The urban legend is that the Grammy Award for “Best New Artist” could be considered the kiss of death for an artist’s career. Although many successful artists have earned the trophy, and have gone on to bigger and better things – for example, The Beatles, Christina Aguilera, the Carpenters and Crosby Stills & Nash have each earned the honor – the “Best New Artist” category is littered with winners who never reached their complete potential, and runner-ups who surpassed all expectations.
Truly, there’s plenty of decent competition in this category, and you can’t always fault who won or who lost Elton John lost in 1971 to the Carpenters, Led Zeppelin and Chicago lost in 1969 to Crosby Stills & Nash. But that’s the competitive nature of the award. So for your perusal today, here are some artists who were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist – only to watch as someone else picked up the golden gramophone. Someone who fell completely off the music industry radar like a rock off of a cliff.
1977 – the rock band Boston is nominated as Best New Artist. And who do they lose to? The Starland Vocal Band. That’s right, Boston lost to a group whose song was about getting a quickie nooner. Oh well… Boston sold 19 million copies of their debut album, and if it weren’t for a classic scene from Anchorman, the Starland Vocal Band would have slipped completely out of memory. Other losers that year: The Brothers Johnson, Dr. Buzzard’s Original “Savannah” Band, and Wild Cherry.
1979 – Elvis Costello and the Attractions are up for the Best New Artist Grammy. So are The Cars. Two of the best acts of the late 1970’s. And the award goes to…. A Taste of Honey. Who? You mean the “Boogie Oogie Oogie” group? Yep. Them. The Cars are going to get in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame some day. So will Elvis Costello. But A Taste of Freakin’ Honey? Come ON NOW!! Other losers that year: Toto, Chris Rea.
1981 – The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders. Everybody loves the Pretenders. And they lost the Best New Artist Grammy to… Christopher Cross. What, there were Grammy voters who hadn’t heard “Sailing” or “Ride Like The Wind” for the umpteenth millionth time? Other losers that year: Irene Cara, Robbie Dupree, Amy Holland.
1998 – Sean Combs was up for the Grammy for Best New Artist. I gotta call him Sean Combs, because I don’t want to keep updating his “Puff Daddy” “P Diddy” “Diddy” “whatever it is next year” nickname every time I have to update this blog. Still, he earned his stripes and was about to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist… until it went to Paula Cole. Paula Freakin’ Cole. That’s right, she had two hits – “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” and “I Don’t Wanna Wait” and that nosed out Puffy. Other losers that year: Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu and Hanson.
2004 – Everybody loves Fitty. Yeah, they love Slick Fitty, but I’m talking about Fitty as in 50 Cent. And 50 Cent was up for the Grammy for Best New Artist. And he would have earned it, had it not gone to… Evanescence. Really? Evan-you-gotta-be-kidding-me-esence? Their status has fallen so far, they actually replaced their lead singer with an American Idol finalist. The sound you hear is me banging my head against a desk. Other losers that year: Fountains of Wayne, Sean Paul, Heather Headley.
2003 – oh, it’s going to be a battle between Avril Lavigne and John Mayer. One of these two singer-songwriters has to claim the Grammy for Best New Artist. One of them. At least one of them. Well, in the end it went to… Norah Jones. That’s right kids, Ravi Shankar’s daughter and her “Don’t Know Why” song that was played OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN nosed out John Mayer and Avril Lavigne. It also nosed out Ashanti and Michelle Branch as well.
1963 – Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons have had three #1 hits in a row, and they were nominated for Best New Artist. Peter Paul & Mary were the talk of the folk music circuit, and they were nominated for Best New Artist. And both of them should have won it. And why they gave the award to – hold the applause – ROBERT GOULET, I’ll never ever know. Who else lost that year? Allan Sherman, Vaughn Meader, the New Christy Minstrels.
1968 – The Jefferson Airplane are tearing up the pop charts with songs like “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit.” The 5th Dimension are also dominating the pop charts, with their five-part harmonies and classic soul hits. And the Grammy for Best New Artist goes to neither of them. It instead goes to Bobbie Gentry. Yep, the one-hit wonder whose Southern Gothic song about some guy who jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge because of – because of – ah, nobody gives a hang why he did it. Other losers that year: Harpers Bizarre, Lana Cantrell.
And finally, 2011. Every Justin Bieber fan worth her salt is waiting, waiting, anticipating for their man to win the Grammy award for Best New Artist. And instead, it goes to – Esperanza Spalding. And everybody goes, “Who???” I’ll save you the trouble.
Suffice it to say that the majority of the Bieber Fevers had to first find out how to spell Esperanza Spalding’s name, then tried to look her up on Wikipedia. Never mind. It’s not like Drake – or Florence + The Machine – or Mumford & Sons – would have won it either. Face it. Spalding’s that good. No denying it. Although I suspect that still won’t appease most Bieber fans.
Now keep in mind that the Grammy Awards are handed out for the work achieved in the year prior, it’s not an indication that this artist will have decades of future success. But sometimes – and you know this is true – a music star can burn brightly and then, quickly, dim to a flicker. Such is the blessing – and the curse – of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Chuck The Writer 