The Record Of The Year category in the Grammy Awards has been around for a long time, since 1959 in fact. This category recognizes a single song or album track and can be won by the artist, producer, recording engineer, and/or mixer. It is a separate category from Song Of The Year, which is won by the songwriter.
There is a lengthy list of nominations in this category. That includes some amazing songs. It's quite some list when you add in the eventual winners each year too. As you'd expect, many big names from the music industry appear on it.
Looking back at those nominations and award winners, for some years I’m shocked at the nominated songs which were beaten to the Grammy Awards. And even more so when compared to the actual winners for those years. Four songs from separate years stand out in particular as miscarriages of music and awards justice.
Shock Record Of The Year losers at Grammy Awards
Before looking at those four songs, we should start by recognising that the terms of the award mean that sales or chart positions are not a factor in deciding the award. So it's not at all about which records sold the most. Nor those that climbed higher in the charts.
You may disagree with my view of the four songs that missed out, or those that won. Perhaps the passage of time and a good dose of hindsight have put a fresh light on some of those award decisions. It’s going to be a matter of personal opinion. And of course, nothing will change that original outcome.
1975 Grammy Record Of The Year Nominations
- “Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John
- “Feel Like Makin’ Love” by Roberta Flack
- “Help Me” by Joni Mitchell
- “Midnight At The Oasis” by Mariah Muldaur
- “I Honestly Love You” by Olivia Newton-John.
If you don't already know which of those nominations won, take a guess and see if you are right. If you picked Olivia Newton-John with “I Honestly Love You”, then you were correct. It’s a piano-led ballad from her Long Live Love album. The chorus is memorable for a line or two, but not much else seems to stick in your mind.
Newton-John does though give a great singing performance on “I Honestly Love You”. Due credit for that came with the 1975 Grammy for Best Female Vocal Pop Performance. The record itself was rated for its lush production and perhaps both that and her performance tipped the scales in its favour in the voting.
Up against her, we had another super song from Elton John which outshines the winner. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” came from Elton’s 1974 Caribou album and represented another high point in his recordings. Years later, in 1991, a live version with Elton and George Michael revived the record again.
The song starts softly with a typical Elton piano introduction and continues to grow. The way this song develops and adds in close harmonies to reach a great ending and fanfare of brass is just brilliant. The production values are high, as is the pleasure of hearing the song. There's just one thing missing, that Record Of The Year Grammy!
1981 Grammy Record Of The Year Nominations
- “Lady” by Kenny Rogers
- “The Rose” by Bette Milder
- “Theme From New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra
- “Woman In Love” by Barbra Streisand
- “Sailing” by Christopher Cross
It was quite a surprise on the actual night when the Grammy went to “Sailing” by Christopher Cross. In fact, he won five Grammy’s that year, one for ”Sailing” and another for Best New Artist. His record label Warner Bros was not expecting any of that, they hadn’t even arranged an after-show party for him. It's an ok song if you don’t mind some soft AOR from a yacht rock pioneer.
Then there's “New York, New York”, it’s big, brash, bold, and loud. And so is the song! Right from the instantly recognisable horns on the introduction to its grandstand end, the record has your attention. It's Frank Sinatra and his voice in powerful and top form. Over the years it's become an end-of-party anthem and shown its longevity. The judges wouldn't have known that point at the time, but this great record surely deserved the Record Of The Year Grammy all the same.
1987 Grammy Record Of The Year Nominations
- “Addicted To Love” by Robert Palmer
- “Greatest Love Of All” by Whitney Houston
- "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel
- “That's What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick & Friends
- “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood
Have another guess at the winner from these nominations just a few years later. It's a tough one with several big hits in there. Perhaps surprisingly again given that list, the winner was “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood. There was also a Grammy for the record as best-engineered recording and for Winwood as Pop Male Vocalist. To be fair it's a good song and was a big part of Winwood’s renaissance in his career during the 1980’s.
Surely though the stunning “Greatest Love Of All” by Whitney Houston deserved the Grammy more. It was the centerpiece of her smash hit self-titled debut album. Even that early in her music career Houston was at a peak with her voice, and she took the song through several high points as it builds in intensity.
Perhaps it was affected by the back story of it being a cover of George Benson's 1977 hit. Or its slow start as a Houston single release, initially as a B-side before becoming its own A-side. None of which should matter but may have swayed voters. Houston did gather eight Grammy awards in her short lifetime, “Greatest Love Of All” as Record Of The Year should have made it nine.
1991 Grammy Record Of The Year Nominations
- “From A Distance” by Bette Midler
- “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor
- “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer
- “Vision Of Love” by Mariah Carey “
- Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins
If you were guessing the winner, did you think it might have been Sinead O’Connor with “Nothing Compares 2 U”? It wasn’t, but should have been. Phil Collins with “Another Day In Paradise” took the Record Of The Year prize in 1991.
Collins' song was a huge hit and added to his already soaring solo career alongside Genesis. He was highly popular at the time, although the song's theme of poverty and homelessness attracted much controversy for him. Questions were asked about just how much a wealthy pop star with several houses around the world and extensive wealth really knew about the subjects. Again, it's a good song, if you don’t mind Collins' voice and style.
Collins’ winner doesn't stand up in comparison to Sinead O’Connor’s incredibly heartfelt voice on Prince’s song “Nothing Compares 2U”, but what does? She sang about life’s painful agonies, an unrecognised sign of sad times ahead for her. Released as a single from her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, it was a worldwide success.
A review from The Network Forty (page 6) captured the record perfectly. "When Sinéad sang 'Nothing Compares 2 U', seas calmed, angels wept and Top 40 radio stood still to listen to this powerful expression of unrequited love." Exactly! How can that have failed to win the Grammy award?