2017 Grammys’ Ignorance Of Rock Is Shameful

It’s not really surprising that once again the Grammys have ignored rock music in its biggest categories of Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Some would argue that the Grammys still recognize rock music in their own individual rock categories. However, their main categories of Album, Song and Record of the year completely focus on hip hop while ignoring rock and roll. Yes, we understand that in 2017 pop culture is dominated by rap and hip hop music. However, rock music is still very much alive. It’s just completely ignored by the mass cultural market.

From the 1950’s to about the mid 1990’s, top 40 radio was always a mix of pop, rock, and soul music. The Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel, Motown, Stax Records, Van Halen, Madonna, Earth Wind & Fire, The Eagles, Journey, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Tom Petty, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin. Great music, great songs, and it all penetrated culture on a mass market scale. Rap and hip hop changed all that. We are  in the midst of a generation of 20 to 40 year old’s who grew up in a world where rock music was virtually non-existent on popular radio and music television. We are not arguing that rap and hip hop is bad music, we are simply stating that it’s dominance in popular culture has led to an ignorance of new rock music that is completely reflected in the 2017 Grammy nominations for their main music categories.

In 2016, Metallica released perhaps one of the strongest albums of their career. Hardwired…To Self Destruct is a monster album. The songwriting is incredibly strong and the production of the record is outstanding. Listen to the CD on a decent set of speakers and it sounds like the band is playing in your living room. How this record was ignored in the Album of the Year category seems almost criminal. Yet, the Grammy committee choose Lorde’s Meldorama and Childish Gambino’ Awaken, My Love over Hardwired. What?

Metallica was not the only rock band to release a spectacular album in the 2017 Grammy eligibility period which runs between Oct. 1, 2016, and Sept. 30, 2017. We put together a list of some of the best rock and roll and pop music albums that were released during the eligibility period that were completely ignored by the Grammy’s committee. There are many more than the ones we have listed, but the ones below should have definitely been noticed by the Grammys and are some of the strongest albums released in years.

Green Day – Revolution Radio

Melissa Etheridge – Memphis Rock and Soul

Beth Hart – Fire on the Floor (AMAZING!)

Kings of Leon – Walls

David Crosby – Lighthouse

Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker   Cant believe this was ignored!!! Read our review!

The Pretenders – Alone

Avenged Sevenfold – The Stage

Bon Jovi – This House Is Not for Sale

Sting – 57th & 9th

The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome     Hellooooo?

Neil Young – Peace Trail

Dropkick Murphys – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory  (When someone mentions rock is dead, play them this album.)

Black Star Riders – Heavy Fire

Julian Cope – Drunken Songs

Carousel Kings – Charm City

Charlie Wilson – In It to Win It   (Great R&B Album)

The Raveonettes – 2016 Atomized

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard  – Flying Microtonal Banana

Bush – Black and White Rainbows

Depeche Mode – Spirit

Samantha Fish – Chill’s and Fever   YOU NEED TO CHECK THIS OUT NOW!!!!

Aimee Mann – Mental Illness

Deep Purple – InFinite  

John Mayer – The Search for Everything

Sheryl Crow – Be Myself

John Mellencamp – Sad Clowns & Hillbillies

Blondie – Pollinator   (Great Comeback Album)

Robin Trower – Time and Emotion

Todd Rundgren – White Knight

Roger Waters – Is This the Life We Really Want?

Chuck Berry – Chuck  (Yes, that’s right a brand new Chuck Berry album)

Gov’t Mule – Revolution Come…Revolution Go    (so sad these guys are always ignored)

Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie   ( Unbelievable)

Cheap Trick – We’re All Alright!

Foo Fighters – Concrete and Gold

Get the point? It’s so sad that Grammys chooses nothing but hip hop and rap for their main categories and continue to fail to recognize the amazing body of work that has been released by these great rock and roll artists.