The Grammys are like the Oscars for music. You might think then that the artist that won the most awards in its more than sixty years of history would be Michael Jackson or The Beatles. In fact, the person who picked up a record thirty-two statuettes – which are in the form of an old-fashioned gramophone – was the conductor Georg Solti. Born in Hungary, Solti was not the conductor of a train or a bus, of course, but the conductor of an orchestra, who was famous for his recordings of Wagner’s operas.
A GRAMMY FOR WHAT?
Although young pretty pop stars receive most media attention, there are many award categories less known to the general public. Sure, there’s rock and pop, but there are also awards for country, reggae, new age and jazz, as well as classical music, comedy and children’s album. Elvis Presley, for example, never won a Grammy for rock music, but was awarded three for gospel! Three US presidents have won an award: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. All of them in the audiobook category for their readings of their memoirs.
INJUSTICE
As with any award, there have been some outrageous injustices in the history of the Grammys. Bob Marley never got one. Neither did Queen. Happily, this latter offence to good taste will be put right on the 10th of this month, when the remaining members of the British band climb the stage of the Staples Center in Los Angeles to receive a lifetime achievement award.
Top Best Selling Albums of All Time
- Thriller (1982)
Michael Jackson’s second recording with producer Quincy Jones has sold an estimated 66 million copies since its release. The pioneering singer was quick to take advantage of the emergence of the videoclip industry (launched by MTV just one year earlier) to break racial barriers in pop. - Hotel California (1976)
Containing the most famous guitar solo of all time, this album compiles the best of classic rock made to be enjoyed in big arenas and stadiums. Ambitious, if a bit repetitive, it exploits the myth of California as a metaphor for the American dream. - The Wall (1979)
This was an unlikely commercial success considering it is a 26-song concept album of progressive rock! In the style of classic operas, it tells the troubled story of fictional character Pink and his self-imposed social isolation, symbolised by a wall. - Back in Black (1980)
The title and the artwork of this hard rock masterpiece can be read as a tribute to the late Bon Scott; lead singer of the Australian band, who died of alcohol poisoning the year before. The album opens with – literally – ‘Hell’s Bells’: a true statement of intent. - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
Whilst this legendary British band was quite unoriginal when it came to titling their albums, their epic blend of hard rock, folk and psychedelia defined an entire era. As some critics put it, what the Beatles were to the 1960s, Led Zeppelin were to the 1970s.
