3 Classic Rock Grammy Award Winners From 1980 We Still Stan

The freshness of a new year, a new decade, a new era can be intoxicating. Everyone has a chance to start over again. You can feel it in the air, in the energy of a moment, in the music of the day. And that’s just the vibe we wanted to explore here below.

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We wanted to highlight three classic rockers who were honored by the Grammy Awards at the onset of a new decade—1980. That was also the first year the show created categories for rock artists, which is worth celebrating! Indeed, these are three classic rock Grammy Award winners from 1980 we stan.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan has written a great many songs during his decades-long career, but this one might ring the most true. It’s a simple idea but it’s one that never wears thin or grows old. No one has experienced more success in music than Dylan. He has worn every hat and seen every high and low. So, when he speaks, it’s important to listen. And when he says you’re going to have to serve somebody—that even he has to serve someone—it’s as true a part of life as anything. For that, he won the 1980 Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male.

Billy Joel

While The Doobie Brothers won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for their track, “What a Fool Believes”, it was Billy Joel who took home the trophy for Album of the Year for his LP, 52nd Street. That album included the hit song “My Life”, which you can see above. Joel beat out big names for the accolade, including The Doobie Brothers, Kenny Rogers, Donna Summer, and Supertramp. Not a bad night!

Donna Summer

While it might not be our first instinct to put Donna Summer in the rock phylum of the music world, who are we to oppose the inaugural Grammy Award rock categories? Indeed, along with being nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, in 1980, Summer won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, for her LP Hot Stuff. At the end of the day, it certainly doesn’t matter what category she’s in—Summer is fabulous and the title song from that album is an all-all-all-timer!

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