Classic rock acts have been largely shut out at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards as the winners of the “lesser” categories were revealed earlier today (Jan. 28) ahead of the CBS TV live broadcast. (That continues the years-long trend.) The sole winners, all in minor categories, were the Rolling Stones (only the third of their career), Randy Newman and the Foo Fighters.
Several artists who died in the past year had been nominated last Nov. 28 in various categories. Among the classic rock artists nominated:
Gregg Allman‘s posthumous release, Southern Blood, earned two nominations: Best Americana Album (WINNER: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Nashville Sound) and Best American Roots Song for “My Only True Friend” (WINNER: Jason Isbell, “If We Were Vampires”).
Bob Dylan for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his three-record set of covers, Triplicate; WINNER: Tony Bennett Celebrates 90.
The Rolling Stones‘ Blue & Lonesome WON for Best Traditional Blues Album; they had previously only won Grammys for Best Rock Album for Voodoo Lounge and Best Music Video, Short Form for “Love is Strong.”
The next day, Keith Richards offered his opinion on the award…
“Fantastic! It’s about f-cking time!” – KR https://t.co/3jl3II0dzC
— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) January 29, 2018
Leonard Cohen did not win either of his nominations for his You Want It Darker album: Best Rock Performance for the title track (see below) and Best American Roots Performance for “Steer Your Way”; (WINNER: Alabama Shakes, Killer Diller Blues).
The Grateful Dead earned two: Best Boxed Package for May 1977: Get Shown the Light (WINNER: The Voyager Golden Record) and Best Music Film for their Long Strange Trip documentary (WINNER: The Defiant Ones).
Metallica received nominations for Best Rock Album for Hardwired…To Self-Destruct and Best Rock Song for “Atlas Rise” but failed to win either (see below).
Foo Fighters WON for “Run” for Best Rock Song, though they lost Best Rock Performance (see below).
Chris Cornell got a posthumous nomination for The Promise. but failed to win (see below).
Others: Bruce Springsteen was nominated for Best Spoken Word Album for Born to Run, (WINNER: Carrie Fisher, The Princess Diarist), Randy Newman WON for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for “Putin” from Dark Matter, Roger Waters‘ Is This the Life We Really Want received a Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical nomination, but did not win, Glen Campbell earned a Best American Roots Performance nod for “Arkansas Farmboy” from his Adios album, but did not win.
Best Contemporary Blues Album nominees included Tedeschi Trucks Band for Live From the Fox Oakland, (WINNER: Taj Mahal & Keb Mo, TajMo); Cat Stevens received a Best Folk Album nomination for The Laughing Apple (WINNER: Aimee Mann, Mental Illness).
Best Rock Performance
Leonard Cohen – “You Want It Darker” WINNER
Chris Cornell – The Promise
Foo Fighters – “Run”
Kaleo – “No Good”
Nothing More – Go to War
Best Rock Album
Mastodon – Emperor of Sand
Metallica – Hardwired…To Self-Destruct
Nothing More – The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Queens of the Stone Age – Villains
The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding WINNER
Best Rock Song
“Atlas Rise” – James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
“Blood in the Cut – JT Daly & Kristine Flaherty (K. Flay)
“Go to War” – Various (Nothing More)
“Run” – Foo Fighters WINNER
“The Stage” – Various (Avenged Sevenfold)
Best Metal Performance
August Burns Red – Invisible Enemy
Body Count – “Black Hoodie”
Code Orange – “Forever”
Mastodon – “Sultan’s Curse” WINNER
Meshuggah – “Clockworks”
For the complete list of winners, click here.
Related: 10 Album of the Year Hits and Misses
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