Bill Forman is a Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com contributor.
"We are all interested in the future," intones the narrator in Ed Wood's 1958 film Plan 9 From Outer Space, "for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives." Of course, what shape that future will end up taking is anyone's guess. While it's true that elements of George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous…
More than two decades after its release, Nirvana's performance on MTV's "Unplugged" still stands as a convincing testimonial to Kurt Cobain's unmistakable musical genius and enigmatic charisma. Recorded less than five months before his death at the age of 27, the telecast and subsequent album capture the Seattle trio at its creative and commercial peak. Cobain and bandmates Dave Grohl and…
Much to the disappointment of the tabloids, Kanye West did not blindside Taylor Swift onstage at the 52nd GRAMMY Awards in 2010, as he had so infamously done at the MTV Video Music Awards just four months earlier. But the ceremony turned out to be no less memorable for the then-20-year-old country/pop crossover artist. By evening's end, Swift took home…
Welcome to Forgotten Videos. For some, these videos are forgotten, for others just filed away, and for others still, a totally brand-new discovery. Whichever category you fall into, each week we'll feature a video that's possibly been collecting dust when what it really deserves is a fresh look. Or vice-versa. … We're not here to judge, we just want to…
It's tempting to play the numbers game with Justin Bieber's Purpose. More than two years in the making. His fifth million-plus selling album. Three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, and a spot atop the Billboard 200. Certified triple platinum by the RIAA.But beyond sheer numbers, the album speaks to Bieber's ability to beat the odds in an industry where…
It's tempting to play the numbers game with Justin Bieber's Purpose. More than two years in the making. His fifth million-plus selling album. Three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, and a spot atop the Billboard 200. Certified triple platinum by the RIAA.But beyond sheer numbers, the album speaks to Bieber's ability to beat the odds in an industry where…
If the two breakout hits on OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sounded like the work of completely different artists, that's because they essentially were. Big Boi's soulful "The Way You Move" (on his Speakerboxxx) and André 3000's electro-funk "Hey Ya!" (from The Love Below) were initially set to appear on solo albums by the Atlanta duo, but were ultimately brought to…
Depending on which side of the cultural divide you fall, Skrillex's music is either the epitome or the antithesis of dubstep. A radical departure from the more minimalist style of early British dubstep artists, the idiosyncratic artist/producer has forged a stadium-ready sound, characterized by massive "wobble" basslines, squalling synthesizers, maximum distortion, and heavily processed vocals.Prior to adopting the name Skrillex…
Alabama Shakes' Boys & Girls was among the most soulful and celebrated debuts of 2012, yet few anticipated the degree to which frontwoman Brittany Howard and her Southern cohorts would up the ante on Sound & Color. The band's evolution earned four 58th GRAMMY nominations, including Album Of The Year and Best Alternative Music Album.With a spacious and evocative sound…
Sure, there's Gene Simmons' tongue, Rob Zombie's grindcore, Marilyn Manson's mechanical animals, and the Juggalo Nation's communal Faygo showers. But the trick to uncovering truly unsettling Halloween treats is to not just scratch the surface, but rather dig down deep into the haunted recesses of pop history. So join us, won't you, as we journey into a random hidden world…
(As a member of the Band, Levon Helm was honored with The Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. The following tribute ran in the GRAMMY Awards program book that year. Helm died April 19 at the age of 71.)In the case of the band that became known as the Band, the concept of a Lifetime Achievement Award may seem too…
Who said popular music and politics don't mix? Definitely not Phil Ochs, the Clash, Public Enemy, Rage Against The Machine, Steve Earle, or Megadeth's Dave Mustaine. While some may argue that the collision of these two worlds only serves to diminish both, it's a safe bet that musicians and politicians will still be pushing each other's buttons long after the onset of…
You can say what you want about Delaware's official state bird, the Blue Hen chicken. Or Utah's official state firearm, the Browning M1911 pistol. Or even New York state's recently appointed official state snack, yogurt. But only the most outspoken state advocates would likely defend songs such as "All Hail To Massachusetts," "Hail! Minnesota," "Hail! South Dakota," and "Hail, Vermont!" Let's…
It's no secret that Federal Communications Commission deregulation and media consolidation has arguably wiped out any local or regional differentiation in commercial radio. More surprising, perhaps, is the fact that many college and public radio stations are following suit as they devote more and more hours to NPR offerings such as "Car Talk" and "A Prairie Home Companion With Garrison…
