which is funny, because Keith lives in Canada.
SCOTT 3
Nominations: 19
Innervisions Stevie Wonder
Songs In The Key Of Life Stevie Wonder
The Joshua Tree U2
Magical Mystery Tour The Beatles
Synchronicity The Police
Achtung Baby U2
Automatic for the People R.E.M.
Odelay Beck
OK Computer Radiohead
Kid A Radiohead
Midnite Vultures Beck
All That You Can't Leave Behind U2
Continuum John Mayer
Stadium Arcadium Red Hot Chili Peppers
In Rainbows Radiohead
Channel Orange Frank Ocean
good kid, m.A.A.d city Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp A Butterfly Kendrick Lamar
A Sailor's Guide To Earth Sturgill Simpson
*I own a lot of music. Looks like the Grammy Academy likes a bunch of my stuff. But I can't seem to pick the winners. 3 Radiohead albums up there. 0 of them won! Even hokey stuff like John Mayer or 2000s U2 can't win a darn thing. I guess I'm just quantity over quality.
MOM 4
Nominations: 8
Tapestry Carole King
Christopher Cross Christopher Cross
Can't Slow Down Lionel Richie
The Bodyguard Soundtrack Whitney Houston/Various Artists
The Sound of Music Soundtrack Various Artists
Silk Degrees Boz Scaggs
Glass Houses Billy Joel
The Broadway Album Barbara Streisand
*Yes, with 11 less nominations than me, my mom has won more Grammy's than me. What's cool about my parents' album collection is that they can't remember what they used to own. What's also cool is that they would have been on vinyl. I think my mom had Chicago II, but how could anybody know which Chicago album they own? Anyways, the idea for this blog was inspired by listening to that Barbara Streisand Broadway album on recent road trips. Yes, that almost won album of the year. Gotta love them Grammy's!
McALLISTER 5
Nominations: 7
Come Away With Me Norah Jones
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb U2
Fearless Taylor Swift
Red Taylor Swift
1989 Taylor Swift
Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette
The Millenium Backstreet Boys
*It's only fair to start this not by laughing at Callie for loving Backstreet Boys as a little girl, but by laughing at the Grammy Academy for actually legitimately considering a Backstreet Boys album as the best of the year. The rest of this makes sense. Taylor Swift sweeps the show every time, giving Callie 3 of her 5 awards. Yeah, the Grammy's are fun. If you WIN.
DAD 5
Nominations: 10
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band The Beatles
Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears
52nd Street Billy Joel
Graceland Paul Simon
Unforgettable... with Love Natalie Cole
Aja Steely Dan
Hotel California Eagles
Breakfast In America Supertramp
The Wall Pink Floyd
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard Paul McCartney
*My dad likes old music. So does my mom. But can you blame them? Do you know how much it costs to get a Beatles album on vinyl in 2018? While dad doesn't claim to have ever owned The Wall, I remember stumbling across a cassette tape for it when I was super young. Some things are worth hiding from your children. Like the creepy album cover for Breakfast In America.
TODD 6
Nominations: 9
Getz/Gilberto Stan Getz & João Gilberto
Unplugged Eric Clapton Supernatural Santana The Suburbs Arcade Fire Babel Mumford & Sons
Morning Phase Beck
Jazz Samba Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd Abbey Road The Beatles
El Camino The Black Keys
*And Todd is our winner! It doesn't really look like he was "trying" either. I believe he got that Santana album back when "Smooth" was the biggest song on the radio. Arcade Fire and Beck are total underdog picks. And in defense of the Grammy Academy, there's not really anything on here that sucks. Okay, I hate Mumford & Sons, but I digress... With a lot of money and a lot of random luck, you too can win a Grammy.
