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 Los Angeles. Every Grammy season, the debate swirls afresh as pundits question whether the Best New Artiste trophy is a curse or a blessing? The jinx theory has more than its share of believers; but for every band that peaked the night they collected their hardware, another grabbed the reins and rode with it. This weekend as we wait for the awards ceremony here are some of them.
The Beatles, 1965
History’s biggest-selling band was also arguably its most innovative; by the time they accepted their Grammy, they were already evolving from cheeky mop-topped media darlings into the sophisticated studio artistes behind “Rubber Soul,” the watershed “Revolver,” “Sgt. Pepper” and beyond. Surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr each continue to create new solo material and tour extensively to keep the spirit of the Fab Four’s music alive, to the gratitude of fans the world over.
Carly Simon, 1972
Simon’s breakthrough Top 10 hit, “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” signalled the arrival of a new breed of female singer-songwriter. She sang background vocals on husband James Taylor’s albums throughout the ‘70s and scored movie-theme hits including 1977’s ‘Nobody Does It Better’.
Bette Midler, 1974
Songstress Midler built a following in New York City’s gay bathhouses in the early ‘70s and hit the Top 10 with her 1972 debut album, “The Divine Miss M.” Her Best New Artist Grammy was the first in a still-unspooling string of successes for Midler, including films (“The Rose,” “Beaches”), recordings and a Vegas residency.
Starland Vocal Band, 1977
Composed of two married couples, Starland Vocal Band was responsible for the deathless, cheese-ariffic “Afternoon Delight,” a No. 1 hit in 1976 which earned the band enough credit to host “The Starland Vocal Band Show” on CBS for five weeks in the summer of 1977.
Rickie Lee Jones, 1980
The “Duchess of Coolsville” emerged on the scene with a jazzy vocal style and a quirky sensibility that hit the right note with audiences at the close of the ‘70s. Jones’ 1979 hit “Chuck E’s in Love” would prove to be her biggest; her insistence on experimenting with sounds beyond the boundaries of pop has taken her on her own journey. A boutique item, Jones retains a loyal following in spite of the short lifespan of her mass-market success.
Christopher Cross, 1981
Nonthreatening soft rocker Christopher Cross benefited from a weak field of nominees when he triumphed as 1981’s Best New Artist. And try as we might, somehow we still can’t forget the strains of hits like “Sailing” and “Ride Like the Wind”.
Men at Work, 1983
History’s luckiest bar band shot to fame in 1982 on the strength of their “Business as Usual” album and a string of clever videos that received constant rotation on the fledgling MTV network. But the band’s popularity effectively led to their undoing; the album stayed parked on the charts for so long that their follow-up was held back, and by the time “Cargo” was released, the group’s momentum had stalled.
Sade, 1986
Up against a weak field of nominees, Sade nonetheless deserved Grammy recognition and the successful commercial career that followed. Already a hit in the U.K., the enigmatic, smoky-voiced former model Sade Adu and her smooth jazz combo broke through stateside with the icy-cool “Smooth Operator” in the summer of 1985 and has been reaping the hits and tour receipts ever since.
Milli Vanilli, 1990
The spandex-clad dance act behind “Baby Don’t Forget My Number” emerged victorious on the big night ... until a tape malfunction at a live show revealed that dreadlocked duo Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were only lip-syncing to vocals recorded on the sly by anonymous and doubtless less attractive singers.
Pilatus died of a suspected accidental overdose of booze and pills in 1998.
Arrested Development, 1993
Perhaps best described as alt hip-hop, Atlanta band Arrested Development broke big with their singles “Tennessee” and the socially conscious “Mr. Wendal” and had a promising future when they scored their trophy.
Hootie & the Blowfish, 1996
Hootie & the Blowfish front man Darius Rucker and his fellow college rockers slipped the surly bonds of South Carolina and hit the big time with 1994’s “Cracked Rear View” and its ubiquitous hits “Hold My Hand,” “Only Wanna Be With You” and “Let Her Cry.”
Paula Cole, 1998
Part of the bumper crop of Lilith Fair artists who ruled the charts in the late ‘90s, Paula Cole will stay in our memories, if not our hearts, for her smash hits “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” and the “Dawson’s Creek” theme, “I Don’t Want to Wait”.
Christina Aguilera, 2000
The petite singer with the huge voice is an alumna of TV’s “Star Search” and “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Her self-titled debut album elevated her above the glut of teen pop on the charts at the time and spawned the inescapable hits “Genie in a Bottle” and “What a Girl Wants”. Since her first Grammy win, she has overhauled her image multiple times and made her film debut opposite Cher in 2010’s “Burlesque.”
Shelby Lynne, 2001
Southern singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne had been kicking around in the music business for several years when she bested Brad Paisley and others for the trophy. (Check out some of her most popular songs.) After much label-hopping and soul-searching, she released her sixth album, the alt-country “I Am Shelby Lynne,” to critical acclaim.
Norah Jones, 2003
The daughter of renowned sitirist Ravi Shankar (from whom she is estranged) launched her career with 2002’s “Come Away With Me”. The jazz-flavoured album sold more than 20 million copies and netted her Grammy Awards for Best New Artiste, Album of the Year and three others. Her subsequent albums have succeeded with fans and critics alike; Billboard magazine named Jones the top jazz artist of the 2000-2009 decade
Carrie Underwood, 2007
The roster of “American Idol” has-beens and also-rans is long; but Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood has done her part to legitimize the brand. In addition to her Grammy success, she cleaned up at a bevy of country music awards shows in 2007, and she has been a regular visitor to the winner’s circle ever since
Esperanza Spalding, 2011
Grammy voters broke the hearts of Beliebers everywhere when they passed over the teen sensation for jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding on the big night the first artiste in her genre to win the award.
The young multi-instrumentalist already enjoyed the respect of critics and fans before her Grammy victory; she was selected by President Barack Obama to perform at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize concert, among other ceremonies in Oslo, and has performed at the White House.
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