Mind Coffee: Are the Grammys the best music or just following the herd?


              Adele poses in the press room with the awards for album of the year for "25", song of the year for "Hello", record of the year for "Hello", best pop solo performance for "Hello", and best pop vocal album for "25" at the 59th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Adele poses in the press room with the awards for album of the year for "25", song of the year for "Hello", record of the year for "Hello", best pop solo performance for "Hello", and best pop vocal album for "25" at the 59th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
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photo Shawn Ryan

Grammys are over and Adele won big - as expected, taking home five, including Album of the Year (best artistic performance) and Record of the Year (best sounding).

Chance the Rapper took home three awards; the late David Bowie earned three.

Probably they all deserved the accolades; I'm not here to say they don't. But their wins point out an ongoing fact about the awards show: A handful of artists tend to dominate each year.

It's called taking the easy way out. For Grammy voters, it's much easier to go with the flow and pick the nominees that they're pretty certain everyone else is going to pick. In truth, most voters have only heard a handful of the nominated songs or albums, so if something they've heard is up for an award or the pre-Grammy hype has reached their ears, that's where they'll head.

Adele already has toted home a bunch of Grammys, winning six of the things back in 2011 for her album "21." Beyonce won six the year before. In 2008, the late Amy Winehouse won five. In 1980, Christopher Cross (who, you ask?) won five for his self-titled debut album which had the hit "Ride Like the Wind" and the can't-get-away-from-it hit "Sailing." Except for winning a Grammy the next year for the theme to the film "Arthur," Cross pretty much vanished after that. No more Grammy nominations for him, although he continued to record.

Even in years when one artist didn't take home a shopping cart full of the trophies, certain artists invariably win more than just one. In 2013, the Black Keys, Jay-Z and Kanye West won three each; in 2012 and 2013, Skrillex took home three each year. In 1998, Bob Dylan won three.

Another truth is that, despite working in the music industry, many Grammy voters are about as hip as Great Aunt Minnie, who thought "good" music ended when The Beatles came along. They aren't familiar with the rap, alternative-rock or dance/electronic nominees. So they go with the names that they've heard or the artists whose names come up when they ask people who are familiar with unfamiliar categories.

Taking the easy way out is a trait of Grammy voters, nowhere better illustrated than the infamous 1989 Hard Rock/Metal Grammy which, in its first year as a category, went to Jethro Tull, beating out instead of Metallica, AC/DC, Jane's Addiction and Iggy Pop. Why did Jethro Tull win? Because it was the only band that many Grammy voters had ever heard of.

After that controversy and debacle, Grammy voters have been loath to face that embarrassment again, so they keep their heads low and and often vote as a herd. Makes for good TV since the winners are usually well-known and attract viewers. But it doesn't always mean the best music takes home the Grammys.

Contact Shawn Ryan at sryan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327.

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