Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre

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David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Dr. Dre Recordings Added To GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

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Recordings from Johnny Cash, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Nirvana, and Aerosmith also added to the Hall, now in its 45th year
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Jan 16, 2018 - 6:30 am

Each year the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame celebrates a class of outstanding recordings at least 25 years old that exhibit qualitative or historical significance. To continue its ongoing commitment to preserving and celebrating timeless recordings, the Recording Academy has announced the class of 2018 recordings added to the Hall.

  

Recordings honored include Whitney Houston's unforgettable 1992 cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You"; Dr. Dre's groundbreaking 1992 debut rap album, The Chronic; Public Enemy's 1989 hip-hop classic, "Fight The Power"; Aerosmith's 1973 power ballad, "Dream On"; Nirvana's influential 1991 LP, Nevermind; and David Bowie's 1969 time-traveling track "Space Odyssey."

Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic': 25 Years Later

Queen's fourth studio album, A Night At The Opera (1972), the Rolling Stones' chart-topping "Paint It Black" (1966), Johnny Cash's seminal Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968), Linda Ronstadt's fifth studio album, Heart Like A Wheel (1974), Motown group the Four Tops' single "I Can't Help Myself" (1965), and Gladys Knight & The Pips' classic "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (1967) each made the list.

Also earning a spot in the 2018 class is Jimi Hendrix's album Band Of Gypsys (1970), Sam Cooke's classic single "Bring It On Home To Me" (1962), Parliament's infectious track "Flash Light" (1978), Andy Williams' smooth interpretation of "Moon River" (1962), Billy Paul's ballad "Me And Mrs. Jones" (1972), and Leon Russell's iconic "A Song For You" (1970).

Representing jazz, the King Cole Trio's 1946 song "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," Billie Holiday's 1937 version of "My Man" and Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five's 1927 track "Savoy Blues" have been inducted.

South African trumpeter/singer Hugh Masekela's track "Grazing In The Grass" (1968), Thomas Alva Edison's original recording of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" (1878), Delta blues singer Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right" (1949), and English musician Mike Oldfield's debut album, Tubular Bells, (1973) round out this year's Hall honorees.

Each year recordings are reviewed by a special member committee comprised of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts, with final approval by the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. With these 25 new titles, the Hall, now in its 45th year, currently totals 1,063 recordings and is on display at GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live.

"The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame strives to embody the changing climate of music throughout these past decades, always acknowledging the diversity of musical expression for which the Academy has become known," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "Iconic and inspiring, these recordings are an integral part of our musical, social and cultural history, and we are proud to have added them to our growing catalog."

The 60th GRAMMY Awards will take place at New York City's Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28. The telecast will be broadcast live on CBS at 7:30–11 p.m. ET/4:30–8 p.m. PT. 

Andra Day

Andra Day

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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Billie Holiday Biopic Starring Andra Day Reportedly In The Works

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"Empire" creator/director Lee Daniels could be turning his attention to an iconic music legend
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Jun 6, 2018 - 12:53 pm

Once you've watched jazz legend Billie Holiday's haunting performance of one of her signature songs, "Strange Fruit," it's an emotional experience that will likely stick with you awhile. So it should come as no surprise that an award-winning director would want to take on a film project centered on the singer's colorful life.

Variety reports that Oscar-nominated director Lee Daniels ("Empire") is currently in talks to helm the Holiday biopic Billie. Though details have not been confirmed, GRAMMY-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Andra Day has been identified as the first choice for the lead role while actor Lakeith Stanfield is in consideration for the male lead. Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum will serve as producers and playwright Suzan-Lori Parks has been tasked with writing the script.

Holiday's life and career cemented her as one of the most influential singers in history. Lady Day, as she was also known, started singing in Harlem, N.Y., in the 1930s and continued to perform until her death in 1959. She earned two GRAMMY nominations and was honored with the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award for her indelible role in music in 1987.

Daniels' project about Holiday's life and career wouldn't be the first. Diana Ross immortalized Holiday in the 1972 film Lady Sings The Blues and Holiday's life also featured in a 1986 play by Lanie Robertson titled "Lady Day At Emerson's Bar And Grill."

Though nothing is settled as of yet for Daniels' film interpretation, sources are hopeful these latest developments will lead to a start in production as early as this year. Until then, we'll have to stay "Fine And Mellow" for the "Summertime." 

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Queen's Brian May and Adam Lambert

Queen's Brian May and Adam Lambert

Photo: Roberto Finizio/NurPhoto/Getty Images

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Queen, Adam Lambert Set For 2018 Las Vegas Residency

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Legendary rock band will grace Sin City with The Crown Jewels at Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
May 7, 2018 - 1:12 pm

Las Vegas, get ready for a music-induced Sheer Heart Attack. Queen with Adam Lambert are heading to Sin City this fall.

On May 7, the GRAMMY-nominated band announced they will be taking over Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas for a limited 10-day engagement starting Sept. 1 and concluding Sept. 22. Aptly titled The Crown Jewels, fans can expect plenty of gems from the Queen catalog — "We Will Rock You," "We Are The Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody," and more — courtesy of Lambert and co-founders guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.

"We're ready to take on the ultimate challenge … to dazzle Vegas," May said in a press release, a sentiment echoed by Taylor, who said, "Looking forward to rocking the Strip."

"I'm so excited to help share The Crown Jewels with the Strip," added Lambert, who has served as the group's lead singer since 2011. "You'll be humming them all night!"

Tickets for Queen's Vegas residency will be available to presale members starting May 8, with tickets opening to the general public on May 11.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

Mick Jagger photographed circa 1987

Mick Jagger

Photo: Michael Putland/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Poll

Mick Jagger, Stevie Nicks, Axl Rose, Kurt Cobain: Most Iconic Classic Rock Singer | Poll

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Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the most iconic classic rock voice of them all? Cast your vote in our poll
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
May 4, 2018 - 5:36 pm

"You need cooling, baby I'm not fooling." "Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?" "Welcome to the jungle, we've got fun and games." "I found it hard, it's hard to find. Oh well, whatever, never mind."

Sure enough, as these lyrics reverberate in your head, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the inimitable voices behind them. Indeed, the classic rock era — the mid-'60s to the late '80s, and now including the '90s — was littered with a variety of one-of-a-kind singers — instantly recognizable voices who breathed life into classic anthems spanning "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and beyond.

Polls

Which classic rock lead singer has the most iconic voice?

In the '60s, the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger arguably set the template for the modern rock and roll frontman, commanding the stage and matching bandmate Keith Richards' meaty guitar riffs with his distinctive vocal delivery. Other iconic frontmen such as Roger Daltrey and Robert Plant put their own vocal stamps on classics by the Who and Led Zeppelin, respectively, perfectly complementing master six stringers Pete Townshend and Jimmy Page on songs like "My Generation" and "Whole Lotta Love."

With his operatic tenor, Freddie Mercury began his reign with Queen in the '70s, sprinkling magical vocals on top of songs such as "Bohemian Rapsody," "Another One Bites The Dust" and "We Will Rock You." Initially dismissed as a Jagger knockoff, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler ultimately proved his mettle with his inimitable blues-rock yowl, adding gravelly character to hits such as "Dream On," "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion."

Ann Wilson brought intense dynamics to the Heart catalog, going from a whisper to 11 on "Crazy On You" and bringing fire and fury to the likes of "Barracuda." Meanwhile, Stevie Nicks' expressive, husky voice yielded a beautiful yet haunting dimension to Fleetwood Mac hits such as "Dreams," "Gold Dust Woman" and "Sara."

Perhaps the very definition of a soaring rock tenor, Steve Perry's voice gave Journey fans goosebumps whether presiding over infectious anthems such as "Don't Stop Believin'" or soft ballads like "Open Arms" and "Faithfully." Arguably the most volatile figure from the '80s L.A. rock scene, Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose slithered through multiple vocal personalities, evidenced by his patented screams on "Welcome To The Jungle" and laidback, heartfelt delivery on "Sweet Child O' Mine."

Speaking of volatility, the music of Seattle erupted in the early '90s. Leading the way were Nirvana, with Kurt Cobain whispering and seething on songs such as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and showcasing a more dynamic vocal approach on quieter numbers like "Something In The Way." Armed with an astonishing voice, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell bridged the hard rock of the '80s and the unique sonic characteristics of grunge. His vocals spanned the sustained howls of "Rusty Cage" to the confessional delivery of "Black Hole Sun" and the hypnotic "Spoonman."

To quote Steve Perry, as far as classic rock vocalists, we could keep going "on and on and on and on." So, we want to know: Which classic rock lead singer has the most iconic voice? Cast your vote!

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

Queen circa 1975

Queen

Photo: Terry O'Neill/Iconic Images/Getty Images

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'A Night At The Opera': 7 Facts On Queen's Masterpiece | GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

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The band's fourth album spawned perhaps one of the most epic rock operas of all time; get the 411 on the making of this classic LP
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Apr 27, 2018 - 3:39 pm

"I see a little silhouetto of a man/Scaramouche, scaramouche will you do the fandango?"

The lyrics are so iconic, inevitably you'll know the song they belong to in an instant — Queen's epic "Bohemian Rhapsody."  

While the rock opera has arguably outshined the rest of the album that spawned the unlikely hit, A Night At The Opera was Queen's aptly titled fourth studio LP. Released Nov. 21, 1975, it contained other would-be favorites such as "Love Of My Life" and "You're My Best Friend." By all accounts, it wasn't an easy album to get down on tape, but it also became one of Queen's most successful and influential works of art.

Marking A Night At The Opera's latest achievement, it was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame as part of the class of 2018, an honor recognizing significant recordings that have shaped our musical heritage. To celebrate, let's take a closer look at these seven facts about the making of this classic Queen album.

1. The Marx Brothers Inspired The Title

As fans of the Marx Brothers' filmography, it seemed to make perfect sense that Queen — lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon — would name their fourth album after one of their films. A Night At The Opera comes from the 1935 Marx Brothers comedy of the same name, which the band reportedly watched in the studio during the recording of the LP Their 1976 follow-up, A Day At The Races, also borrowed its title from the Marx Brothers.

2. The Album Cost A Fortune

There was nothing cheap about recording A Night At The Opera, both from a time and financial standpoint. Getting the massive "Bohemian Rhapsody" down took three weeks alone, and the rest of the album stretched on as Queen worked tirelessly with producer Roy Thomas Baker. Most notably, the album cost the equivalent of $500,000 today to make in 1975, which earned the distinction of being the then-most expensive rock album ever made. This could have something to do with the fact the band recorded in six studios across the U.K.

3. Manager Drama Makes The Cut

Prior to 1975, Queen struggled to make ends meet despite having success with their three previous albums. It turns out the issue was a management deal gone horribly wrong. The band fought to free themselves from the bad relationship, and when they were successful, Mercury penned a scathing revenge track recounting the experience — "Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To …)."

"'Death On Two Legs' was the most vicious lyric I ever wrote," Mercury said, according to QueenOnline.com. "It was so vindictive that Brian felt bad singing it. No one would ever believe how much hate and venom went into the singing of that song, let alone the lyrics themselves."

4. Recording "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Queen's magnum opus, and arguably their most recognizable song of all time, is the rock opera "Bohemian Rhapsody." Clocking in at more than six minutes, it defied all conventions. And while we know some of the song's references — Scaramouche is a character from the Italian clown tradition, Galileo refers to the famous astronomer and Bismillah is the first word in The Qu'ran — we may never know the song's true meaning since Mercury never revealed it. To get "Bohemian Rhapsody" on tape, particularly the choral parts, Mercury, May and Taylor reportedly sang 180 overdubs. By the end of the process, the tape had been used so many times it was see-through.

5. Making Music Video History

With its growing popularity, Queen realized they would need a music video for "Bohemian Rhapsody," largely because they didn't want to appear on the British TV show "Top Of The Pops." So the band set aside £3,500, brought on director Bruce Gowers and threw together a music video in just four hours in a space they were using to rehearse for a tour. The result was a rather simple video visually dominated by the band's singing heads. But like the song itself, the end result became so popular it's credited with helping usher in the MTV music video craze of the '80s.

6. Wayne's World? Excellent …

Remember that scene in Wayne's World where Mike Meyers and crew lip sync "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the car? That moment has become a classic music moment in film, but it also gave way to a resurgence of interest in the popular A Night At The Opera track. When the Wayne's World soundtrack hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1992, "Bohemian Rhapsody" also landed at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, bringing the Queen hit to a new generation of fans.

7. GRAMMY Awards Recognition

Besides A Night At The Opera's induction into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame this year, the album earned Queen other GRAMMY recognition. Most notably, "Bohemian Rhapsody" earned the rockers their first two GRAMMY nominations at the 19th GRAMMY Awards, including nods for Best Arrangement For Voices (Duo, Group Or Chorus) and Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus. "Bohemian Rhapsody" earned induction into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame on its own in 2004 and Queen was also honored with the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"