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When the final award for Record Of The Year was presented to “Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler charmingly summed up this whole 32nd Annual GRAMMY night by gleefully proclaiming, “Hey <a href="/grammys/artists/bonnie-raitt">Bonnie Raitt</a>, I got one too!”

Coming fittingly just in the nick of time, veteran rootsy singer and guitar-slinger Raitt thoroughly enjoyed an altogether satisfying GRAMMY night — winning Album Of The Year for her Nick Of Time comeback, along with Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, and Best Traditional Blues Recording for a duet with John Lee Hooker (“I’m In The Mood,” on Hooker’s The Healer). Having famously bounced back from substance abuse problems and having been dropped by her former label, Raitt won her first four GRAMMYs ever in just a matter of hours — a global media event that would subsequently help make the Don Was-produced Nick Of Time an even bigger hit. For her part, Raitt — who performed “Thing Called Love” on the show — was increasingly shocked as her awards piled up. “This is a real miracle for me after all this time,” she said. Raitt graciously thanked her peers for nominating her in previous years “when things weren’t going so well.” Alluding gracefully to her past troubles, she also noted, “And mostly I’d like to thank God for bringing me to this at a time when I could truly appreciate it.”

The other moving centerpiece of this first GRAMMY show held in the ’90s —<strike> </strike>wonderfully hosted by Garry Shandling — was a suitably grand and heartfelt salute to one of the night’s <a href="/grammys/awards/lifetime-awards">Lifetime Achievement Award</a> recipients, <a href="/grammys/artists/paul-mccartney">Paul McCartney</a>.

Speaking lovingly for her boomer generation, Meryl Streep presented the tribute, first recalling her own experience seeing the Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1965 from the 116th row with an “I Love You Forever Paul” sign in her hands. “I had a better view of New Jersey than I did of the little stage that was set up on centerfield,” she said with a smile. Still, Streep beautifully recalled seeing “those four boys running across the grass to the stage” and “the roar that just rose up.” Streep then introduced two of McCartney’s own favorites to perform two of his songs. Ray Charles served up the funkiest version ever of “Eleanor Rigby,” while Stevie Wonder offered up a believably optimistic version of “We Can Work It Out.”

Following one of the more extended standing ovations in all of GRAMMY history, McCartney took the stage, kissed Streep, adding, “Thank you Meryl, I remember you well — row 116.” McCartney then spoke eloquently of his love for the music of Charles and Wonder, of environmental challenges the world faced, of his family, and of his pleasure in joining “the best band in the world — thanks John, George and Ringo for being beautiful people.” McCartney concluded memorably, “I’d like to thank you all for being in my dream.”

Yet on an evening where the sublime dominated splendidly, there was one unfortunate yet notable touch of the ridiculous when soon-to-be-exposed lip synchers Milli Vanilli were presented with the GRAMMY for Best New Artist. The award was officially withdrawn later in 1990 when it was confirmed by producer Frank Farian that on the supposed duo’s debut album All Or Nothing, “frontmen” Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus had actually sang not all but nothing. The pair did however dance energetically and manage to at least partially mouth the lyrics to their smash “Girl You Know It’s True” during the show (about which Shandling explained, “I was supposed to be in that number. I wouldn’t wear the extensions.”).

The 32nd Annual GRAMMY Awards was also historic for featuring the first-ever televised rap award (the category had been established the year prior). First, during a performance of “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson” by DJ Jazzy Jeff &amp; The Fresh Prince, Will Smith dedicated the group’s performance “to all the rappers last year that stood with us and helped us to earn the right to be on this stage tonight.” Then teen dreams New Kids On The Block presented the award, with the group’s Donnie Wahlberg respectfully name-checking hip-hop pioneers Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Run-D.M.C. and Kurtis Blow, before handing out the award for Best Rap Performance to Young MC for “Bust A Move.” Adding a little hip-hop edge to the proceedings, Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav proceeded to join Young MC onstage uninvited. “I’d like to thank Flavor Flav for breaking up the monotony of my acceptance speech,” Young MC noted.

The night featured many other musical highlights, including a performance by Lifetime Achievement recipient <a href="/grammys/artists/miles-davis">Miles Davis</a>, a short impromptu version of “Straighten Up And Fly Right” by Ella Fitzgerald and Natalie Cole on a night when the late Nat “King” Cole was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and a haunting rendition of “Summertime” from Porgy And Bess by Metropolitan Opera star Harolyn Blackwell.

The 32nd Annual GRAMMYs also included perhaps the single finest dirty joke inspired by a format change in all of music history. As Shandling memorably explained, “Compact discs are overtaking the business, of course, which is ruining my life because I make love to music and I cannot find 45s anymore.”

Wind Beneath My Wings

We Didn't Start The Fire (Single)

The Living Years (Single)

The End Of The Innocence (Single)

She Drives Me Crazy (Single)

Record Of The Year

Traveling Wilburys Volume One (Album)

The Raw And The Cooked (Album)

The End Of The Innocence (Album)

Nick Of Time

Full Moon Fever (Album)

Album Of The Year

Don't Know Much (Single)

Song Of The Year

Best New Artist

Wind Beneath My Wings (Single)

Straight Up (Single)

Don't Wanna Lose You (Single)

Cry Like A Rainstorm - Howl Like The Wind (Album)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female

You Got It (Single)

Right Here Waiting (Single)

How Am I Supposed To Live Without You

Batman-Motion Picture Soundtrack (Album)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male

Love Shack (Single)

If You Don't Know Me By Now (Single)

Don't Know Much

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Whispers And Promises (Album)

Late Night (Track)

Healing Chant

Dancing With The Lion (Single)

Breadline Blues (Track)

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Let's Stay Together (Single)

I Drove All Night (Single)

Foreign Affair (Album)

Brave And Crazy (Album)

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female

When The Night Comes (Single)

The End Of The Innocence

New York (Album)

Freedom (Album)

Free Fallin' (Track)

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male

When Love Comes To Town (Single)

Traveling Wilburys Volume One

Rattle And Hum (Album)

Mixed Emotions (Single)

Glamour Boys (Single)

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Travis Walk (Track)

The Crush Of Love (Track)

Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop with Terry Bozzio & Tony Hymas

High Tension Wires (Album)

A Piece Of Time (Track)

Best Rock Instrumental Performance

Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Single)

Love In An Elevator (Single)

G N'R Lies (Album)

Dr. Feelgood (Single)

Cult Of Personality

Best Hard Rock Performance

Ultramega O.K. (Album)

The Real Thing (Album)

I Don't Believe In Love (Single)

Beast From The East (Album)

Best Metal Performance

Through The Storm (Album)

Miss You Much (Single)

Good To Be Back (Album)

Giving You The Best That I Got

Dreamin' (Single)

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female

We've Saved The Best For Last (Single)

She Won't Talk To Me (Single)

Heart's Horizon (Album)

Every Little Step

Batdance (Single)

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male

We Sing Praises (Track)

It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be (Single)

Gimme Your Love (Single)

Celebrate New Life (Single)

Back To Life

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

It's No Crime (Instrumental) (Single)

I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love (Track)

Constructive Criticism (Track)

Bermuda Nights (Album)

African Dance

Best R&B Instrumental Performance

When A Man Loves A Woman (Single)

Superwoman (Single)

If You Don't Know Me By Now

Every Little Step (Single)

Best Rhythm & Blues Song

Me Myself And I (Single)

I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson (Single)

Funky Cold Medina (Single)

Fight The Power (Single)

Bust A Move

Best Rap Performance

Tibet (Album)

Passion - Music For The Last Temptation Of Christ

Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) (Single)

Icarus (Track)

Dancing With The Lion (Album)

Best New Age Performance

Spellbound (Album)

Real Life Story (Album)

On The Corner (Album)

On Solid Ground (Album)

Letter From Home

Amandla (Album)

Best Jazz Fusion Performance

The Christmas Song (Track)

Short Stories (Album)

Live In Paris (Album)

In A Mellow Tone (Album)

Blues On Broadway

Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female

When Harry Met Sally

Tenderly (Album)

In Good Company (Album)

In A Sentimental Mood (Album)

At Last (Album)

Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male

Save The Bones For Henry Jones (Track)

Makin' Whoopee

Like The Whole World's Watching (Track)

Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Track)

Get The Booty (Track)

Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo Or Group

The Majesty Of The Blues (Album)

Sophisticated Lady (Track)

Bessie's Blues (Track)

Aura

After Hours (Album)

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist (On A Jazz Recording)

Trio Jeepy (Album)

The Spin (Album)

Chick Corea Akoustic Band

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group

Uptown/Downtown (Album)

The Legend, The Legacy (Album)

The Definitive Thad Jones (Album)

Music Is My Mistress (Album)

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band

Willow In The Wind (Album)

Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That (Single)

I Don't Want To Spoil The Party (Single)

Bluebird (Album)

Absolute Torch And Twang

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female

Lyle Lovett And His Large Band

Killin' Time (Album)

It's Just A Matter Of Time (Single)

I'm No Stranger To The Rain (Single)

After All This Time (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

Young Love (Single)

Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. 2

She Don't Love Nobody (Single)

Honky Tonk Heart (Single)

Big Dreams In A Small Town (Single)

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

You Ain't Going Nowhere (Single)

Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Track)

There's A Tear In My Beer

Sin City (Track)

Act Naturally (Single)

Best Country Vocal Collaboration

If You've Got The Money (Honey I've Got The Time) (Track)

Black And White Rag (Single)

Big Foot (Track)

Amazing Grace

All I Got Is Gone Away (Track)

Best Country Instrumental Performance

Two Highways (Album)

The Valley Road

The Masters (Album)

Heartbreak Hotel (Album)

Bill Monroe And The Bluegrass Boys Live At The Opry (Album)

At The Old Schoolhouse (Album)

Best Bluegrass Recording

There's A Tear In My Beer (Single)

Luck In My Eyes (Single)

After All This Time

32nd Annual GRAMMY Awards