In 1986, the No. 1 movie at the box office was Top Gun. Fans got to see Tom Cruise in a jet soaring around the sky. But if you wanted a break from planes and fly boys, then you could turn to the world of music for some award-winning classic rock. That’s just what we wanted to do here below.
Videos by American Songwriter
We wanted to highlight three award-winning rock bands from the year 1986. At a time when movies were often more like theme parks, we wanted to showcase some music that got your heart racing, too. Indeed, these are three classic rock Grammy Award-winners from 1986 we still stan.
Phil Collins
Phil Collins rose to fame first as the drummer for the British-born band Genesis. Then he had a microphone put in front of him, and he became the lead vocalist for the group, too. But the musical evolution for the artist wasn’t done there. Post-Genesis, Collins went out on a solo career that was quite successful. Indeed, in 1986, Collins took home trophies for Album of the Year, Producer of the Year (Non-Classical), and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, for his solo LP, No Jacket Required. Boom!
Don Henley
The former co-founder of Eagles, Don Henley, ventured out on a solo path in the 1980s. After helping to breathe life into Eagles songs like “Hotel California” and “Desperado”, the songwriter and performer released solo work like the track, “The Boys Of Summer”, which appeared on his 1984 LP, Building The Perfect Beast. And that offering later earned Henley the 1986 Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male. Not a bad day for the former Linda Ronstadt backup musician.
Jeff Beck
The British-born electric guitarist Jeff Beck won the 1986 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for his track “Escape” from the LP Flash. Fans of the six-string player won’t be surprised that he earned the coveted hardware for his instrumental work—by this time, Beck had been playing guitar and performing in bands for decades. Known for his at-times brutal, at-times operatic style, Beck remains one of the best electric guitarists ever. And he has the trophies to prove it.
Photo by Ilpo Musto/Shutterstock
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