Over the last 67 years, the Grammys have been regarded as music’s biggest night, as artists, executives, producers, and fans gather to honor the industry’s popular stars. First held in 1958, the Grammys originally started with 28 categories and have now expanded to 94 categories, allowing a wide variety of artists to be recognized for their work.
Despite the wide range of categories and awards, many artists have not taken home the top honors in their field and have not received the credit and recognition they deserve from music critics and industry professionals.
Music is subjective, and with so many great singles and albums being released every year, you are bound to have snubs in every genre and style of music.
5 surprising artists without a Grammy win
No. 5- The Beach Boys
When you think of the surf rock genre, one band always comes to mind: The Beach Boys. One of the defining bands of the 1960s, the Beach Boys are known for their classic hits “Surfin’ U.S.A.," “Wouldn’t It Be Nice," “God Only Knows," and “Good Vibrations."
Despite selling over 100 million records and achieving 33 RIAA Platinum and Gold Certification Awards, the Beach Boys have never won a Grammy Award. They have been nominated four times, including three in 1966 for Good Vibrations.
Even though they never took home music's most significant honor, they did receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, a testament to their profound impact on the music industry over the decades.
No. 4- Journey
Founded just over 50 years ago in 1974, Journey has produced countless sing-along classics that almost everyone will recognize, including “Don’t Stop Believin',” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Wheel In the Sky,” and “Open Arms.”
Originally founded as a progressive rock band, Journey achieved mainstream success when, in 1977, they added Steve Perry and transitioned to a soft, pop-rock sound.
From 1978 to 1987, during Perry’s initial tenure, Journey released a string of critically acclaimed albums, including Infinity, Escape, and Frontiers. To the surprise of many, Journey only received one Grammy nomination in 1996, when “When You Love a Woman” was named a finalist in the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal category.
As of 2025, they have not received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy either.
No. 3- Queen
During their initial run from 1970 to 1991, Queen had a monumental impact on the music industry, becoming one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world. They have sold over 300 million albums.
Each member (Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and John Deacon) has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a testament to their brilliance in crafting musical compositions.
Over the course of 15 albums, Queen had their share of big-time hits, with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” and “Under Pressure” leading the way. They received a total of four nominations, with their last coming in 1980 with the aforementioned “Another One Bites the Dust.”
Despite no major category victories, they eventually received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, a well-overdue honor.
No. 2- Guns N' Roses
One of the most intense, fierce, and controversial bands of all time, Guns N’ Roses burst on the scene in 1987 with the landmark debut album Appetite for Destruction, one of the highest-selling records of all time.
Released during a time when hair metal and glam rock dominated the charts, Appetite for Destruction brought attitude and danger back into the mainstream with hits such as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “It’s So Easy,” and “Paradise City.”
Their discography contains a diverse blend of styles including power ballads such as “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “November Rain”, industrial rock deep cuts like “Chinese Democracy”, “Oh My God” and “Shackler’s Revenge” and songs that trace right back to their Appetite roots including “You Could Be Mine”, “Civil War” and “Double Talkin Jive.
The band remains just as popular and relevant today as it continues to sell out stadiums and arenas worldwide with Slash and Duff McKagan back in the fold. The band has three nominations to this point, all coming in the Best Hard Rock Performance category, but it has failed to take home a significant award.
No. 1- The Who
The Who, named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the loudest rock band of all time for their 1976 concert in London, have rocked fans for over six decades. Their catalogue includes iconic songs such as “Baba O’Reilly," “Who Are You," “My Generation," and “Behind Blue Eyes," to name a few.
Along with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, The Who were part of the British Invasion. They inspired countless rock, punk, and metal artists that followed, including Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and the Ramones. In 1990, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
Despite their legacy of being one of the biggest and loudest bands in the world, The Who have only received two Grammy nominations, both in the Long Form Music Video category. However, like The Beach Boys, they did receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.