A few nights ago, I was watching The Colbert Report, and Stephen Colbert talked about how he won a Grammy last year for Best Comedy Album (the audio version of his cable TV Christmas special, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All). Because he is a reigning Grammy winner, he is allowed to vote on some of the Grammy nominees, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. As Colbert states, "the winner of of the Grammy for Best New Artist is guaranteed a one way ticket to superstardom. Just ask The Swingle Sisters, A Taste of Honey, and The Starland Vocal Band."

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has awarded a Grammy for Best New Artist every year since 1959 except 1967. While past winners of the Best New Artist Grammy include The Beatles, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, and Carrie Underwood, it is more notable for the out-of-left-field recipients such as the aforementioned Swingle Sisters, Starland Vocal Band, A Taste of Honey, Debby Boone, Marc Cohn, and the infamous selection of Milli Vanilli. It also includes Bob Newhart (yes, that Bob Newhart of TV fame) and Robert Goulet. Many artists have claimed that the Best New Artist award is the kiss of death for their career, but in reality many of the past winners have had some continuing success that lasted at least five years or so, but not nearly the superstardom they may have sought. In some cases the winners of the award (Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Carpenters, America, Sade, Maroon 5) may have been worthy of the award the year they won it but were eclipsed by the fellow nominees they beat (Led Zeppelin, Elton John, The Eagles, Kanye West) or were excluded due to technicalities (Whitney Houston). And in other cases the recipients of the Best New Artist award deserved the title in the year they won the award but either flamed out or broke up shortly afterward (Men At Work, Tracy Chapman, Arrested Development, Lauryn Hill).

The complete list of Grammy winners for Best New Artist can be found at Wikipedia. You may be shocked at the winners and those who were nominated but fell short.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...New_Artist

Best New artist has always mostly went to artist folks have never heard of Every now and then they actually give it to someone deserving

Sheena Easton won over Luther?

Chi.....

musicjunky318 said:

Sheena Easton won over Luther?

Chi.....

exactly

Its always been a very strange award, the rules arent very very clear they kind of have "loopholes" which shouldnt be. TO me if you are in a group and then go solo, u arent NEW, no matter how known the group was, so Cyndi Lauper should not have won that award, also the same thing goes if your first album is "known" or majorly distributed, i mean Shelby Lynne new? SHe has like 10 albums. I mean Gwen Stefani Lauryn Hill and Paul McCartney are not "new artists" but at the same time, someone like ANi Difranco shouldnt be considered new if an album blows up (just an example).

The disqualifications are OK if evenly applied, doing it to Whitney for a duet with Teddy P, or to Richard Marx because he had a song on the Nothing In Common Soundtrack or to do it to Expose because the album had other vocalists on the first pressing of 1000 copies that slipped out. these rules have NOT been evenly applied.

1988 proves how BOGUS these rules are, Jody Watley wins, clearly a member of Shalamar, yet Richard Marx is disqualified along with Expose, both of which were the favorites, clearly Richard would have won. Ironically for Richard the SMACK in the face continued all the way up to when he won for writing DANCE WITH MY FATHER with Luther, and was NOT allowed to perform it, while his great friend Luther was ailing, Richard played piano while celine dion sang, bogus bullshit!! THis song was about Richards father also for those of you not aware.

[Edited 1/19/11 17:46pm]

lastdecember said:

Its always been a very strange award, the rules arent very very clear they kind of have "loopholes" which shouldnt be. TO me if you are in a group and then go solo, u arent NEW, no matter how known the group was, so Cyndi Lauper should not have won that award, also the same thing goes if your first album is "known" or majorly distributed, i mean Shelby Lynne new? SHe has like 10 albums. I mean Gwen Stefani Lauryn Hill and Paul McCartney are not "new artists" but at the same time, someone like ANi Difranco shouldnt be considered new if an album blows up (just an example).

The disqualifications are OK if evenly applied, doing it to Whitney for a duet with Teddy P, or to Richard Marx because he had a song on the Nothing In Common Soundtrack or to do it to Expose because the album had other vocalists on the first pressing of 1000 copies that slipped out. these rules have NOT been evenly applied.

1988 proves how BOGUS these rules are, Jody Watley wins, clearly a member of Shalamar, yet Richard Marx is disqualified along with Expose, both of which were the favorites, clearly Richard would have won. Ironically for Richard the SMACK in the face continued all the way up to when he won for writing DANCE WITH MY FATHER with Luther, and was NOT allowed to perform it, while his great friend Luther was ailing, Richard played piano while celine dion sang, bogus bullshit!! THis song was about Richards father also for those of you not aware.

[Edited 1/19/11 17:46pm]

I knew something was fishy...

lastdecember said:

Its always been a very strange award, the rules arent very very clear they kind of have "loopholes" which shouldnt be. TO me if you are in a group and then go solo, u arent NEW, no matter how known the group was, so Cyndi Lauper should not have won that award, also the same thing goes if your first album is "known" or majorly distributed, i mean Shelby Lynne new? SHe has like 10 albums. I mean Gwen Stefani Lauryn Hill and Paul McCartney are not "new artists" but at the same time, someone like ANi Difranco shouldnt be considered new if an album blows up (just an example).

The disqualifications are OK if evenly applied, doing it to Whitney for a duet with Teddy P, or to Richard Marx because he had a song on the Nothing In Common Soundtrack or to do it to Expose because the album had other vocalists on the first pressing of 1000 copies that slipped out. these rules have NOT been evenly applied.

1988 proves how BOGUS these rules are, Jody Watley wins, clearly a member of Shalamar, yet Richard Marx is disqualified along with Expose, both of which were the favorites, clearly Richard would have won. Ironically for Richard the SMACK in the face continued all the way up to when he won for writing DANCE WITH MY FATHER with Luther, and was NOT allowed to perform it, while his great friend Luther was ailing, Richard played piano while celine dion sang, bogus bullshit!! THis song was about Richards father also for those of you not aware.

[Edited 1/19/11 17:46pm]

Everyone knows how backwards the Grammys are it's not a secret.

Timmy84 said:

lastdecember said:

Its always been a very strange award, the rules arent very very clear they kind of have "loopholes" which shouldnt be. TO me if you are in a group and then go solo, u arent NEW, no matter how known the group was, so Cyndi Lauper should not have won that award, also the same thing goes if your first album is "known" or majorly distributed, i mean Shelby Lynne new? SHe has like 10 albums. I mean Gwen Stefani Lauryn Hill and Paul McCartney are not "new artists" but at the same time, someone like ANi Difranco shouldnt be considered new if an album blows up (just an example).

The disqualifications are OK if evenly applied, doing it to Whitney for a duet with Teddy P, or to Richard Marx because he had a song on the Nothing In Common Soundtrack or to do it to Expose because the album had other vocalists on the first pressing of 1000 copies that slipped out. these rules have NOT been evenly applied.

1988 proves how BOGUS these rules are, Jody Watley wins, clearly a member of Shalamar, yet Richard Marx is disqualified along with Expose, both of which were the favorites, clearly Richard would have won. Ironically for Richard the SMACK in the face continued all the way up to when he won for writing DANCE WITH MY FATHER with Luther, and was NOT allowed to perform it, while his great friend Luther was ailing, Richard played piano while celine dion sang, bogus bullshit!! THis song was about Richards father also for those of you not aware.

[Edited 1/19/11 17:46pm]

I knew something was fishy...

yeah this bothered the hell out of me, im shocked they even let Richard speak when he won the award, but seeing him playing the Piano on HIS SONG, just blew my mind? I mean celine has a great voice, but has NO reason to be singing his song, she had no connection to it, and, its not like Richard cant sing? shit he is one of the most successful solo male artists and writers over the last 20-25 years

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said:

I knew something was fishy...

yeah this bothered the hell out of me, im shocked they even let Richard speak when he won the award, but seeing him playing the Piano on HIS SONG, just blew my mind? I mean celine has a great voice, but has NO reason to be singing his song, she had no connection to it, and, its not like Richard cant sing? shit he is one of the most successful solo male artists and writers over the last 20-25 years

Richard Marx gets such a bad deal. I don't get the snides at him myself.

Timmy84 said:

Richard Marx gets such a bad deal. I don't get the snides at him myself.

That's because he's in the category with the other so-called "cheesy" performers like The Carpenters, Kenny Loggins, Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Kenny G., Donny Osmond, Neil Diamond, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Bette Midler, Sonny & Cher, etc. They're not considered cool by the rock press who runs most of the music magazines and so are not taken seriously or made fun of.

Timmy84 said:

lastdecember said:

yeah this bothered the hell out of me, im shocked they even let Richard speak when he won the award, but seeing him playing the Piano on HIS SONG, just blew my mind? I mean celine has a great voice, but has NO reason to be singing his song, she had no connection to it, and, its not like Richard cant sing? shit he is one of the most successful solo male artists and writers over the last 20-25 years

Richard Marx gets such a bad deal. I don't get the snides at him myself.

I never really understood it either, the guy can write, i know people think hes "cheesy" but then everytime you mention a song by him people are like "damn i love that one, and that one and that one, oh i guess i like him them" To me i give him props because he actually writes for varied people as opposed to one type of artist, he has had hits for RB artists, Pop teen artists, country artists and blue grass artists, and then theres his own stuff

Richard Marx is kinda sorta like Michael Bolton except he's not. HOWEVER, he is an AMAZING songwriter. I think he came along at a very awkward, transitional time in music. If he had come along in soft rock's heyday, say the mid 70s, early 80s, he would have been fine.

But I don't get the palaver about Cyndi Lauper winning Best New Artist-are you saying she was in a group before?

scriptgirl said:

Richard Marx is kinda sorta like Michael Bolton except he's not. HOWEVER, he is an AMAZING songwriter. I think he came along at a very awkward, transitional time in music. If he had come along in soft rock's heyday, say the mid 70s, early 80s, he would have been fine.

But I don't get the palaver about Cyndi Lauper winning Best New Artist-are you saying she was in a group before?

She was in the group Blue Angel who had an album out on Polydor in 1980, and a second album was recorded and never issued, regardless of the success according to the rule she shouldnt have been included.

Thank you for that. And just out of curiousity, what gigantic record label swallowed up Polydor?

scriptgirl said:

Thank you for that. And just out of curiousity, what gigantic record label swallowed up Polydor?

well of course Universal, the one that will eventually every label, and there is one head.

scriptgirl said:

If he had come along in soft rock's heyday, say the mid 70s, early 80s, he would have been fine.

Light/soft rock is made fun of too. They call it "Yacht Rock". You don't hear Gordon Lightfoot, Bread, Christopher Cross, or Kansas mentioned or played much today.

MickyDolenz said:

Timmy84 said:

Richard Marx gets such a bad deal. I don't get the snides at him myself.

That's because he's in the category with the other so-called "cheesy" performers like The Carpenters, Kenny Loggins, Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Kenny G., Donny Osmond, Neil Diamond, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Bette Midler, Sonny & Cher, etc. They're not considered cool by the rock press who runs most of the music magazines and so are not taken seriously or made fun of.

I love all those people, and hate the bad rep they get... but hey it's all about what you like in the end

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said:

I knew something was fishy...

yeah this bothered the hell out of me, im shocked they even let Richard speak when he won the award, but seeing him playing the Piano on HIS SONG, just blew my mind? I mean celine has a great voice, but has NO reason to be singing his song, she had no connection to it, and, its not like Richard cant sing? shit he is one of the most successful solo male artists and writers over the last 20-25 years

They're actually pretty close friends, and her father had just passed at that time