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To celebrate GRAMMY’s first quarter century, the 25th Annual GRAMMY Awards featured all the excitement of a big anniversary celebration...and Toto, too.

Toto — a musically accomplished group of top Los Angeles session musicians that received relatively little credit from the major rock press of the day — got some GRAMMY love this year, winning not only Record Of The Year for their smash “Rosanna,” but also Album Of The Year for Toto IV, as well as GRAMMYs for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals to Jerry Hey and the group’s David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, and Best Vocal Arrangement For Two Or More Voices to David Paich, both for the track “Rosanna.” And in a surprisingly rare GRAMMY call out for a nay-saying rock critic, Paich got a laugh from the crowd by sarcastically acknowledging from the stage, “We’d like to thank Robert Hilburn for believing in us,” when in fact the longtime Los Angeles Times rock critic had done absolutely nothing of the sort.

Still, the 25th Annual GRAMMY Awards were for the most part an appropriately positive affair. “This is a milestone in the life of the GRAMMY Awards, and a celebration is definitely in order and in store,” host John Denver explained, adding that “some of GRAMMY’s greatest moments” from the past would be replayed throughout the night. Some new history was made on this GRAMMY night with an altogether remarkable live performance organized by then new GRAMMY producer Ken Ehrlich that featured Ray Charles, Count Basie, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard running through some of their greatest hits at four pianos — a true musical Fab Four for the ages. The ensemble started with Charles’ “What’d I Say,” then worked through Basie’s “One O’Clock Jump,” Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” Little Richard’s gospel-fueled “Joy, Joy, Joy,” and Charles’ “Wish You Were Here Tonight,” before reprising “What’d I Say.”

The second performance of the night found Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes dueting on “Up Where We Belong,” their smash hit from the film An Officer And A Gentleman. This was a duet with a little GRAMMY history itself. Warnes had performed way back on the 11th Annual GRAMMY Awards’ “The Best On Record” broadcast as part of the Los Angeles company of Hair, while Cocker’s performance with the Crusaders at the 24th Annual GRAMMY Awards had helped inspire director Taylor Hackford to choose Cocker to sing “Up Where We Belong.” Cocker and Warnes would then win the GRAMMY for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.

After some intelligent musical history offered by Recording Academy Chairman/President Bill Ivey, guitar pioneer Les Paul was presented with a Trustees Award. “I’m sorry that Mary isn’t here to accept this with me,” Paul said of his late great partner Mary Ford. “And I want to thank all the people that are watching on their radios.”

Les Paul wasn’t the only one getting in a good line. Eddie Murphy — who was all the rage on “Saturday Night Live” in 1982, the same year that would see his big-screen breakthrough in 48 Hrs. — had some stand-up fun speaking about the tension of being nominated for a GRAMMY. “You know what’s funny about this?” Murphy told the crowd. “A lot of people gonna lose tonight — and you got your tuxedos on and you’re losing and it’s funny.” Murphy then pretended to not know that he himself had in fact lost Best Comedy Recording to Richard Pryor during the pre-telecast, and declared, “See, I ain’t leaving here without a GRAMMY.” Later, when <a href="/grammys/artists/lionel-richie">Lionel Richie</a> won the GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, for his early solo hit “Truly,” Murphy got a standing ovation for crashing the stage and temporarily relieving the former Commodore of his glittering prize. “Who was that masked man?” Richie joked. For the record, Murphy did in fact give the GRAMMY back.

At a quarter century, the GRAMMY Awards inevitably reflected popular music in the early ’80s as MTV was just beginning to make its impact. The Best New Artist GRAMMY, for instance, went to early MTV favorites Men At Work, while the other nominees included early video stars the Stray Cats, Human League and Asia, as well as Jennifer Holliday who became a star from the original Broadway recording of Dreamgirls. Yet there was also a deep sense of history throughout the night, including a stunning R&amp;B segment that featured an excellent run of performances from Harvey &amp; The Moonglows, Gladys Knight &amp; The Pips, the Spinners and, finally, Marvin Gaye who marked what would be his tragically short-lived comeback with a rousing and, yes, arousing rendition of “Sexual Healing” — for which he won two GRAMMYs.

In a rare serious moment onstage, Eddie Murphy summed up the night and the state of the GRAMMYs at 25. “You guys are not like doctors or nothing like that,” he said, “but you’re real important to people’s lives because you give people’s lives atmosphere…I thank you for being what you are and keep kicking butt in the ’80s.” As Murphy said this, GRAMMY director Walter C. Miller cut wonderfully to a sprightly Ella Fitzgerald clapping along enthusiastically.

Rosanna

Steppin' Out (Single)

Ebony And Ivory (Single)

Chariots Of Fire

Always On My Mind (Single)

Record Of The Year

Toto IV

Tug Of War (Album)

The Nylon Curtain (Album)

The Nightfly (Album)

American Fool (Album)

Album Of The Year

I.G.Y. (What A Beautiful World) (Single)

Eye Of The Tiger (Single)

Always On My Mind

Song Of The Year

Best New Artist

You Should Hear How She Talks About You

Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me (Single)

Heart Attack (Single)

Gloria (Track)

Get Closer (Album)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female

Truly

I Keep Forgettin' (Everytime You're Near) (Single)

Don't Talk To Strangers (Single)

Blue Eyes (Single)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male

Up Where We Belong

Rosanna (Single)

Maneater (Track)

Hard To Say I'm Sorry (Single)

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Hooked On Classics (Album)

E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial

Crazy For You (Album)

Chariots Of Fire Theme (Dance Version)

As We Speak (Track)

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Voyeur (Album)

Shadows Of The Night

Protection (Track)

Green Light (Album)

Get Closer (Single)

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female

Tonight I'm Yours (Album)

Shock The Monkey (Single)

I Get Excited (Single)

Hurts So Good

Dirty Laundry (Track)

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male

Valley Girl (Single)

Eye Of The Tiger

Don't Fight It (Single)

Centerfold (Single)

Asia (Album)

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Scandinavia (Track)

Requiem (Single)

Industry Standard (Album)

Don't Stop (Track)

D.N.A.

Best Rock Instrumental Performance

Muscles (Single)

Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) (Single)

Jump To It (Album)

It's Gonna Take A Miracle (Single)

Forget Me Nots (Single)

And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female

Turn Your Love Around (Single)

The Other Woman (Album)

Sexual Healing

Forever, For Always, For Love (Album)

Do I Do (Single)

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male

What's That You're Doing (Track)

Wanna Be With You

Street Life (Track)

Let It Whip

A Penny For Your Thoughts (Single)

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Stripes (Track)

Sexual Healing (Instrumental Version)

Number One (Track)

Come Morning (Album)

Boogie In Your Butt (Instrumental Version) (Single)

Best R&B Instrumental Performance

Turn Your Love Around

That Girl

Sexual Healing (Single)

Do I Do

Best Rhythm & Blues Song

Weather Report (Album)

Offramp

Incognito (Album)

Desire (Album)

As We Speak (Album)

Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal Or Instrumental

Nobody (Single)

I Will Always Love You (Single)

Cimarron (Album)

Break It To Me Gently

Ain't No Money (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female

She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft) (Single)

Love Will Turn You Around (Single)

Heartbroke (Single)

He Got You (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

You Put The Blue In Me (Album)

Mountain Music

Love Hurts (Track)

(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay (Track)

Bobbie Sue (Album)

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

The Joe Maphis Flat-Picking Spectacular (Album)

Just Hooked On Country (Album)

Feudin' (Track)

Below Freezing (Track)

Alabama Jubilee

Best Country Instrumental Performance

Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands (Single)

I'm Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home (Single)

Best Country Song

Stand By The Power (Album)

My Tribute (Track)

Lift Up The Lord (Album)

Lady Live (Album)

Age To Age

Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary

Something Special (Album)

O, What A Savior (Album)

Makin' My Own Place (Album)

I'm Following You

Feeling At Home (Album)

Best Gospel Performance, Traditional

Touch Me, Lord (Album)

Miracle Man (Album)

Higher Plane

Finally (Album)

Edwin Hawkins Live With The Oakland Symphony (Album)

Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary

We Need To Hear From You (Track)

Precious Lord

Miracle Man (Track)

Jesus Is Alive And Well (Track)

He Believes In Me (Single)

Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional

Would They Love Him Down In Shreveport (Track)

Miracle (Album)

He Set My Life To Music

God Bless America (Album)

Crossfire (Track)

Best Inspirational Performance

The New Johnny Otis Show (Album)

Sippie (Album)

He Was A Friend Of Mine (Track)

Genuine Houserocking Music (Album)

Alright Again

Best Traditional Blues Recording

Tennessee: Folk Heritage - The Mountains (Album)

Reggae Sunsplash '81, A Tribute To Bob Marley (Album)

Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band On Tour

Metropolis (Album)

Live In America (Album)

In The Tradition (Album)

Best Ethnic Or Traditional Folk Recording

Rhythm Of Life (Album)

Momentos

Machito & His Salsa Big Band '82

Escenas De Amor (Album)

Canciones Del Solar De Los Aburidos (Album)

Best Latin Recording

The Chipmunks Go Hollywood (Album)

In Harmony 2

I Am God's Project (Album)

Here Comes Garfield (Album)

Best Of Friends (Album)

Animals And Other Things (Album)

Best Recording For Children

The Steve Martin Brothers (Album)

Live On The Sunset Strip

Great White North (Album)

Eddie Murphy (Album)

A Place For My Stuff (Album)

Best Comedy Recording

Raiders Of The Lost Ark - The Movie On Record

No Man's Land (Album)

Foundation's Edge (Album)

25th Annual GRAMMY Awards