Beyoncé at the 59th GRAMMY Awards in 2017
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Go Back To School With Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton

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Your fall schedule would be looking a lot more fun and educational if you were taking one of these 9 college courses based on GRAMMY winners
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Aug 21, 2017 - 4:17 pm

Gather your notebooks, pencils and metronomes. It's back-to-school time. How is your schedule looking? Anything fun, interesting or musical?

Speaking of music, we wouldn't be surprised if you found a course based on a famous musician among your class list, since more colleges are now offering courses based on artists as a vehicle to discuss everything from music to identity to politics. For example, you could discuss feminism through the lens of Beyoncé and Rihanna, or review Appalachian culture with Dolly Parton or learn the magic of harmony with Stevie Wonder.

School's back in for fall and we've rounded up nine college classes featuring artists that would make studying and cramming for exams a lot more fun.

Dolly Parton

With her star shining from rural Appalachia all the way to Hollywood, it's fitting there is now a college course celebrating this GRAMMY winner's rise to stardom. "Dolly's America," a history honors course at the University of Tennessee, examines how Appalachia is portrayed in pop culture through the lens of Parton's career. Students study Parton's 1994 autobiography Dolly: My Life And Other Unfinished Business along with TV shows such as "The Beverly Hillbillies" and films such as Coal Miner's Daughter.

Beyoncé

One of the top GRAMMY winners of all time, Beyoncé's complex and definitive music is ripe for college course material. University of Texas at San Antonio rose to the occasion with an English course focusing on Beyoncé's GRAMMY winner for Best Urban Contemporary Album, Lemonade. Students in the class "Black Women, Beyoncé And Popular Culture" examine the "theoretical, historical and literary frameworks of black feminism" by covering the album track-by-track.

Bonus course: Rutgers University offers a Beyoncé-based course titled "Feminist Perspectives: Politicizing Beyoncé."

Beyoncé, Rihanna

Like many of these college courses, starting class with pop icons offers students a path into complex social and cultural critique in a way that feels fresh and familiar. That's certainly the case with the University of Texas at Austin's "Beyoncé Feminism, Rihanna Womanism." The course looks at "how the lyrics, music videos and actions of these women express various aspects of black feminism such as violence, economic opportunity, sexuality, standards of beauty, and creative self-expression." 

The Beatles

The Beatles have come to define a generation, and their music is a gift that keeps on giving. As a result, several schools offer Beatles-related courses tracking the musical and cultural contributions of the Fab Four. Indiana University offers "The Music Of The Beatles," which delves into critical listening skills while also keeping an appreciation for the Beatles' music alive. At the University of Southern California, "The Beatles: Their Music And Their Times," explores the GRAMMY winners' music, lyrics and irrefutable impact on pop culture — from "Love Me Do" to Let It Be.

Miles Davis

With classics like Kind Of Blue and Birth Of The Cool, Davis is one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time, and there is much to learn about his contribution to musical style and form. At Berklee College of Music, "The Music Of Miles Davis" tackles just that in the brass department, examining, "the evolution of his playing and writing styles" through studying his "improvised solos, tunes, forms, harmonic practice, and his influence on other performers."

Kanye West

From music to fashion and beyond, there's no question GRAMMY winner West has an impact on everything he touches. Yeezy's reach now extends to the classroom, evidenced by Washington University in St. Louis' African-American studies class, "The Politics Of Kanye West: Black Genius And Sonic Aesthetics." With a mission of dissecting the intersection between fame, gender, sexuality, and race, students have a chance to "explore how racialized ways of doing iconography, complex ways of seeing, creates a distorted or reductive frame through which we see the black and famous." As instructor Jeffrey McClune Jr. said, "The question isn't 'Why teach Kanye West? The question is, 'What does Kanye teach us?'"

Lady Gaga

The Fame Monster made the curriculum at the University of Virginia in fall 2010 with the course "GaGa For Gaga: Sex, Gender And Identity." An English class used to teach argumentative essay writing, the course asked students to look at how the GRAMMY winner pushes social boundaries with her music and other contributions to pop culture. According to Professor Christa Romanosky, "We're exploring how identity is challenged by gender and sexuality and how Lady Gaga confronts this challenge." This sounds like a prerequisite class that should be an annual offering.

Bob Dylan

Now a Nobel laureate in literature, it seems appropriate Dylan would be the focus of a Harvard University-based English course taught by a professor steeped in the classics. Simply titled "Bob Dylan," the freshman seminar not only sets Dylan as an artist in his time, but also compares him to classic poets such as Virgil and Homer. "He's not just a protest singer, or a pop singer," said Professor Richard F. Thomas, "but a phenomenon who rolls into his art lots of disparate musical, literary and other strands."

Stevie Wonder

From "Superstition" to "My Cherie Amour," the GRAMMY winner's powerful songs have a lot to teach potential music students about melody, rhythm and harmony. That's why Berklee College of Music offers "The Music Of Stevie Wonder" to students who want to not only learn more about Wonder's career, use of technology, recording techniques, and business practices, but also his one-of-a-kind harmonies. By looking at his music at a "granular level," students dig into "Wonder's harmonic language, melodic principles and use of melisma, lyrical approaches and the ways in which these elements support the narrative structure of his compositions."

Rihanna To Beyoncé: Scholarships For School

59th GRAMMY Awards nominees in 2017
List

Beatles to Jack White: 59 reasons to watch the 59th GRAMMYs

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From Beyoncé, Rihanna and Adele to Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper, Drake, and Kanye West, here are 59 storylines to follow
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am
GRAMMY.com

You've seen the official 59th GRAMMY nominations list, but do you really know the nominees? In case you're not sure, we've dissected the categories to bring you 59 must-know factoids about this year's nominations class. While these facts won't help you predict the winners, they're certain to impress your friends at your GRAMMY viewing party. Read all 59 facts below and be sure to follow your favorite artists on Music's Biggest Night.
 

1. Beyoncé

Beyoncé received nine GRAMMY nominations this year, more than any other artist. She now has 62 career nominations, extending her lead as the most-nominated female artist in GRAMMY history.

2. Lukas Graham

Lukas Graham's "7 Years" is nominated for Record Of The Year. The Danish group is just the second group or duo from continental Europe to receive a nomination in this category. The first was Daft Punk. The French duo won three years ago for "Get Lucky" (featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers).

3. Rihanna

Rihanna received her third Record Of The Year nomination for "Work" (featuring Drake). All three of these nominations are for collaborations. Rihanna was previously nominated for "Umbrella" (featuring Jay Z) and Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie" (on which she was featured).

4. Beyoncé

Beyoncé landed her fifth Record Of The Year nomination with "Formation." (This counts "Say My Name," which she recorded as a member of Destiny's Child.) This puts her in a tie with Barbra Streisand as the woman with the most career nominations in this category.

5. Adele

Adele's 25 is nominated for Album Of The Year. The singer's previous album, 21, won in this category five years ago. This is the first time an artist's follow-up to an Album Of The Year winner has been nominated in this category since Bob Dylan's Love And Theft (the follow-up to Time Out Of Mind) was a 2001 nominee.

6. Justin Bieber, Drake

Canadians Justin Bieber and Drake are among the nominees for Album Of The Year for Purpose and Views, respectively. Bieber, from London, Ontario, and Drake, from Toronto, are each vying to become the first Canadian solo artist in 20 years to win the category. Celine Dion won for Falling Into You for 1996.

7. Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd

Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd, who were nominated for Album Of The Year last year for their albums To Pimp A Butterfly and Beauty Behind The Madness, respectively, are nominated in the same category this year as featured artists on Beyoncé's Lemonade.

8. Sturgill Simpson

Sturgill Simpson's A Sailor's Guide To Earth is nominated for both Album Of The Year and Best Country Album. Simpson produced his album. It's the first entirely self-produced album to receive an Album Of The Year nomination since 2014, when two such albums — Beck's Morning Phase and Pharrell Williams' Girl — were nominated.

9. "Hello"

"Hello," which Adele co-wrote with Greg Kurstin, is nominated for Song Of The Year. A different song with the same title, by Lionel Richie, was nominated in this category 32 years ago. This marks the first time in GRAMMY history that two different songs with the same title have been nominated in this category.

10. "I Took A Pill In Ibiza"

Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" is nominated for Song Of The Year. Posner wrote the song. It's vying to become the first song written by a single songwriter to win in this category since Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" (2007).

11. Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran is looking to become the first songwriter in GRAMMY history to win Song Of The Year two years in a row. Sheeran won in this category last year for "Thinking Out Loud" (which he co-wrote with Amy Wadge). He's nominated this year for "Love Yourself" (which he co-wrote with Justin Bieber and Benjamin Levin aka Benny Blanco).

12. Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris

Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris are both nominated for Best New Artist. This marks the first time in GRAMMY history that two country artists have received nominations in this category in the same year.

13. The Chainsmokers

The Chainsmokers are only the second electronic dance music artist to receive a Best New Artist nomination. Skrillex, a 2011 nominee, was the first.

14. Chance The Rapper

Chance The Rapper is nominated for Best New Artist. The rapper, 23, wasn't even born in 1989 when Tone Loc became the first rap artist to receive a nomination in this category.

15. Anderson .Paak

Anderson .Paak is nominated for both Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album for Malibu. He is the first artist to be nominated for both of these awards in the same year since Frank Ocean four years ago. (Ocean's Channel Orange won Best Urban Contemporary Album.)

16. Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for the second year in a row. The rock legend is nominated for Fallen Angels. Dylan is the fourth GRAMMY nominee to have won a Nobel Prize. The other three are Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and Toni Morrison.

17. Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson received his third nomination in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category. The country legend is nominated for Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin. Nelson was previously nominated for Moonlight Becomes You (1994) and American Classic (2009).

18. Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand could win her first GRAMMY in 30 years. The star is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. Her most recent GRAMMY win was for her first Broadway collection, The Broadway Album, which won for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female (1986).

19. Best Pop Vocal Album

For the first time in 11 years, female solo artists take four of the five nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album. Adele, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and Sia are nominated alongside Justin Bieber.

20. Herb Alpert

Herb Alpert is among the nominees for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Human Nature. (The title track is the John Bettis/Steve Porcaro song made famous by Michael Jackson.) Alpert received his first GRAMMY nominations (and awards) for 1965 for his work with the Tijuana Brass. 

21. Jack White

Jack White, who is nominated for three GRAMMYs this year, will be honored for his contributions "behind the glass" at the Producers & Engineers Wing's annual GRAMMY Week celebration on Feb. 8, 2017. White is nominated for Album Of The Year as one of the featured artists and producers on Beyoncé's Lemonade; Best Rock Performance for "Don't Hurt Yourself" with Beyoncé (her first nomination in a Rock Field); and Best American Roots Song for "City Lights."

22. Best Rock Performance

Two of this year's nominees for Best Rock Performance were recorded live on television programs. Alabama Shakes' "Joe" was recorded for the PBS series "Austin City Limits." Disturbed's version of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound Of Silence" was recorded on TBS' "Conan."

23. Megadeth

The title track from Megadeth's album, Dystopia, is among the nominees for Best Metal Performance. This is the band's 12th nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance category). The band is seeking to win their first GRAMMY.

24. Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop earned his first nomination since 1988: Best Alternative Music Album for Post Pop Depression. In 2016 Pop appeared at the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live for a wide-ranging talk with Josh Homme as part of the Museum’s A Conversation With series.

25. Radiohead

Radiohead are vying to become the first four-time winner for Best Alternative Music Album. The band is nominated for A Moon Shaped Pool. Radiohead won in this category for OK Computer (1997), Kid A (2000) and In Rainbows (2008). Radiohead are currently tied with the White Stripes as the only three-time winners in the category.

26. Solange

Solange's "Cranes In The Sky" is nominated for Best R&B Performance, marking her first career nomination. Solange's older sister, Beyoncé, has won nine of her 20 GRAMMYs to date in R&B performance categories.

27. Rihanna

Rihanna is vying to become the first repeat winner in the Best Urban Contemporary Album category (which dates to 2012). Her album Anti is nominated this year. Unapologetic won three years ago.

28. Jay Z, Kanye West

The Throne aka Jay Z and Kanye West are nominated for Best Rap Performance with Drake for "Pop Style." If they win, it would be their eighth collaboration to score a GRAMMY. Their previous wins together are "Swagga Like Us," "Run This Town" (which won two GRAMMYs), "Otis," "N****s In Paris" (which won two GRAMMYs), and "Church In The Wild."

29. Drake

Drake's "Hotline Bling" is nominated for Best Rap/Sung Performance. The category was formerly known as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The change was made to expand the category beyond collaborations between rappers and vocalists to include recordings by a solo artist who blurs the lines between rapping and singing. Drake is the first beneficiary of that change.

30. De La Soul

De La Soul's Best Rap Album-nominated And The Anonymous Nobody, which they crowdfunded via Kickstarter, is looking to become the first crowdfunded album to win the category. De La Soul were first nominated for a 1989 GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance.

31. Kanye West

Kanye West's The Life Of Pablo is nominated for Best Rap Album. West is a four-time winner in this category. Only Eminem has received more awards (six) in the category.

32. Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Three pop or rock artists are nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Elle King is nominated as a featured artist on Dierks Bentley's "Different For Girls." P!nk is nominated as Kenny Chesney's duet partner on "Setting The World On Fire." Pentatonix are nominated for their rendition of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," which features Parton.

33. Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is nominated with Pentatonix for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Jolene." A master of collaborations, this is Parton's 18th GRAMMY nomination for recordings in conjunction with other artists. Collaborators over the years have included Norah Jones, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, and Kenny Rogers.

34. Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is among the nominees for Best Country Album for Full Circle. She won in this category 12 years ago with Van Lear Rose. If she wins again, she'll become the first female solo artist to win in this category twice. Lynn, 84, received her first GRAMMY nomination 50 years ago for "Don't Come Home A Drinkin'."

35. Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna

Hillary Lindsey and Lori McKenna, who collaborated (along with Liz Rose) on "Girl Crush," last year's winner for Best Country Song, are competing against each other in the category this year. Lindsey is nominated for co-writing the Keith Urban hit "Blue Ain't Your Color." McKenna is nominated for writing the Tim McGraw hit "Humble And Kind." If either woman wins this year, she would become the first songwriter to win back-to-back awards in this category since Robert John "Mutt" Lange and Shania Twain won for "You're Still The One" (1998) and "Come On Over" (1999).

36. Shirley Caesar

With her two nominations for Best Gospel Performance/Song and Best Gospel Album, Shirley Caesar is looking to add to her 11 career GRAMMYs, which is the highest total for a female gospel artist. Caesar is among the 2017 recipients of The Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award.

37. Kirk Franklin

Kirk Franklin could become the first artist to win twice in the Best Gospel Album category (which dates to 2011). Franklin won the 2011 award for Hello Fear. He is nominated this year for Losing My Religion.

38. Hillary Scott

Hillary Scott, who has won seven GRAMMYs as a member of Lady Antebellum, is nominated for two awards for a family project (Hillary Scott & The Scott Family). Love Remains is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. "Thy Will," a track from the album, is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.

39. Joey+Rory

Joey+Rory's Hymns is among the nominees for Best Roots Gospel Album. The duo received their first career nomination last year for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Joey Martin Feek, the female half of this married couple, died on March 4, 2016.

40. Vince Gill

Vince Gill's "Kid Sister" is nominated for Best American Roots Song. Gill has won two of his 20 GRAMMY Awards to date for songwriting. "I Still Believe In You" (1992) and "Go Rest High On That Mountain" (1995) were both voted Best Country Song.

41. William Bell

Stax Records veteran William Bell, whose R&B hits date to 1966, is nominated for two GRAMMYs. This Is Where I Live is nominated for Best Americana Album. "The Three Of Me," a track from the album, is nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Bell wouldn't be the first R&B veteran to win for Best Americana Album. Mavis Staples took the 2010 award for You Are Not Alone.

42. Judy Collins

Judy Collins is nominated for Best Folk Album for Silver Skies Blue, a collaboration with Ari Hest. Collins received her first GRAMMY nomination 53 years ago for her album, Judy Collins #3. It was nominated for Best Folk Recording.

43. Ziggy Marley

Ziggy Marley is vying to win his seventh GRAMMY in the Best Reggae Album category for his album Ziggy Marley. Marley won his first three awards in the category for albums on which he fronted Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers.

44. Anoushka Shankar

Anoushka Shankar is among the nominees for Best World Music Album for Land Of Gold. Shankar's late father, Ravi Shankar, won twice in this category, for Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000 (2001) and The Living Room Sessions (2012). This is Anoushka Shankar's sixth nomination in this category (counting one in the discontinued Best Contemporary World Music Album category).

45. Patti Smith

Punk-rock poet Patti Smith is nominated for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) for the second year in a row. She is nominated this year for M Train. She was nominated last year for Blood On Snow. This would be Smith's first GRAMMY win.

46. Best Comedy Album

Three of the five nominees for Best Comedy Album — Margaret Cho's American Myth, Tig Notaro's Boyish Girl Interrupted and Amy Schumer's Live At The Apollo — are by female performers. This is the first time that female performers have accounted for three of the nominees in the history of this category (which goes back to 1958, the first year of the GRAMMY Awards).

47. Kinky Boots

The Original West End Cast Album from Kinky Boots is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album. The Broadway cast album from the show won in this category three years ago. Kinky Boots is vying to become the fourth show to win twice in this category (with two different recordings of the score). The first three were Gypsy, West Side Story and Les Misérables.

48. Steve Martin, Edie Brickell

The Original Broadway Cast album to Bright Star is among the finalists for Best Musical Theater Album. Steve Martin and Edie Brickell collaborated on the score. The two musicians won a GRAMMY three years ago for Best American Roots Song for "Love Has Come For You."

49. Amy

The soundtrack to Amy, a film about the late Amy Winehouse, is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media. The film itself won a GRAMMY last year for Best Music Film. A win this year would mark the first time a film and its companion soundtrack each won in their category.

50. Straight Outta Compton

The soundtrack to the hit film Straight Outta Compton is a nominee for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media. The nomination comes in the same year that N.W.A's landmark 1988 album of the same name is inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame.

51. "Vinyl"

Vinyl: The Essentials Season 1, featuring music from the HBO series, is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media. It's vying to become the second TV soundtrack to win in this category, following Boardwalk Empire, Volume 1, which won five years ago. Boardwalk Empire was also a HBO series.

52. John Williams

John Williams, one of the top winners in GRAMMY history, received his 66th career GRAMMY nomination for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Williams has now received nominations for six of the seven Star Wars films he has scored. (The lone film in the franchise he did not receive a nod for was 2002's Star Wars: Episode II — Attack Of The Clones.)

53. "Stranger Things"

Both Stranger Things Volume 1 and Stranger Things Volume 2 — composed by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein — are nominated for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media. This is the first time in the category's history two albums from the same TV series have been nominated.

54. Ryuichi Sakamoto, The Revenant

The Revenant, composed by Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, is nominated for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media. Sakamoto won in this category 28 years ago for The Last Emperor, which he composed with Cong Su and David Byrne.

55. Suicide Squad

Two songs from the film Suicide Squad are nominated for Best Song Written For Visual Media. They are "Heathens" (Tyler Joseph, songwriter) and "Purple Lamborghini" (Shamann Cooke, Skrillex & Rick Ross, songwriters). Last year, two songs from Fifty Shades Of Grey were nominated in this category.

56. Max Martin

Max Martin is nominated for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical. The Swedish hit-maker won in this category two years ago. If he wins again this year, he'll become the first producer to win twice in the space of three years since Rick Rubin, who won the 2006 and 2008 awards.

57. Judith Sherman

Judith Sherman could win Producer Of The Year, Classical for the third year in a row. To date, only one producer has won this award three years running. Robert Woods won for 1987, 1988 and 1989.

58. The Beatles

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years is vying for Best Music Film. It would be the third Beatles-related film to win in this category (or its predecessor category, Best Music Video, Long Form). The Beatles Anthology won the 1996 award. The Beatles Love—All Together Now won the 2009 award.

59. Special Merit Awards

Current nominees Herb Alpert, Blind Boys Of Alabama, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Ennio Morricone, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Barbra Streisand have been previously honored by The Recording Academy with Special Merit Awards. (Lifetime Achievement Award: Blind Boys Of Alabama, Bowie, Dylan, Kristofferson, Lynn, Nelson, Parton, and Streisand.; Trustees Award: Alpert and Morricone).

The 59th GRAMMY Awards will take place Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, live from Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 pm ET/5–8:30 pm PT. Follow Recording Academy/GRAMMYs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and use #GRAMMYs to join the conversation.

Jennifer Lopez at the 42nd GRAMMYs in 2000
Feature

J.Lo, Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga: 13 Iconic GRAMMY Fashion Statements

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From the simply unforgettable to the bold and the beautiful, these 13 looks prove there are no fashion rules at the GRAMMY Awards
Nic Screws
GRAMMYs
Sep 15, 2017 - 11:53 am

The GRAMMY Awards has long been considered the rebel of award show red carpets — a place where artists are encouraged to flex their sartorial creativity without abandon. "The GRAMMYs have become the occasion for artists to push the envelope a little more and really go there with their fashion," says celebrity stylist and designer Ty Hunter.

As so, there is no such thing as an occasion-appropriate dress code for Music's Biggest Night. The only rule for the step-and-repeat is there are no rules. After all, it was at the GRAMMYs where Jennifer Lopez broke the internet (before breaking the internet was a thing) in her now-infamous, plunging Versace gown. It's where Nicki Minaj toted a Pope-impersonator instead of a handbag and Lady Gaga — well, see any of her GRAMMY appearances for an example of a memorable, jaw-dropping ensemble.

With fall and fashion in full bloom, it's an appropriate time to look back on 13 of the most ingenious, stunning and bare-it-all moments at the GRAMMYs in years past.

Cyndi Lauper

26th GRAMMY Awards, 1984

Cyndi Lauper at the 26th GRAMMYs in 1984

Less is definitely not more according to '80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper. The free-spirited songstress made her GRAMMY debut in a colorful and clashing getup, complete with her trademark Aqua Net, firetruck red hair and metallic makeup. The look showcased the madcap, vintage-meets-glam style that made her a MTV-era legend along with her larger-than-life persona and numerous karaoke-worthy hits like "Time After Time" and "Girls Just Want To Have Fun."

Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson

35th GRAMMY Awards, 1993

Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson at the 35th GRAMMYs in 1993

With his penchant for lone white gloves and all-embellished everything, Michael Jackson changed the perception of how a male pop star could look. "Michael was a pioneer in the music industry because he was one of the first artists to use clothing to define their image," says New York-based celebrity stylist Sam Spector. "He understood the power of costume on and off the stage."

Alongside his younger sister Janet, who presented him with the GRAMMY Legend Award at the 35th GRAMMY Awards ceremony, the "Thriller" pop icon showed off his legendary, military-inspired aesthetic in one of his power-shouldered bedazzled jackets, complete with his trademark long curls and oft-present armband. For her part, Ms. Jackson wore a coordinating white pantsuit and her famous Poetic Justice-era box braids. "Current-day artists and fashion fans alike have the Jacksons to thank for showing how to successfully curate their image through style," says Spector.

Jennifer Lopez

42nd GRAMMY Awards, 2000

Jennifer Lopez at the 42nd GRAMMYs in 2000

Since the moment she sashayed onto the scene in the early aughts, armed with one of the most enviable bodies of her generation, Jennifer Lopez reigned as a red carpet queen. But before the glittery, flesh-toned bodysuits and provocative double-slit numbers that have become mainstays of the original triple threat's fearless style, there was that envelope-pushing green dress she wore in 2000. You know the one — the sheer, tropical-print gown by Versace with a neckline so plunging it was open to her waist. At the time, that navel-flaunting moment — which propelled Lopez to megastardom — became the single most popular search query, ever, eventually launching what we now know as Google Images.

Beyond the unforgettable dress, J.Lo debuted a beauty trifecta she still relies on today: the high half-ponytail, bronzed skin and soft pink lipstick combo. "That classic hyper-even golden J.Lo glow played second fiddle to the body," says beauty expert Gwen Flamberg. "The subtlety of the makeup let the dress work its magic."

Toni Braxton

43rd GRAMMY Awards, 2001

Toni Braxton at the 43rd GRAMMYs in 2001

There are high hemlines and then there's the barely-there Richard Tyler dress Toni Braxton wore in 2001. The extreme side-cut outs of the drapey silk number — dubbed the "half-gown" by critics — gave the illusion that the R&B singer was going commando to accept her trophy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "He Wasn't Man Enough." (Hint: She wasn't; the dress had a built-in thong.) But whether you're a fan of the risqué look or not, it definitely took an enviable level of bada**ery by Braxton to create one of the most controversial fashion moments in GRAMMY history.

"It's not the garment, but the confidence a client has in the garment, that sells a look," says Hunter, who counts another saucy body-confident performer as a longtime client — Beyoncé. But according to Flamberg, it was Braxton's unfussy, skin-focused beauty "that kept the little-left-to-the-imagination gown from looking like 'too much.'"

Lil' Kim

44th GRAMMY Awards, 2002

Lil' Kim at the 44th GRAMMYs in 2002

Back when the rap game was a hyper-masculine genre, Lil' Kim — the boundary-pushing, pint-sized female rapper from Brooklyn — became a bona fide superstar of '90s style thanks to her proclivity for breast-baring, blinged-out, fiery fashion statements. Her unabashed sex appeal and tough-but-girlie aesthetic had a lasting impression on the subculture of hip-hop fashion, giving female artists a new visibility to the highly-covetable, high-end fashion houses. An early adopter of the athleisure trend, Kim made one of her many bold entrances in 2002 in a red-hot biker-inspired ensemble with a helmet emblazoned with an iconic designer logo: Chanel.

Kanye West

48th GRAMMY Awards, 2006

Kanye West at the 48th GRAMMYs in 2006

Few figures in music are as divisive as Kanye West. The same can be said about the hip-hop superstar's style — you either love the Yeezy way or you don't, but you seldom forget it. Always one to push boundaries and make fashion showmanship an undeniable part of his personal brand, the eclectic rapper wore a lavender three-piece suit with wide, peaked lapels and a plunging, gender-bending shirt to accept his second consecutive GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for Late Registration.

"2006 was a period where celebrities were dressing more casually," says Spector. "So Kanye really stood out that year by dressing formally, and by his bold choice of color." Or maybe it was the "I told you so!" sign he was seen carrying around between puffs of a cigar at the after-parties.

M.I.A.

51st GRAMMY Awards, 2009

M.I.A. at the 51st GRAMMYs in 2009

Before the very-pregnant rapper M.I.A. took to the stage in 2009 to perform her hit "Swagga Like Us" alongside her rap royalty collaborators Kanye West, T.I., Jay Z and Lil Wayne, she rocked the pre-show in a voluminous multilayer dress by Indian designer Manish Arora. She paired the wildly-patterned frock with a pair of matching blue high-top sneakers before later changing in to a sheer, body-hugging mini dress that really flaunted her nine-month-pregnant belly.

Just days later after grabbing headlines for her daring outfit, M.I.A. gave birth to a baby boy, making her appearance all the more dramatic. "Sunday nite I came home from the GRAMMYs till in the mood to party," the "Paper Planes" singer said on her MySpace page. "I coulda easily gone out but I went home instead. Lucky I did! Coz my early stage labour kicked in around 2am."

Lady Gaga

52nd GRAMMY Awards, 2010

Lady Gaga at the 52nd GRAMMYs in 2010

No current artist champions self-expression quite like Lady Gaga. The eccentric pop star, whose style veers towards the outrageous, is a unique spectacle of celebrity — one who utilizes the power of her larger-than-life image to bolster her music and social messages. Her list of captivating fashion moments — at the GRAMMYs alone — are many, but it was the galactic lavender dress she wore in 2010 that put her in a style universe all her own.

The corseted long-sleeve gown, one of three custom looks she wore that night by Armani Prive, was a take-over-the-carpet type creation that, in typical Gaga fashion, left everyone guessing. The spectacular look included rows of suspended rings of glittered wire, an Ombre yellow wig and a star-shaped ornament in lieu of a sparkly clutch. The result: Enough space-age glitz to outshine the biggest stars at Staples Center that night.

Katy Perry

53rd GRAMMY Awards, 2011

Katy Perry at the 53rd GRAMMYs in 2011

With her signature, quirky glamour on full display, Katy Perry made an angelic entrance in 2011 in a custom iridescent, asymmetrical-train gown by Giorgio Armani. Complete with a Swarovski crystal-encrusted bustier and feathery angel wings, Perry nearly floated down the red carpet. But it was her pared-down (for Perry) ultra-feminine beauty — including face-framing, dark ringlets and pastel makeup that really made the "California Gurls"' look soar. "The pops of candy-colored makeup really gave the look her trademark, whimsical vibe," says Flamberg.

Nicki Minaj

54th GRAMMY Awards, 2012

Nicki Minaj and the "Pope" at the 54th GRAMMYs in 2012

Wearing what can only be described as a Little Red Riding Hood-like cape, Nicki Minaj strolled into the 54th GRAMMYs with the ultimate attention-nabbing date: the Pope. (Or at least a man dressed like the Pope.) But Minaj's atypical choice of arm candy was the second-most interesting element to her entrance. The first being the intricately-designed scarlet red Versace cloak itself, complete with a beaded silhouette and matching satin gloves, that was intended to replicate a nun’s religious habit. Leave it to the controversial rapper to try to make Catholicism-chic a trend.

Pharrell Williams

56th GRAMMY Awards, 2014

Pharrell Williams at the 56th GRAMMYs in 2014

Never one to go for the expected, multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams created one of the most meme-friendly moments in GRAMMY history when he took to the red carpet in 2014 in a vintage oversized Mountie hat by British designer Vivienne Westwood. "It wouldn't be the GRAMMYs without a couple of wild-cards," says celebrity hairstylist and Axe spokesperson/stylist Amy Komorowski, whose clients include Justin Timberlake and Joe Jonas. "Pharrell's genius styling and bold accessory choice stole the show that night."

The now-infamous Smokey the Bear-inspired topper became such a pop-culture phenomenon that it spawned its own Twitter handle (@pharrellhat) and led to a social media exchange with the fast-food chain Arby's — which uses a similarly-shaped hat as part of its logo — that turned into a philanthropic opportunity that raised $44,100 for Williams' charity, From One Hand to Another.

Beyoncé

56th GRAMMY Awards, 2014

Beyoncé at the 56th GRAMMYs in 2014

Leave it to Beyoncé to wear one of the most talked-about GRAMMY looks ever without even hitting the red carpet or stage in it. After opening the show in 2014 with a performance of her hit "Drunk In Love" with husband Jay Z, Queen Bey changed into a daringly-sheer, body-hugging gown with a stunning, asymmetrical mermaid silhouette to take her front-row seat. The custom hand-sewn gown was the creation of self-taught L.A.-based designer Michael Costello, who designed the dress especially for the occasion after meeting Beyoncé's stylist Hunter at a party.

"As soon as Ty and I spoke about dressing her, I knew it had to be a one-of-a-kind piece," says Costello, whose signature aesthetic is often described as faux-nakedness. "I wanted something that would create the perfect silhouette, make her feel empowered, and highlight her natural beauty." The superstar's berry-stained lips and messy, angular bob added to the drama of the moment. "She had just cut her hair short and it emphasized the look," says Hunter, who also styled the pop icon for her memorable five-minute medley with Prince at the 46th GRAMMY Awards in 2004. "As soon as she put it on, everyone knew it was the one."

Rihanna

57th GRAMMY Awards, 2015

Rihanna at the 57th GRAMMYs in 2015

Music's favorite bad gal shocked fans and critics in 2015 when she opted to show off her sweet side in an ultra-poofy bubblegum pink gown, rather than standout in one of her usual edgy looks. Affectionately dubbed "the cupcake dress," the two-tiered gown by designer Giambattista Valli was actually found by Rihanna on the internet after it debuted on the runway at Paris Couture Fashion Week. RiRi topped off the head-turning number with a simple beauty look: feminine, barely-there makeup and a softy pulled back bun with a few strands framing her picture-perfect face. 

More Fashion: Do Musicians Need A Stylist To Be A Star?

(Nic Screws is a New York-based stylist, writer and fashion consultant. Prior to opening her own firm, NS Style + Creative, she was most recently the style director of Bloomberg Media.)

All Photos: WireImage.com/Getty Images

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Musical Diversity And Mash-Ups

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TV hit "Glee" attains musical and cult success
Sandy Cohen
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am
Associated Press

(Approximately $75,000 has been raised for the GRAMMY Foundation from proceeds from the "Glee" Christmas single and the recent "Glee" nationwide premiere screenings.)

 "Glee," the award-winning musical comedy about a misfit high school show choir, might be doing more for music than its fellow Fox juggernaut, "American Idol."

In its first 13 episodes, the show treated viewers to covers of songs by Neil Diamond, Rihanna, Kanye West, Barbra Streisand, Beyoncé, Queen, Liza Minnelli, and more. The music from "Glee" is a huge success in its own right, with more than 4 million digital downloads sold and two soundtracks already certified gold. A nationwide tour, "Glee Live," featuring key members from the show's cast, kicks off in May and has sold out, and the show is boosting sales for the original artists behind the songs.

Its stars are even featured on the current issue of Rolling Stone.

The hourlong hit returned April 13 for a nine-episode run with twice the tunes per show and even more mash-ups and musical diversity.

"Every single possible musical style and taste is going to be in there," says "Glee" co-creator Brad Falchuk. "It doesn't matter what you like — you're going to find what you like and stuff you never heard of that you'll love."

But the commercial success of the "Glee" songs wasn't a reason for the boost, he says. Instead, he said the decision was made because the music greatly enriches the show by giving viewers an emotional understanding of what the characters are going through. Falchuk says he and fellow show creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan intentionally upped the number of songs to a minimum of five per episode for the balance of the first season (three to five had been the norm).

Falchuk says Murphy, also creator of the cult TV hit "Nip/Tuck," is the master behind the music. "He's the iTunes library, the Rainman of music."

This season, the characters will express their joy and frustrations through the songs of best-selling acts like AC/DC, the Beatles, Lionel Richie, Olivia Newton-John, and Madonna.

In fact, Madonna gets her own entire episode — a tribute to the Material Girl packed with 10 songs, seven of which appear on a separate soundtrack, Glee: The Power Of Madonna, set for release April 20.

Practically every member of the show's cast can and does sing, recording their songs regularly at the storied Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles. The dozen actors comprising McKinley High School's New Directions glee club sing several songs each episode, while other stars — including caustic cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), cranky football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher) and neat-freak guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) — chime in from time to time.

(Spoiler alert: Sylvester's fans will love Lynch's glamorous, unforgettable singing debut in the Madonna episode. She also duets with a legendary guest star later in the season.)

Producer Adam Anders arranges, records and mixes all the featured tracks — sometimes as many as 10 a week.

"I have eight studios going at all times on 'Glee,'" says the 34-year-old, who counts Disney's High School Musical 3 and Camp Rock among his credits. "I have a partner in Sweden, and we basically get 27 hours out of a day because we have a nine-hour time change."

The pair works around the clock to craft the songs, usually a couple weeks before each episode is shot. When the episode airs, they know immediately which songs are hits by simply clicking on iTunes.

"As a songwriter or producer, you never get that kind of instant reaction," Anders says. "It's really cool."

Some bands covered on "Glee" have seen a resurgence in their own popularity. The cast's version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" hit No. 1 on iTunes when the show premiered and helped return the original 1981 version to the charts (that song also jumped on iTunes charts after it was used in the "The Sopranos" finale).

"It's a testament to how much the music is really affecting people and that a whole new generation is being introduced to these songs," Falchuk says.

Still, the success of the music depends on the success of the storytelling, so script always precedes song.

"We never have a song and then say we need to find a story for this song," says Falchuk. "The thing about a musical is what emotional experience do you want the audience to have by hearing that song at that moment?"

It's those experiences that inspire sales success.

"The songs that sell the best are the ones where the integration of the story and music really worked, where there's an emotional connection to what's going on in the scene," he says. "It's independent of genre. It could be classic rock or a musical, it's just a song that made people feel good."

(Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
 

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GRAMMY Insider: Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Madonna, OutKast, Taylor Swift

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All the GRAMMY winners news, including information on the world's highest-paid musicians
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am
GRAMMY.com

(The GRAMMY Insider keeps you up to date about news on your favorite GRAMMY winners, including information about new album releases, tour updates, notable media appearances, interviews, and more.)

Lists
Once a material girl, always a material girl. Madonna has topped Forbes magazine's list of the world's highest-paid musicians of 2013 with $125 million in earnings. Other GRAMMY winners making the top 10 include Lady Gaga (No. 2, $80 million), Bon Jovi (No. 3, $79 million), Coldplay (No. 5, $64 million), Bruce Springsteen (No. 6, $62 million), Taylor Swift (No. 8, $55 million), Elton John (No. 9, $54 million), and Beyoncé  (No. 10, $53 million, tied with GRAMMY nominee Kenny Chesney).

Chart
Nearly 27 years after its debut, Bon Jovi's No. 1 hit "Livin' On A Prayer" has returned to the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 25, thanks to a recently gone viral video clip of Boston Celtics fan Jeremy Fry's animated lip synching performance of the song, which was caught on the jumbotron at a 2009 Celtics game. … The Beatles'On Air: Live At The BBC Volume 2 debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, marking the Fab Four's 31st Top 10 album. … Elvis Presley's Merry Christmas … Love, Elvis set also debuted on the chart this week, marking his 129th album to land on the Billboard 200, extending his record for the most appearances in the chart's history.

Philanthropy
Herb Alpert has announced a gift of $300,000 to the Los Angeles City College music department that will be distributed over three years and go toward new computer equipment, musical instrument maintenance and the development of the Herb Alpert Scholars program, which will provide two-year scholarships for students.

Reunions
After nearly seven years, OutKast may be able to say "Hey ya!" again. According to sources reported by Billboard.biz, the GRAMMY-winning duo comprising André 3000 and Big Boi are in talks to reunite at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, taking place April 11–13 and April 18–20, 2014.

Video
GRAMMY-winning jazz artist Esperanza Spalding has released a new music video for "We Are America" in an effort to highlight the alleged injustice of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and make closing the prison a public policy priority. The video features guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe and Harry Belafonte. "We have to … look straight to the basic intrinsic rights of all people, and work to protect those rights," said Spalding. "They're not reserved for any individual person or context.  This issue is about the basic human rights of all people."

Touring
New York's famed Roseland Ballroom will shutter its doors in April 2014, and Lady Gaga is planning to take it out with a bang. Gaga has announced she will close out the venue with a string of four concerts on March 28, March 30–31 and April 2. A round of applause is in order for the Fame Monster.

#theysaidit
Kelly Clarkson must have been serious when she said last week that she and new hubby Brandon Blackstock are trying "like rabbits." On Nov. 19 the singer tweeted: "I'm pregnant!!! Brandon and I are so excited! Best early Christmas present ever."