Why The Grammys Still Matter

by: Daly Tongren

I know that for the rock fandom, the Grammys aren’t too popular at the moment. Getting together superstars Lindsey Buckingham and Dave Grohl to perform with Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails was a great idea. However, slating them to play the last set of the night, which is well known for being cutoff prematurely, was not.

I get it, trust me. I’m upset as well. Other than Paul and Ringo, there is nobody else I wanted to see play last night. It was, as Trent Reznor said, disrespectful to a group of great musicians.

But I still like the Grammys.

A bit like high school, popularity usually prevails throughout these awards. Case in point: Taylor Swift having won 7 Grammys in her lifetime, while legends like The Who and Chuck Berry have 0. We, the fans, see it. The artists do as well. Macklemore sent a text to fellow Best Hip-Hop Album nominee Kendrick Lamar last night saying that Lamar’s album, Good Kid Maad City, deserved the award over Macklemore’s own The Heist. It’s no secret: if the radio loves you, so does the Academy.

But I still think the Grammys are cool. And I think they matter.

Let’s get music’s biggest names in a room together. Let’s have blues guitarists and breakout country stars perform alongside one another. Let’s seat the kid from FUN. behind two of the Beatles, and see what happens. It’s this crazy idea that somehow, when executed, works so well.

It’s all about the music, the craft, and its sculptors. The Grammys create this alternate universe where we get to see the musicians as they see us – as fans. The appreciation between the artists transcends genres and labels. Yoko Ono dancing to Daft Punk? Behind the scenes photos of Lorde chilling with Paul McCartney? It’s rock stars getting together with rappers and patting each other on the back. It’s all-star producers meeting teen stars and having a conversation about the future of music. And sure, maybe they’re all faking it. But if they are, I’m buying it.

It’s about kids playing with their heroes. Blake Shelton strumming along with Willie Nelson, Pharrell jamming with Stevie Wonder, Sarah Barellies singing along with Carole King, Robin Thicke collabing with Chicago. It’s about seeing the artists we love playing with the artists they love, loving music and it all flowing in an odd sort of perfection.

 

As much as the Grammys are about gold statues and ball gowns, to me they represent something more than that. It’s this insane “all together now” moment that only happens once a year. You can resent the prom court mentality, but you can’t deny that there is something truly wonderful about seeing Los Angeles light up with those responsible for the preservation and creation of art’s most enchanting medium. It’s artists performing for other artists; inspiring not just each other, but minds across the world. And that matters.