Steve's Peeves: The Grammys suck

I have nothing against Taylor Swift, but how does she take home four Grammys? I've heard these songs. Not my cup of tea, to say the least. And the Grammys almost never honor, or even nominate, bands that I like. Nirvana never sniffed anything and they were only the most important band on the 1990s. Pearl Jam won one Grammy ... for Spin the Black Circle, which might be their 321st best song. Led Zeppelin? Zilch.

I understand the Grammy Academy has the same listening capabilities as Helen Keller and we never see eye-to-eye. I've long accepted this fact. But Taylor Swift's songs seem like the soundtracks for those terrible ABC Family shows starring 16-year-olds who own horses or those terrible Disney shows with the obnoxious laugh tracks and the precocious, annoying little kids. And she wins four Grammys, including the big one, Album of the Year.

Am I as out of touch as Andy Rooney? I might be.

She now has as many Album of the Year awards as the Beatles (which says more about the Grammys than Swift).

By the way, Kings of Leon won a Grammy for an album released in 2008. How does that work?

I have never understood this award show, except for the "If you perform during the ceremony, you win at least one award" rule. They do love their singer/song-writers and the old favorites. If Tony Bennett or Stevie Wonder released an album with them humming "Happy Birthday" 12 times, it would get nominated.

Bitching about award shows is standard fare. The Oscars certainly missed the boat a few times. Al Pacino never won for the role of Michael Corleone. Citizen Cane was snubbed. Saving Private Ryan, too. Brokeback Mountain losing to Crash. At least, if you look back in time and see the nominees, you have a clue as to what the best movies of that year were. Same with the Emmys. You get at least a clue.

Not with the Grammys.

Think of all the bands and albums they've missed out on just in Rock. Led Zeppelin, Neil Young and The Who never won Grammys (discounting achievement awards). Going back to Nirvana ... they release a song that revolutionizes music - not just rock music - in Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nevermind ushers in a new era. How many albums and songs can make that claim?

So Nevermind was released in 1991. Maybe it wasn't eligible for the 1992 Grammy for Album of the Year, which went to ... Natalie Cole. Sure it would get its just due in 1993. Instead, Eric Clapton won for an unplugged album! This would be like giving Tim Wakefield the Cy Young last year over Zack Greinke. Clapton's accoustic version of Layla, a song which was decades old by then, won Song of the Year. An acoustic cover of a decades-old song beat out one of the most influential and popular songs in the history of rock music.

Or, more succinctly, just another year for the Grammys.

Check out this link I found, which details some of the most insane Grammy decisions of all time. It's funny how pathetic some of these snubs are.

Anyway, good for Taylor Swift. She genuinely seems like a nice person and I'm starting to sound like Kanye West. Don't worry, I will be sure to congratulate her when she wins Best Director at at the Oscars in several weeks. It's not her fault. Apparently, everyone loves her. She has four Grammys. And Kurt Cobain never had one.