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Your Holiday Jukebox

Deck the halls with a selection of holiday music from top GRAMMY winners

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

Looking for holiday music to help warm the hearth, chill the eggnog or party in the new year? Yes, there's the traditional ("Silent Night"), and there's the contemporary traditional (José Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad"). But we can also look no further than top GRAMMY winners for some joyful tidings that may not be standards just yet, but don't bet against them when St. Nick's hitting the chimneys in 2025.


GRAMMY Winner: Alison Krauss (26 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: "Only You Can Bring Me Cheer (Gentlemen's Lady)" (iTunes>)
Included on A Very Special Acoustic Christmas, part of the charitable A Very Special Christmas series, and written with brother Viktor Krauss. Other GRAMMY winners featured on the album are Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Ricky Skaggs, Wynnona, and more.


GRAMMY Winner: Stevie Wonder (25 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: Someday At Christmas (iTunes>)
Released in 1967 when Wonder was in his mid-teens. Includes the jaunty "What Christmas Means To Me" and traditional songs such as "Silver Bells," "Ave Maria" and "The Little Drummer Boy."


GRAMMY Winner: U2 (22 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (iTunes>)
From the very first A Very Special Christmas in 1987 comes this U2 cover of the Darlene Love song from Phil Spector's groundbreaking A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector album.


GRAMMY Winner: Aretha Franklin (18 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: This Christmas (iTunes>)
Interject a bit of soul into your holiday proceedings with this collection, which includes "Ave Maria," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Angels We Have Heard On High," and a personalized reading of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" from the Queen of Soul herself.


GRAMMY Winner: Jimmy Sturr (18 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: A Jimmy Sturr Christmas (iTunes>)
Yes, you can roll out the polka holiday with this 1992 album of cheer and beer. Includes the vowel-challenged Christmas classic "Wykrzyknijmy Wiwat (Shout Viva)."


GRAMMY Winner: Ray Charles (17 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: The Spirit Of Christmas (iTunes>)
The album cover for this holiday classic features Charles with a sleigh full of gifts, and the album is packed with a sleigh full of merry tunes, including "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" and "Winter Wonderland."


GRAMMY Winner: Eric Clapton (17 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: "Christmas Tears" (iTunes>)
Looking for a live Christmas? Try A Very Special Christmas — Live From Washington, D.C., which features five tracks from Clapton, including teamings with Blues Traveler's John Popper, Mary J. Blige and Sheryl Crow.


GRAMMY Winners: Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson, Joe Perry, Richie Sambora, Steve Vai (16 GRAMMYs combined)
Holiday Cheer: Merry Axemas — A Guitar Christmas (iTunes>)
Need a holiday album with some trills, sweep picking, hammer-ons and pull-offs? This 1997 compilation offers shredding takes on traditional holiday songs, including Beck's pristine "Amazing Grace," Johnson's sublime "The First Nowell," Perry's slide guitar-fueled "Blue Christmas," Sambora's solemn "Cantique De Noel," and Vai's energetic "Christmas Time Is Here."


GRAMMY Winner: Sting (16 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheerless: If On A Winter's Night (iTunes>)
Sting finds the lump of coal in the holiday season with this decidedly Grinch-esque take on the most wonderful time of the year. "I trolled through any song from any period and any genre that mentioned snow, ice, Christmas, winter, frost. … " Sting told The Wall Street Journal. Brrrr.


GRAMMY Winner: B.B. King (15 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: A Christmas Celebration Of Hope (iTunes>)
King delivered his first Christmas album in 2001, wrapped with a bow for blues fans who could appreciate such songs as "Back Door Santa." It's vintage King with a holiday twist.


GRAMMY Winner: Chet Atkins (14 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: Christmas With Chet Atkins (iTunes>)
AllMusic.com calls it "one of the most underrated holiday platters of all time." Certainly it beats the cold-cut platter. Atkins was the king of country guitar and one of the architects of the countrypolitan sound, and he turns those forces into a Christmas present for you.


GRAMMY Winner: Tony Bennett (14 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: Snowfall — The Tony Bennett Christmas Album (iTunes>) 
This 1968 collection of holiday music features Bennett swinging through a selection of holiday numbers, including "White Christmas" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." Also included is "My Favorite Things" from The Sound Of Music, though we're not sure how this qualifies as holiday music?


GRAMMY Winner: Paul McCartney (14 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: "Wonderful Christmastime" (iTunes>)
As was always the way with former Beatlemates McCartney and John Lennon, "Wonderful Christmastime" was the sweet, celebratory counterpoint to Lennon's angrier, cautionary "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." While Lennon railed, "And so this is Christmas/For weak and for strong/For rich and the poor ones/The world is so wrong," McCartney sang, "The mood is right/The spirit's up/We're here tonight/And that's enough." Both are becoming Christmas standards. And the spirit is definitely up for McCartney as he'll be honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year in February.


GRAMMY Winner: Michael Jackson (13 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: The Jackson 5 Christmas Album
This 1970 disc was the second official album release for the Jacksons. It contains mostly classic Christmas tunes, and may have been the last opportunity Michael had to be a kid.


GRAMMY Winner: Emmylou Harris (12 GRAMMYs)
Holiday Cheer: Light Of The Stable (iTunes>) 
Released in 1979, Light Of The Stable has become a holiday classic, and was the beneficiary of a rerelease in 2004 with expanded liner notes and remastering. With special guests such as Dolly Parton and Neil Young, Harris presents hayseed-flavored renditions of "Cherry Tree Carol," "Little Drummer Boy," "Away In A Manger," and more.


What music will you be playing this holiday season? Leave us a comment.
 

8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More
Photo: Martin Philbey/Redferns

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8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More

Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' is part of a proud lineage of artists, from Ringo Starr to Tina Turner, who have bravely taken a left turn into country's homespun, heart-on-sleeve aesthetic.

GRAMMYs/Mar 28, 2024 - 01:07 pm

When Beyoncé announced her upcoming album, Cowboy Carter, with the drop of two distinctly country tracks, she broke both genre and barriers. Not only did Queen Bey continue to prove she can do just about anything, but she joined a long tradition of country music crossover albums.

Country music is, like all genres, a construct, designed by marketing companies around the advent of widely-disseminated recorded music, to sell albums. But in the roughly 100 intervening years, genre has dictated much about the who and how of music making.

In the racially segregated America of the 1920s, music was no exception. Marketing companies began to distinguish between "race records" (blues, R&B, and gospel) intended for Black audiences and hillbilly music (country and Western), sold to white listeners. The decision still echoes through music genre stereotypes today.

But Black people have always been a part of country music, a message that's gained recognition in recent years — in part because of advocacy work by those like Rhiannon Giddens, who plays banjo and viola on "Texas Hold 'Em," one of two singles Beyoncé released in advance of Cowboy Carter.

And since rigid genre rules' inception, many artists from Lil Nas X to Bruce Springsteen have periodically dabbled in or even crossed over to country music.

In honor of Beyoncé's foray, here are eight times musicians from other genres tried out country music.

Ray Charles — Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)

In 1962, the soul music pioneer crossed the genre divide to cut a swingin' two-volume, 14-track revue of country and western music.

Part history lesson and part demonstration of Charles' unparalleled musicianship, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music covers country songs by major country artists of the era, including Hank Williams, Don Gibson, and Eddy Arnold. An instant success, the record topped album sales charts and was Charles' first atop the Billboard Hot 200 charts.

Ringo Starr — Beaucoups of Blues (1970)

The Beatles' drummer loves country music. Ringo Starr cut this album, which sounds like something you'd two-step the night away to at a honky tonk, as his second solo project. He was inspired by pedal steel guitar player and producer Pete Drake, who worked on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.

With Drake's help, Starr draws out a classic honky tonk sound — pedal steel, country fiddle, and bar room piano — to round out the album.

Beaucoups includes a textbook country heartbreak song, "Fastest Growing Heartache in the West," a bluesy ramblin' man ballad, "$15 Draw," and a surprisingly sweet love song to a sex worker, "Woman Of The Night."

The Pointer Sisters — Fairytale (1974)

Remembered for their R&B hits like "I'm So Excited" and "Jump (For My Love)", the Pointer Sisters dropped "Fairytale," a classic country heartbreak song into the middle of their second studio album, That's A Plenty.

Full of honky tonk pedal steel and fiddle, the track earned the band a GRAMMY award for Country and Western Vocal Performance Group or Duo in 1975, beating out Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Bare, and the Statler Brothers; they were the first, and to date, only Black women to receive the award.

The same year the song came out, the Pointer Sisters also became the first Black group to play the Grand Ole Opry, arriving to find a group of protesters holding signs with messages like 'Keep country, country!'

Tina Turner Tina Turns the Country On! (1974)

Also in 1974, Tina Turner cut her first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On!, while she was still performing with then-husband Ike Turner as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

Containing the seeds of the powerful, riveting voice she'd fully let loose in her long solo career after separating from her abusive husband, the album presents a stripped down, mellow Turner.

She covers songs like Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and Bob Dylan's "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," and delivers a soaring rendition of Dolly Parton's "There Will Always Be Music."

Turner was nominated for a GRAMMY award for the album, but in Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, category.

The Beastie Boys — Country Mike's Greatest Hits (1999)

This Beastie Boys cut only a few hundred copies (most reports say 300) of this spoof country album — reputedly conceived of as a Christmas present for friends and family, and never officially released.

Presenting the supposed greatest hits of a slightly dodgy, enigmatic character – Country Mike, who shares a name with band member "Mike D" Diamond — the album sounds like vintage steel guitar country. Think Hank Williams and Jimmy Rodgers with a dash of musical oddballs Louden Wainwright III and David Allen Coe's humor and funk.

Country Mike appears just briefly in the liner notes of the band's anthology album, The Sounds of Silence, (which also includes two of the album's tracks: "Railroad Blues" and "Country Mike's Theme"), as part of an alternate universe wherein Mike temporarily lost his memory when he was hit on the head.

"The psychologists told us that if we didn't play along with Mike's fantasy, he could be in grave danger," the notes read. "This song ('Railroad Blues') is one of the many that we made during that tragic period of time."

Cyndi Lauper — Detour (2016)

The "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" singer enjoyed herself thoroughly by deviating from her typical style with 2016's Detour.

Road tripping into country music land, Lauper covered country songs of the 1950s and 1960s, including Marty Robbins' "Begging You," Patsy Montana's "I Want to be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" and Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" with guest appearances by Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and Vince Gill.

Jaret Ray Reddick — Just Woke Up (2022)

It might be hard to imagine the Bowling for Soup frontman, known for teenage pop-punk angst hits like "Girl all the Bad Guys Want" and "Punk Rock 101" crooning country ballads.

But in 2022, under the name Jaret Ray Reddick, he cut his solo debut, Just Woke Up. Drawing inspiration from Reddick's native Texas, the steel guitar and twang driven album features duets with Uncle Cracker, Cody Canada, Frank Turner, and Stephen Egerton.

Self-effacing and personable as ever, Reddick heads off questions about the viability of his country music with the album's first track, "Way More Country," acknowledging the questions listeners might have:

"I sing in a punk rock band/ And I know every word to that Eminem song "Stan"/ And I've got about a hundred and ten tattoos / But I'm way more country than you."

Bing Crosby — "Pistol Packin' Mama" (Single, 1943)

Legendary crooner of classic Christmas Carols and American standards, Bing Crosby decided to try his hand at country music with his cover of Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama," the first country song to appear on Billboard's charts.

The song, which tells the story of a man begging his woman not to shoot him when she discovers him out on the town fooling around, has since also been covered by Willie Nelson, Hoyt Axton, and John Prine.

How Beyoncé Is Honoring Black Music History With "Texas Hold Em," 'Renaissance' & More

In Memoriam (2023): The Recording Academy Remembers The Music People We Lost
Tina Turner on stage at Wembley 1990.

Photo: Dave Hogan / Getty Images Archive

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In Memoriam (2023): The Recording Academy Remembers The Music People We Lost

Take a moment to salute the members of the music community we lost in 2022-2024.

GRAMMYs/Feb 9, 2024 - 09:02 pm

Below is a tribute to the luminaries and esteemed professionals from the music community we lost between Dec. 5, 2022, through Jan. 26, 2024.

During the 2024 GRAMMYs broadcast, the Recording Academy's In Memoriam segment featured performances by several masterful musicians. Annie Lennox  was joined by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman to honor Sinéad O’Connor. Stevie Wonder took the stage to pay homage to the legendary Tony Bennett, Jon Batiste honored the "Godfather of Black Music" Clarence Avant and Fantasia Barrino paid tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner. The performances were set against a video homage of several of the distinguished figures on this list. Every individual who passed away before the publication date has also been respectfully commemorated in the official 2024 GRAMMYs program book.

The Recording Academy offers its profound respect and appreciation for the unique gifts and enduring contributions these individuals have bestowed upon our culture and collective spirit.

Aaron Spears

Abe Stoklasa

Adam Johnstone

Aérea Negrot

Ahmad Jamal

Akbar Golpayegani

Alan Arkin

Alan Copeland

Alan Niederland

Alan Rankine

Alan Warner

Alan Moore Stowell

Alba 'Albita' Eagan

Algy Ward

Alice Parker

Allen Becker

Alton Wade Kelley

Amos Ettinger

Amp Fiddler

Amparo Rubín

Ana Clara Benevides Machado

Anatol Ugorski

André Watts

Andrew Penhallow

Andrew Speight

Andy Rourke

Angela Zilia

Angelo Badalamenti

Angelo Bruschini

Anita Kerr

Anita Pointer

Anne Hart

Annie Nightingale

Anthony Topham

Anthony John Heyes

Anup Ghoshal

April Stevens

Arie Levanon

Arif Cooper

Arthur Ward Eller

Astrud Gilberto

Audie Blaylock

August 08

Axali Doëseb

B. Sasikumar

Barbara Bryne

Barrett Strong

Baxter Black

Beeyar Prasad

Ben Lipitz

Benito Castro

Benjamin Zephaniah

Berit Lindholm

Bernie Marsden

Betta St. John

Betty Price

Beytocan

Bhavani Shankar

Bhavatharini Raja

Big Pokey

Big Scarr

John Nelson "Big John" Trimble Jr.

William "Bill" Castle

Bill Humble

Bill Lee

Bill Mayne

Bill Rice

Bill Saluga

Bill Zehme

Bill Hayes

Billy Smith

Billy White Jr.

Billy "The Kid" Emerson

Bilqees Khanum

Bishop Carlton Pearson

Blair Tindall

Blas Durán

Blayne Tucker

Bob Burwell

Bob Feldman

Bob Jones

Bob Mummert

Bob Nalbandian

Bob Rice

Bob Siggins

Bob "Norton" Thompson

Bobbi Staff

Bobby Caldwell

Bobby Casey

Bobby Eli

Bobby Osborne

Bobby Schiffman

Bonny Beverley

Brad Houser

Brad Thomson

Bram Inscore

Brandon Marcel Williams

Brett Radin

Brian McBride

Brian "Brizz" Gillis

Bridgette Wimberly

Broderick Smith

Bruce Gowers

Bruce Guthro

Brucene Harrison

Bruno Ducol

Buck Trent

Buddy McNeill

Burt Bacharach

C-Knight

C.J. Harris

Calton Coffie

Calton Coffie

Calvin Newton

Canelita Medina

Canisso Canisso

Care Failure

Carl Davis

Carl Pagter

Carl Tovey

Carla Bley

Carlee Ann Vaughn

Carlin Glynn

Carline Smith Wilhite

Carlos Fonseca

Carlos Lyra

Carmen Jara

Carmen Xtravaganza

Carole Cook

Catherine Christer Hennix

Cayle Sain

Cecilia Pantoja Levi

Chabelita Fuentes

Chad Allan

Chaim Topol

Charline Whillhite

Charles Gayle

Charlie Dominici

Charlie Gracie

Charlie Monk

Charlie Robison

Chas Newby

Chick Rains

Chico Novarro

Choi Sung-Bong

Chris Ford

Chris Ledesma

Chris Lee

Chris Peluso

Chris Strachwitz

Christy Dignam

Chuck Flood

Chuck Jackson

Chuck Morris

Charley Morris

Clarence Avant

Clarence Barlow

Claude Kahn

Clay Hart

Cliff Fish

Clifton Oliver

Clint Yeager

Cobi Narita

Coco Lee

Colette Maze

Colin Burgess

Conny Van Dyke

Costa Titch

Craig Burbidge

Craig Hayes

Curtis Fowlkes

Cynthia Haring

Cynthia Weil

Dan Lardner

Daniel Bourgue

Daniel Jones

Daniel Lee Stephen Jones

Danny Kaleikini

Danny Schur

Danny Milhon

Dave Cohen

Dave Dickerson

Dave Roe

Dave Freeman

David Crosby

David Darling

David Del Tredici

David Drozen

David LaFlamme

David Lindley

David McCallum

David Leland

David Soul

David Lumsdaine

David Beckwith

David Jude Jolicoeur

Dedi Graucher

Del Palmer

Denis Badault

Denny Laine

Denyse Plummer

Dev Kohli

Dick Biondi

Dickie Harrell

Dima Nova

Dino Danelli

DJ Casper

DJ Deeon

DJ Dino Calvao

Djalma Corrêa

Don Graham

Don Kissil

Don Mulkey

Don Sebesky

Don Williams

Donnie McKethan

Dorian Kweller

Dr Latozi Madosini Mpahleni

Duane Tabinski

Dusty Street

Dwight Twilley

Ed Ames

Ed Stone

Ed "Beanpole" Efaw

Edino Krieger

Edward Sexton

Edward Walters

Edward "Kidd" Jordan

Elayne Jones

Eliud Treviño

Ellen Fitzhugh

Elliot Goldman

Eloise Wyatt Russo

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou

Enrique "Zurdo" Roizner

Eric Boehlert

Eric Shoutin' Sheridan

Eric Moyo

Eric Alan Livingston

Essra Mohawk

Fallece Marilú

Faye Fantarrow

Fito Olivares

Florence Malgoire

Fran La Maina

Francesa Cappucci

Francis Monkman

François Glorieux

Frank Harlow

Frank Kozik

Frank Solivan Sr.

Frank Woodard

Frank Ford

Frank Farian

Fred White

Freddie Ross Hancock

Fuzzy Haskins

Gabriele Schnaut

Gangsta Boo

Garry Mapanzure

Garry Lee Rentfro

Gary Hobish

Gary Rossington

Gary Smith

Gary Wright

Gary Young

Gary Noble

Gennady Gladkov

George Brown

George Logan

George Maharis

George Moffett

George Newall

George Portz

George Tickner

George Winston

George Yanok

Georgia Holt

Gerald Fried

Gérard Drouot

Germano Mathias

Glen "Spot" Lockett

Gloria Belle

Gloria Coates

Glynis Johns

Goa Gil

Gordon Lightfoot

Gordy Harmon

Gordy Nichol

Grace Bumbry

Grady Hockett

Graeme Malcolm

Graham Clark

Grand Daddy I.U.

Gregory Brian Wright

Hans Poulsen

Harley Worthington

Harold Childs

Harold Killian

Harold Black

Harry Belafonte

Harry Sheppard

Haydn Gwynne

Heather Dunbar

Heike Matthiesen

Heklina Heklina

Helen Thorington

Henri Duaman

Henry Grossman

Herb Deutsch

Hiroshi "Heath" Morie

Hoppy Hopkins

Horacio Malvicino

Howie Kane

Huey "Piano" Smith

Ian Bairnson

Ian Emes

Ian Tyson

Iasos

Ilanga

Inga Swenson

Ingrid Haebler

Ira Selsky

Irish Grinstead

Irma Capece Minutolo

Irv Lichtman

Isaac "Redd" Holt

Ismaïlia Touré

Ivan "Mamão" Conti

Ivan M. Tribe

J.J. Barnes

Jack Lee

Jack Pruett Jr.

Jack Sonni

Jacqueline Dark

Jaquelyne Ledent-Vilain

Jah Shaka

Jaimie Branch

Jake Marlowe

James Bowman

James Casey

James Harvey IV

James Jorden

James Lewis

James Kottak

James C. "Jimmy" LaRocca

Jamie Reid

Jamie Tiller

Jan Woods

Jane Birkin

Jannis Noya Makrigiannis

Jasmin Stavros

Javier Álvarez Fuentes

Jay Goldberg

Jay Weston

Jay Clayton

Jean Knight

Jeff Beck

Jeff Cook

Jeff Davis

Jeff Heiman

Jeffrey Foskett

Jeno Jandó

Jeremiah Green

Jerry Bradley

Jerry Dodgion

Jerry Fretwell

Jerry Kearns

Jerry Moss

Jerry Samuels

Jerry Springer

Jerry Whitehurst

Jerry Kramer

Jerry Paul Arnold

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jesse McReynolds

Jesus Garber

Jet Black

Jim Boyer

Jim Gordon

Jim Parker

Jim Sharpley

Jim Vienneau

Jim Ladd

Jim Rae

Jimmy Buffett

Jo Mersa Marley

Jo-El Sonnier

Joanna Merlin

João Donato

Joaquin Romaguera

Joaquin "Jocko" Fajardo

Joe Fagin

Joe McGuire

Joey Bogan

John Albert

John Beckingham

John Cirillo

John Deyle

John Giblin

John Gosling

John Kezdy

John Lomax IV

John Marshall

John Miller

John Morris

John Regan

John Waddington

John Cutler

John Alexander

John Andrew Tartaglia

John Watson Algee

Johnny Allon

Johnny Fean

Johnny Ruffo

Jon Fausty

Jon Kennedy

Jordan Blake

José Evangelista

Joseph Koo

Joshua Culbreath

Joshua Madsen

Joss Ackland

Jovit Baldivino

Joy McKean

Joyce Bryant

Juan Carlos Formell

Judy Massey

Julián Figueroa

Julian Sebothane Bahula

Justin Bartlett

Justin Fontaine

K. Neville Garrick

K.J. Joy

Kaija Saariaho

Karaikudi Mani

Karl Berger

Karl Tremblay

Karl F. Dieterichs

Katherine Anderson Schaffner

Kathy Chow

Keiko Okuya Jones

Keith Gattis

Keith Reid

Keith Holzman

Kelly Joe Phelps

Ken Brigham

Ken Fish

Ken Roberts

Ken Calvert

Kendall A. Minter

Kenneth Anger

Kenneth Force

Kenneth Montgomery

Kenneth Riegel

Kent Stax

Kevin Fleming

Kevin Lemons

Kevin "Geordie" Walker

Kihnu Virve

Kim Simmonds

Kirk Arrington

Kirstie Alley

Klee Benally

Kwame Brathwaite

Kyle Jacobs

Ladislav Jásek

Lalo Rodriguez

Lance Reddick

Larry Chance

Larry Morris

Larry Collins

Lasse Wellander

Laura Lynch

Lawrence "Larry" Cohn

Lázaro Valdés

Lee Berk

Lee Purkis

Lee Rauch

Leela Omchery

Lefty SM

Leiji Matsumoto

Len Chandler

Lena McLin

Lenka Hlávková

Leny Andrade

Leo D. Sullivan

Leonard Abrams

Leonard Zinn

Leroy "Black Stalin" Calliste

Les Brown Jr.

Les Leverett

Les McCann

Leslie Jordan

Lester Sterling

Lewis Largent

Lewis Spartlan

Lewis Pragasam

Lily Afshar

Linda de Suza

Linda Lewis

Lisa Roy

Lisa Marie Presley

Lisandro Meza

Lisl Steiner

Liz Thiels

Lizeta Nikolaou

Lois Curtis Shepherd

Lola Mitchell "Gangta Boo"

Lola Dee

Lord Creator

Lou Deprijck

Loyal Jones

Luis Vasquez

Luke Bell

Lyn McLain

M Daud Kilau

Malini Rajurkar

Mam' Sylvia Mdunyelwa

Manana Doijashvili

Mandla 'Mampintsha' Maphumulo

Manny Martinez

Manuel Göttsching

Manuel Castillo Girón

Marc Roy

Marcel Amont

Marcel Zanini

Marek Kopelent

Margaret Josephine Nisbett

Margie Hunt

Margie Sullivan

María Jímenez

Mariana Sîrbu

Marianne Mantell

Marilyn Johnston Blankenship

Mark Adams

Mark Capps

Mark Howard

Mark James

Mark Kuykendall

Mark Russell

Mark Sheehan

Mark Stewart

Mark Thomas

Mark Nelson

Marlena Shaw

Mars Williams

Marsha Gray Basore

Martha Owen

Martin Duffy

Martin Petzold

Martin Stevens

Mary Weiss

Mary G. Dawson

Mary Jane Thomas

Mary Turner Pattiz

Mason Ruble

Massimo Savić

Matt Alese

Matt Stewart

Maurice Bourgue

Maurice Hines

Max Morath

Maxi Jazz

Mbongeni Ngema

Mbuya Stella Chiweshe

MC Fats

Megan Terry

Melanie Safka

Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff

Menahem Pressler

Merv Shiner

Michael Blackwood

Michael Keith

Michael Kupper

Michael Leon

Michael McGrath

Michael Parkinson

Michael Rhodes

Michael Snow

Michael "Ibo" Cooper

Michael John McGann

Mick Slattery

Mikael Maglieri

Mike Henderson

Mike Reeves

Mike Brown

Mike Taylor

Mike J Rojas

Miki Liukkonen

Mildred Miller

Milo Hrnić

Minneapolis Backyard Punk Show Shooting

Misha K. Hunke

Mo Foster

Mohbad

MoneySign Suede

Monte Cazazza

Moonbin

Myles Goodwyn

Mylon LeFevre

Najah Salam

Nancy Van de Vate

Nashawn (Lotto) Breedlove

Neal Langford

Neela Rampogal

Neil Kulkarni

Neville Garrick

Nicholas Lloyd Webber

Niel Immelman

Nihal Nelson

Niko Everette

Nina Matviienko

Nobuyuki Idei

Nora Forster

Norby Walters

Norm Pattiz

Notis Mavroudis

O.S. Thyagarajan

Oladips

Olga Chorens

Ordy Garrison

Orlando Marin

Óscar Agudelo

Otis Barthoulameu

Otis Redding III

Özkan Ugur

Pacho El Antifeka

Pamela Blair

Pamela Chopra

Pansequito

Pat Bunch

Patricia Burda Janečková

Patrick Emery

Paul Beasley

Paul Cattermole

Paul Desenne

Paul Justman

Paul Prestopino

Paul Woseen

Paxton Whitehead

Pedro Lavirgen

Pedro Messone

Pedro Henrique

Pedro Suárez-Vértiz

Pepe Domingo Castaño

Petch Osathanugrah

Pete Brown

Pete Garner

Peter Austin

Peter Brötzmann

Peter Cooper

Peter Kowalsky

Peter Luboff

Peter McCann

Peter Nero

Peter Solley

Peter Schickele

Phil Quartararo

Phill Niblock

Pilarín Bueno

Pluto Shervington

Polito Vega

Prabha Atre

Pt Vijay Kichlu

Qamar Gula

R.C. Harris

Ralph Gordon

Ramani Ammal

Ramla Beegum

Ramsey Lewis Jr.

Randy Bailey

Randy Meisner

Rashid Khan

Ray Cordeiro

Ray Hildebrand

Ray Pillow

Ray Shulman

Ray Sparks

Raymond Froggatt

Raymond Lumpkin

Red Paden

Reiner Goldberg

Rena Koumioti

Renata Scotto

Renée Geyer

Ricardo Iorio

Ricardo Drue

Richard Davis

Richard Landis

Richard Law

Richard Ross

Richard Gaddes

Rick Froberg

Rick Newman

Rickie May

Rita Hollingsworth

Rita Lee

R.L. Boyce

Rob Laakso

Robbie Bachman

Robbie Robertson

Robert Becerra

Robert Black

Robert Haimer

Robert Hicks

Robert Michaels

Robert H. Precht

Robert W. Smith

Robin Tamang

Rock Brynner

Rodney Hall

Rodriguez

Roger Sprung

Roger Whittaker

Rohana  Jalil

Rolf Harris

Ron Cornett

Ron Haffkine

Ron Hamilton

Ron Spears

Ron S. Peno

Ronnie Turner

Roseline Damian

Roxie Cawood Gibson

Roy Rifkind

Roy Taylor

Royal Blakeman

Royston Ellis

Rudolph Isley

Russell Batiste Jr.

Russell Sherman

Ryan Siew

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Sajid Khan

Sakevi Yokoyama

Sal Piro

Sam Cutler

Sanath Nandasiri

Sandra Butler Truesdale

Sandra Trehub

Sara Tavares

Sarah Schlesinger

Sarah Rice

Scott Johnson

Scott Schinder

Séamus Begley

Sean Martin

Seán Keane

Sebastian Marino

Seóirse Bodley

Seymour Stein

Shahidul Haque Khan

Shane Yellowbird

Shaul Greenglick

Shaun Roberts

Sheila Smith

Sheldon Harnick

Sheldon Reynolds

Shoji Tabuchi

Silent Servant

Silvio Berlusconi

Sinéad O'Connor

Sir David Lumsden

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez

Slim Andrews

Smokey Greene

Soňa  Červená

Spot

Stainslaw Radwan

Stan Hitchcock

Stanley Drucker

Stella Stevens

Stephen Gould

Stephen "tWitch" Boss

Stephen Allen Davis

Steve Harwell

Steve Riley

Steve Skold

Steve Travis

Steve Nelson

Steven Lutvak

Stevie B-Zet

Stuart Margolin

Sudakshina Sarma

Sueli Costa

Sulochana Chavan

Suna Kan

Surinder Shinda

Suzanne Somers

Suzy Frank

Swarup Nayak

Sweet Charles Sherrell

Tamara Milashkina

Tapas Das

Teddy White

Teresa Taylor

Teri Bristol

Terri Nolan

Terry Hall

Terry Kirkman

Terry Thacker

Terry Baucom

Teté Caturla

Thanga Darlong

The 45 King

Theo de Barros

Theresa Reneé Watson

Thom Bell

Thomas Stacy

Thomas H. Lee

Thomasina Winslow

Thotakura Somaraju

Tim Bachman

Tim Stacy

Tim Rogers

Tim Norell

Tina Turner

TJ De Blois

Tohru Okada

Tom Jones

Tom Langdon

Tom Leadon

Tom Verlaine

Tom Whitlock

Tom Wilkerson

Tom Smothers

Tom Mazzetta

Tony Bennett

Tony Coe

Tony McPhee

Tony Oxley

Tony Clarkin

Torben Ulrich

Toru Mitsui

Toto Cutugno

Treat Williams

Treva Chrisco

Trish Williams Warren

Troy Brammer

Tshala Muana

Vakhtang Kikabidze

Valentin Gheorghiu

Van Conner

Varnell Harris Johnson

Victor Pikayzen

Victor Rasgado

Vilayil Faseela

Vince Hill

Violeta Hemsy de Gainza

Virginia Zeani

Vivian Trimble

Vivian Williams

Vivienne Westwood

Walt Groller

Walt Wilson

Walter Aipolani

Walter Arlen

Walter Charles

Walter Cole Darcelle XV

Walter Ulloa

Walter "Wolfman" Washington

Wayne Shorter

Wayne Swinny

Wee Willie Harris

William "DJ Casper" Perry Jr.

Willie Ruff

Willis Spears

Yaacov Bergman

Yehonatan Geffen

Yitzhak Klepter

Yogesh Vaidya

Yotam Haim

Young Capone

Yukihiro Takahashi

Yuri Temirkanov

Yuzo Toyama

Yvonne Přenosilová

Zahara

Zdenek Macal

Zita Carno

2024 GRAMMY Nominees and Winners: See The Full List

10 Must-See Moments From The 2024 GRAMMYs: Taylor Swift Makes History, Billy Joel & Tracy Chapman Return, Boygenius Manifest Childhood Dreams
(L-R) boygenius, Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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10 Must-See Moments From The 2024 GRAMMYs: Taylor Swift Makes History, Billy Joel & Tracy Chapman Return, Boygenius Manifest Childhood Dreams

The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards wrote another monumental chapter in music history with returns from legends like Celine Dion and wins by a promising new generation of artists like Victoria Monét.

GRAMMYs/Feb 5, 2024 - 08:35 pm

Just like that, another GRAMMYs has come and gone — but the 2024 telecast brought many moments that will be immortalized in pop culture history.

It was the evening of legends, as Billy Joel and Tracy Chapman returned to the stage for the first time in decades and Joni Mitchell made her debut with a performance of her 1966 classic, "Both Sides, Now." Stevie Wonder and Celine Dion honored greats, both those we've lost and those who are dominating today. And Meryl Streep had two memorable moments at the show, making a fashionably late entrance and getting a hilarious GRAMMY lesson from Mark Ronson.

But it was the younger generation of artists who ultimately dominated the show. Boygenius — the supergroup of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker — won numerous awards in the Rock, Metal & Alternative Music Field. Billie Eilish and SZA scooped up a couple more golden gramophones, respectively, and Best New Artist winner Victoria Monét celebrated three wins in total, also winning Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

Taylor Swift built on the momentum of her colossal year with more GRAMMY records and an unexpected announcement of her next studio album.

Check out the full list of winners here, and take a look at our top 10 highlights from another show-stopping installment of the GRAMMYs below.

Boygenius Run To Accept Their First GRAMMY Award

Boygenius won the first trophy of their careers during the Premiere Ceremony, and they were so ecstatic they sprinted through the crowds to get to the stage.

"Oh my God, I want to throw up," Lucy Dacus said as the group accepted their Best Rock Performance trophy for "Not Strong Enough."

Even though the trio was over the moon, they weren't entirely shocked by their win: "We were delusional enough as kids to think this would happen to us one day," she continued. Phoebe Bridgers would sing at a local Guitar Center "in hopes of getting discovered," while Julien Baker dreamed of performing in stadiums as she played in multiple bands, and Dacus has been perfecting her acceptance speech for years.

Their hard work was manifested three times over, as the trio also won Best Rock Song for "Not Strong Enough" and Best Alternative Music Album for the record.

Killer Mike Makes A Clean Sweep

Killer Mike had the largest GRAMMY night of his career, winning all three of the Rap Categories for which he was nominated: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS," and Best Rap Album for MICHAEL.

"I'm from the Southeast, like DJ Paul, and I'm a Black man in America. As a kid, I had a dream to become a part of music, and that 9-year-old is very excited right now," he cheered. "I want to thank everyone who dares to believe art can change the world."

Minutes after his sweep, the LAPD detained the Run the Jewels rapper. However, he was released and still able to celebrate his achievements, Killer Mike's lawyer told Variety.

Miley Cyrus Finally Receives Her "Flowers"

Miley Cyrus entered the GRAMMYs with six nominations for her eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation. After she won Best Pop Solo Performance for "Flowers," she delivered a jubilant performance in celebration. "Started to cry, but then remembered, I just won my first GRAMMY!" she exclaimed at the song's bridge, throwing her hands in the air and joyfully jumping around the stage.

Cyrus' excitement brought a tangible energy to the performance, making for one of the night's most dynamic — and apparently one of Oprah Winfrey's favorites, as the camera caught the mogul dancing and singing along.

"Flowers" earned Cyrus a second GRAMMY later in the night, when the No. 1 hit was awarded Record Of The Year. 

Tracy Chapman Makes A Rare Appearance

Luke Combs breathed a second life into Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" when he released a cover of the track in April 2023. He quickly climbed to the top of the Billboard charts and received a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance at this year's show. Of course, it called for a special celebration — one that was meaningful for both Combs and GRAMMYs viewers.

Chapman joined the country star on stage for her first televised performance since 2015, trading off verses with Combs as he adoringly mouthed the words. The duet also marked Chapman's first appearance on the GRAMMY stage in 20 years, as she last performed "Give Me One Reason" at the 2004 GRAMMYs. (It also marked her second time singing "Fast Car" on the GRAMMYs stage; she performed it in 1989, the same year the song won Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Chapman took home three awards total, including Best New Artist.)

Naturally, Chapman's return earned a standing ovation from the crowd. As Combs fittingly put it in an Instagram post thanking the Recording Academy for the opportunity, it was a "truly remarkable moment."

Read More: 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

Joni Mitchell Takes The GRAMMY Stage For The First Time At 80

In one of the most emotional parts of the night, Joni Mitchell performed on the GRAMMYs stage for the first time in her nearly 60-year career.

Accompanied by Brandi Carlile — who referred to Mitchell as "the matriarch of imagination" before the performance — Lucius, SistaStrings, Allison Russell, Blake Mills, and Jacob Collier, Mitchell sang a touching rendition of "Both Sides Now."

"Joni is one of the most influential and emotionally generous creators in human history," Carlile  added in her introduction. "Joni just turned 80, my friends, but we all know she's timeless!"

Mitchell also won her 10th golden gramophone at the 2024 GRAMMYs, as her live album Joni Mitchell at Newport was awarded Best Folk Album at the Premiere Ceremony.

Stevie Wonder Salutes The Late Tony Bennett, Duetted By His Hologram

Another heartfelt moment came during this year's In Memoriam segment, when Stevie Wonder memorialized his friend, Tony Bennett, who passed away from Alzheimer's disease in 2023.

"Tony, I'm going to miss you forever. I love you always, and God bless that He allowed us to have you in this time and space in our lives," Wonder proclaimed. Thanks to a hologram of Bennett, the two singers could duet "For Once in My Life" one last time.

This year's tribute also saw Annie Lennox covering Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," Jon Batiste's medley of Bill Withers' hits, and Fantasia's reimagining of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary."

Meryl Streep Gets Educated On Album Vs. Record And Single

Meryl Streep joined Mark Ronson — who happens to be her son-in-law — to announce the Record Of The Year winner, which sparked a funny interaction between the two when Streep thought she was announcing Album Of The Year.

"A record is an album!" Streep confidently declared, only for Ronson to give a quick 101 on the difference between Record, Song, and Album Of The Year.

"It's a really important award, and it's an award that recognizes everything that goes into making a great record — the producers, the recording engineer, and the artist, and all their contributions," Ronson explained of Record Of The Year.

"It's the Everything Award! It's the best," Streep smiled.

Celine Dion Surprises The World With A Special Cameo

Before the GRAMMYs commenced, producer Ben Winston told viewers they would be in for a treat because of a surprise presenter for the final award of the night, Album Of The Year. "They are an absolute global icon. I think jaws will drop to the floor. People will be on their feet," he shared.

It was none other than Celine Dion, who has largely been out of the limelight after her stiff person syndrome diagnosis.

"When I say that I'm happy to be here, I really mean it with my heart," Dion said. "It gives me great joy to present a GRAMMY award that two legends, Diana Ross and Sting, presented to me 27 years ago."

Dion is referring to her Album Of The Year win at the 39th GRAMMY Awards in 1997, when her smash LP Falling Into You won the honor. 

Taylor Swift Breaks The Record For Most AOTY Wins

It was a historic night for Taylor Swift in more ways than one.

She began the evening by winning her 13th GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights. To commemorate the milestone (13 is her lucky number), Swift announced her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, arriving on April 19.

She ended the evening with a coveted fourth Album Of The Year win, which made Swift the artist with the most AOTY nods in GRAMMY history.

"I would love to tell you this is the best moment of my life, but I feel this happy when I finish a song or crack the code to a bridge that I love or when I'm shot listing a music video or when I'm rehearsing with my dancers or my band or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show," she said. "The award is the work. All I want to do is keep being able to do this."

Billy Joel Serves Double GRAMMY Duty

After Swift's momentous win, Billy Joel ended the ceremony with a feel-good performance of his 1980 single, "You May Be Right." Along with being a rousing show closer, it was also his second performance of the night; Joel performed his newest offering, "Turn the Lights Back On," before Album Of The Year was announced.

Joel's performances included three firsts: It was the debut live rendition of "Turn the Lights Back On," his first release since 2007, and the performances marked his first time playing on the GRAMMYs stage in more than two decades. It was a fitting finale for a history-making show, one that beautifully celebrated icons of the past, present and future.

A Timeline Of Taylor Swift's GRAMMYs History, From Skipping Senior Prom To Setting A Record With 'Midnights'

U2 Performs "Atomic City" & Transports The 2024 GRAMMYs To Las Vegas
The Sphere in Las Vegas

Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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U2 Performs "Atomic City" & Transports The 2024 GRAMMYs To Las Vegas

Bono and co.’s long-distance return to the 2024 GRAMMYs marks the Sphere, a state-of-the-art Sin City structure. The 22-time GRAMMY winners performed a jaunty take on "Atomic City" among incredible visuals.

GRAMMYs/Feb 5, 2024 - 02:51 am

U2 transported Music's Biggest Night from the Crytpo.com Arena in Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Sunday night, performing their song "Atomic City" live from the Sphere. 

"Guitar, she pulls the strings et cetera/ Sinatra swings, a choir sings/ Love is God and God is love/ And if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough," Bono wailed as the cameras took in the majesty and awe of the futuristic venue just off the Vegas Strip.

Following the performance, the live segment also featured a special presentation of Best Pop Vocal Album Award to Taylor Swift for 2022’s Midnights — with the superstar using her acceptance speech to announce the April 19 release date for her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.

Bono and co.’s long-distance return to the GRAMMYs (where they last performed at the 2018 GRAMMYs) marks the first live broadcast from the state-of-the-art Sin City structure, which the 22-time GRAMMY winners are currently breaking in as a performance venue with their residency U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere.

Launched in September, U2’s inaugural run of 40 shows at the Sphere will wrap on March 2. After the Dublin rockers’ final concert highlighting their 1991 GRAMMY-winning album Achtung Baby, Dead & Company will take over the venue for their own residency with an assist from John Mayer.

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Nominees And Winners List