Another year, another wasted opportunity. The Grammys have deservedly faced criticism for eschewing artistic merit in favor of commercial appeal, and this year was no exception. With the best-selling album of 2011, Adele swept the major categories (Album, Record, and Song of the Year) to the surprise of no one. While she is a more worthy recipient of these awards than some recent winners, Kanye West seemed the obvious choice for his 2010 instant-classic, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which inexplicably was shut out of the Album and Record of the Year categories (it received a Song of the Year nom for “All of the Lights”) despite massive critical and commercial success. Maybe the voters at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences have become sick of Kanye’s brash personality (though it didn’t seem to bother them on his first three albums), or maybe they’re simply idiots, but for whatever reason, Kanye was snubbed.
The absence of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy left the Album of the Year category embarrassingly thin. In addition to Adele’s 21, Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, Bruno Mars’ Doo-Wops & Hooligans, and Rihanna’s Loud received nominations. I’m sorry, but for a ceremony claiming to reward artistic excellence, one simply cannot make the argument that it is doing so. Looking at the 2010 and 2011 Pazz and Jop Critics’ Polls (the most definitive barometer of critical opinion), only one of the five albums (21) placed in the top 25 in either year. Arcade Fire’s massive upset last year had me hoping that the Grammys were beginning to change, but alas, it seems that it was more an anomaly than a burgeoning trend.
On the positive side, Bon Iver won for Best Alternative Album and Best New Artist, providing a fitting cap to an incredibly successful year. They also managed to score Record and Song of the Year nominations for “Holocene”. And while Kanye didn’t receive much recognition in the major categories, he still ended up with an impressive four wins.
On the negative side, Grammy voters, desperate to prove they were in touch with current musical trends, awarded Best Dance Recording and Best Dance/Electronica Album to Skrillex over the far more deserving Cut Copy and Robyn. In addition, the consistently mediocre Foo Fighters dominated the rock categories, prevailing over Radiohead, The Decemberists, and Wilco. Personally, I’ve never had any major problems with Foo Fighters, but they’re in no way superior to the three aforementioned bands.
Unlike cinema, music does not have a credible large-scale event where its best artists are celebrated. If they could get their act together, the Grammys could be that event, which is why I become incredibly frustrated every year when countless deserving artists are ignored in favor of more popular alternatives. While I’ll continue to hope that Grammy voters will come to their senses, I’m not holding my breath.
Aural Resonance 