Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia
Episode: And the Grammy Goes to… Edition Part 2
Host: Chris Molanphy
Date: January 26, 2024

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of Hit Parade, host and pop chart analyst Chris Molanphy continues his in-depth exploration of the Grammy Awards’ often fraught relationship with the Billboard charts and popular musical trends. Building on the previous episode, he walks through pivotal Grammy moments from the late 1980s to the present, dissecting how institutional biases, voter tendencies, and controversial outcomes have shaped (or failed to shape) music history. Ultimately, with the 2024 Grammys looming, Molanphy offers a set of playful but pointed guidelines for how Grammy voters should approach their selections to better reflect cultural and musical impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Grammy Backlash and Resistance to Change (00:00–06:15)

• The episode picks up in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, focusing on the fallout from the Milli Vanilli scandal and the Academy's retrenchment into safer, more nostalgic choices.
  • "The Recording Academy was founded in the 1950s by industry figures who hated rock and roll and spent the Grammy's first decade avoiding it." (00:20)
  • Recap of the 1991 and 1992 Grammy Awards: Quincy Jones’ “Back on the Block” sweeps, and Natalie Cole's Unforgettable (a collection of her father's standards) winning both Record and Song of the Year, even though the song dates from 1951.
  • Chris critiques the 1992 Song of the Year win: "With this prize...the Recording Academy was effectively claiming that no composition actually written in 1991 was worthy of a Grammy." (02:30)
• 1993: Grammys embrace the MTV Unplugged trend—Eric Clapton wins big for relatively sleepy work, then Tony Bennett's Unplugged album takes Album of the Year in 1995 despite low chart impact.
  • "Tony Bennett’s album became the lowest charting album of the year winner in Grammy history to date." (05:12)

2. Nomination Committees and Their Effects (06:16–08:35)

• Response to 1995 backlash: Committees introduced to ensure more contemporary nominees, felt immediately in 1996 with Alanis Morissette's win for Jagged Little Pill.
• The establishment's ongoing wariness of rap: Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) becomes the first hip-hop album to win Album of the Year, but progress stalls afterwards.

3. Hip-Hop and the Grammys’ Reluctance (08:35–11:00, 38:49–43:06)

• Tracing the grudging inclusion of rap at the Grammys, beginning with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (1989, award not televised), and the slow acceptance in subsequent years.
  • "Rap's presence at the Grammys began inauspiciously in 1989...The Academy's perpetual slights of rap music..." (08:40)
• Only two true hip-hop albums—The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) and Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2004)—have taken Album of the Year.
• Molanphy highlights the snubs of genre-defining rap and R&B albums from Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, and others.

4. The Age of ‘Starbucks Albums’ and the Middlebrow Grammy (11:00–14:39)

• Early 2000s: The Academy favors safe, easy-listening “Starbucks albums” over groundbreaking or edgy records—e.g., Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature beating Eminem and Radiohead, Norah Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock over Amy Winehouse and Kanye West.
• "There was a lot of smooth music clogging the Grammy ballot in the aughts. It was the peak of the so-called Starbucks album..." (11:56)

5. Indie & EDM Get Their Turn, But Barriers Remain (15:28–17:10)

• By 2010, even indie rock is considered 'safe' (Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs wins), and Daft Punk's Random Access Memories brings in a win for EDM—albeit their most "retro" sounding album.
• Grammy voters develop a habit of repeat winners: Adele, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars all win multiple times in a decade, while hip-hop stars remain overlooked.

6. The Grammy Guidelines (‘How To Vote Right’) (22:26–43:06)

Chris offers five unofficial “Grammy Guidelines” for conscientious voting:

Guideline 1: Aim for Cultural Impact (22:26–28:13)

• "The charts are your friend...The Grammys miss the mark because they try to second-guess popular taste."
• Examples: The Academy awarded Tony Bennett’s version of “The Shadow of Your Smile” (1966) over The Beatles’ world-conquering "Yesterday." Overlooking Alicia Keys' "Fallen" and Outkast's "Ms. Jackson" for U2’s “Walk On”—a minor hit.

Guideline 2: Embrace Cultural Relevance and Current Pop (28:13–31:20)

• Recounts notorious snubs, like Usher’s “Yeah!” losing to Ray Charles’ "Here We Go Again" and Celine Dion’s Falling Into You outpacing more forward-thinking albums.
  • "Even if the Academy felt obligated to honor the late Charles giving his single Here We Go Again record of the Year over Usher's yeah is the pinnacle of avoiding cultural relevance." (30:10)

Guideline 3: When in Doubt, Reward Youth (31:20–36:04)

• Cites Grammy wins for Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Alanis Morissette, Taylor Swift; youth picks "virtually always look good in retrospect."
  • "On those occasions when Grammy voters go with the younger nominee, the results virtually always look good in retrospect." (34:40)

Guideline 4: Avoid Repeat Winners (36:05–38:49)

• Highlights awkward moments when repeat winners like Adele and U2 win again, leading to onstage apologies for blocking albums like Beyoncé’s Lemonade or Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly.
  • Adele at 2017 Grammys: "My artist of my life is Beyoncé...the Lemonade album was just so monumental." (36:05)
  • "When the winner of a prize feels they have to provide an apologia live from the stage, the voters probably got it wrong." (37:37)

Guideline 5: Hip-Hop Is Music (38:49–43:06)

• Insists on the overdue need to honor hip-hop and redress decades of snubs for main category wins, using Jay-Z and Beyoncé as emblematic examples.
  • "Fifty years after the birth of hip hop, the Recording Academy still seems to be coming to terms with the idea that rap is not only musical but worthy of its major all genre prizes." (38:49)
  • Jay-Z in "APE----": "Tell the Grammys that O for A have you ever seen the crowd going ape?" (40:37)

7. 2024 Grammy Predictions and Application of Guidelines (43:06–45:30)

• Chris applies his guidelines to this year’s ballot:
  • John Batiste and Taylor Swift: both prior winners, so "no repeats."
  • Boygenius: “would certainly feel fresh were they to win." (43:35)
  • Olivia Rodrigo: “fulfills my cultural impact and youth guidelines.” (43:44)
  • SZA: the only nominee to “sweep all five of my Grammy guidelines."
    • "On every level, SZA deserves to win...For a voter, following my guidelines, SZA is a slam dunk." (44:01)

8. Final Thoughts: The Grammys Are Silly...and Fun (45:30–End)

• Closing notes on the Grammys as spectacle: performances, odd musical mashups (e.g., Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons, Eminem and Elton John), and the “WTF-ness” being part of the fun.
  • "At the end of the day...the Grammys are kind of important, kind of silly, and should be fun." (49:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Grammys’ relationship to pop music:
  • "The Academy's perpetual slights of rap music...Rap became the music the Grammys held at arm's length." (07:45)
• On Beyoncé’s Grammy track record:
  • "Despite now holding the record for most Grammys ever won by a single artist...she has won almost none of her prizes in the general field categories." (19:25)
• On the futility of “fixing” the Grammys:
  • "You can't make firm rules to improve them. You wind up contradicting yourself." (20:30)
• On repeat wins and on-stage apologies:
  • Adele: "But my artist of my life is Beyoncé...the Lemonade album was just so monumental." (36:05–36:41)
  • Bono: "I know how it feels. Kanye, you're next…" (37:20)
• On hip-hop and Grammy oversight:
  • "There is a lot of unfortunate history to redress here. Rappers as late as the 2010s and 2020s are getting the same cold shoulder..." (42:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Grammy Retrenchment Post-Milli Vanilli (1991–92): 00:00–03:45
• MTV Unplugged Era; Out-of-Touch Album Wins: 03:45–06:16
• Committee Fixes and Rise of Alanis/ Lauryn Hill: 06:16–08:35
• Hip-Hop, Rap Category, and Continuing Snubs: 08:36–11:00; expanded at 38:49–43:06
• 2000s: The Starbucks Album Era: 11:00–14:39
• Indie, EDM, & Repeat Winner Trend: 15:28–19:25
• Introduction of the Five Grammy Guidelines: 22:26–43:06
  • Cultural Impact: 22:26–28:13
  • Cultural Relevance / Embracing Current Pop: 28:13–31:20
  • Rewarding Youth: 31:20–36:04
  • Avoiding Repeat Winners: 36:05–38:49
  • Hip-Hop Is Music: 38:49–43:06
• 2024 Predictions and Application of Principles: 43:06–45:30
• Closing Reflections and the Importance of Fun: 45:31–End

Tone and Language

Chris Molanphy is wry, knowledgeable, and passionate, never shying from critique but always mindful of music’s unpredictability and the messy humanity behind awards voting. His delivery is factual yet conversational, peppered with pop culture references and self-aware asides.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is essential listening for anyone frustrated or fascinated by the Grammys’ ability to both honor and ignore popular taste. Combining chart history, cultural critique, and pointed commentary, Chris Molanphy outlines why the Grammys often get things wrong—and how, with just a bit more “cultural” awareness, they might do better in the future. Through memorable anecdotes, sharp observations, and a set of clear, actionable (if tongue-in-cheek) guidelines, he offers both a grand tour of Grammy controversy and a hopeful template for future change.

If you’re rooting for change at this year’s Grammy Awards, Molanphy’s vote is clear: all eyes on SZA.