Has anybody ever heard of the best new artist curse? The belief that any artist or group who wins best new artist on the Grammies has no success after winning that award.

Who do you think will win this year?

Is Usher eligible? Can he be? Please?

VoicesCarry said:

co-sign. I'll even settle for Eminem and Justin Timbercrap

Heard of it, but Christina Aguilera killed that noise.

The pattern has more to do with the daunting "sophomore flop" than any Grammy influence.

CinisterCee said:

Nah, just because she won it doesn't mean the curse doesn't hold!

-Paula Cole
-Christopher Cross
-The Starland Vocal Band
-Debby Boone
-A Taste of Honey
-Rickie Lee Jones
-Sheena Easton
-Men At Work
-Marc Cohn
-Of 36 honorees, 21 never returned to the winner's circle.

In general female winners are better at avoiding the curse.

And we can't forget:

-Arrested Development
-Hootie & The Blowfish
-LeAnn Rimes (lasted a while but she's now dead in the water)

So, if the Grammys nominate you, in their usual pattern of questionable taste, more than likely, you aren't actually a best new artist.

I have to admit, even Christina's later success was like "who knew?".. I thought she seemed destined to fade as the "Genie In A Bottle girl".

CinisterCee said:

I thought she was about to go KABOOM with Dirrty but the quick turnaround with Beautiful saved her.

Mariah also won the best new artist award, it served her well? as Did Toni Braxton

VoicesCarry said:

If only! Shame Ashlee simpson wasn't nominated

twink69 said:

it just took longer for the curse to catch up to them is all.

I wouldn't call Marc Cohn "cursed" - he married that oh-so-fine Elizabeth Vargas.

don't forget the divine bette midler

Didn't Alicia Keys win best new artist? Along with four other Grammys?

I recall back in 1979,when A Taste Of Honey won the Best New Artist Grammy,many people were angry because they didn't think that a "disco act" deserved such an honor.And their big hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie" was dismissed as a mindless dance track


But they bounced back with several strong R&B hits,including the huge crossover ballad "Sukiyaki" which went straight to Number One in 1981.

So who is nominated this year? hopefully someone Crappy!

DavidEye said:

well....?

VoicesCarry said:

Sheena Easton had a pretty good singles career that last 'til about 1989. Don't know that she had the curse.

GrayKing said:

Everyone's popularity fades at some point. The curse is a sham.

RockAbilly said:

She's had a 32-year career. How is that cursed?

DavidEye said:

To number 3, you mean.

The list of Grammy winners for Best New Artist:

Bob Newhart (1960)
Peter Nero (1961)
Robert Goulet (1962)
The Swingle Sisters (1963)
The Beatles (1964)
Tom Jones (1965)
Bobbie Gentry (1967)
Jose Feliciano (1968)
Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
The Carpenters (1970)
Carly Simon (1971)
America (1972)
Bette Midler (1973)
Marvin Hamlisch (1974)
Natalie Cole (1975)
Starland Vocal Band (1976)
Debby Boone (1977)
A Taste Of Honey (1978)
Rickie Lee Jones (1979)
Christopher Cross (1980)
Sheena Easton (1981)
Men At Work (1982)
Culture Club (1983)
Cyndi Lauper (1984)
Sade (1985)
Bruce Hornsby & The Range (1986)
Jody Watley (1987)
Tracy Chapman (1988)
Milli Vanilli (1989)
Mariah Carey (1990)
Marc Cohn (1991)
Arrested Development (1992)
Toni Braxton (1993)
Sheryl Crow (1994)
Hootie & The Blowfish (1995)
LeAnn Rimes (1996)
Paula Cole (1997)
Lauryn Hill (1998)
Christina Aguilera (1999)
Shelby Lynne (2000)
Alicia Keys (2001)
Norah Jones (2002)
Evanescence (2003)

The Grammys get it right (The Beatles, Crosby Stills & Nash, Carly Simon, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys)

They were successful too (Tom Jones, The Carpenters, Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Culture Club, Cyndi Lauper, Sade, Toni Braxton, Sheryl Crow)

Okay, but could have picked someone else (America, Christopher Cross, Sheena Easton, Men At Work, Jody Watley [was she realy a "new" artist in 1987?])

Seemed like a good idea at the time (Bobbie Gentry, Jose Feliciano, Rickie Lee Jones, Bruce Hornsby, Tracy Chapman, Arrested Development, Leann Rimes, Lauryn Hill)

Who are these people? (Peter Nero, The Swingle Sisters, Debbie Boone, A Taste of Honey, Marc Cohn, Hootie & the Blowfish, Paula Cole, Shelby Lynne)

Out of left field (Bob Newhart [comedy album], Robert Goulet [standards], Marvin Hamlisch [composer of "Love Story"])

WTF were they thinking?!? (Starland Vocal Band, Milli Vanilli)

Too soon to tell (Norah Jones, Evanescence)

728huey said:

You seriously don't know who those ones are?

VoicesCarry said:

Put my girl Jody Wately on there too (even though, she was a part of Shalamar before, a reason the award is kind of absurd). For some, it's a curse but some make it out OK. Wasn't the first winner of it Bette Midler. Granted, her career hasn't always been gang busters, but she is still a name with a lot of clout in music and does pretty good on most of her efforts.

twink69 said:

Then again, maybe it took about 10 years for the curse to catch up with them. Sorry.

GrayKing said:

Damn it! You beat me to it!

RipHer2Shreds said:

Actually I do, but there's a lot of people who would not be able to pick these artists out of a phone book even with their hit songs attached. In fact, other than Hootie, most people already go by "that band that sang 'Boogie Oogie Oogie'" or "that guy who sang that song about walking in Memphis", or "who sang the theme song to 'Dawson's Creek'"?

I hope Joss Stone win's this year!!! Her album 'Mind, Body & Soul' is AWESOME!