3 Rock Legends Who’ve Never Won a GRAMMY

Looking back on earlier times and judging others while benefitting from hindsight can be harsh and unfair.

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But when you learn how many groundbreaking musicians have never won a GRAMMY, it’s hard not to be (at least a little) surprised.

It seems the GRAMMYs required some time to understand or appreciate rock music. According to Billboard, a category for rock and roll debuted in 1962. Its first winner: Chubby Checker for “Let’s Twist Again.”

But a puzzling list of not-so-rocking artists won the award after Checker. The dedicated rock categories didn’t arrive until 1980. By then, many iconic artists, songs, and albums were entirely missed by the Recording Academy. Here’s a look at three rock legends the GRAMMYs missed.

The Beach Boys

“Good Vibrations” rightly received three nominations at the 9th Annual GRAMMY Awards. However, the group wouldn’t see another nod until their 1988 single, “Kokomo.” Like “Good Vibrations,” The Beach Boys also released Pet Sounds in 1966, which the Recording Academy ignored. Yes, Pet Sounds remains a recording marvel. And yes, your closest friends may consider it a violation of friendship if you don’t prominently display your deluxe vinyl version on a mantle inside your home. But that influential album aside, it’s still outrageous to think The Beach Boys haven’t done enough to earn a single GRAMMY.

The Who

If you take the time to search “The Who” on the official GRAMMYs website, two shocking things will greet you: zero wins followed by only two nominations. Now, let’s say you are Pete Townshend and decide to put together a little rock group in London. This group also features Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon. You proceed to make rock masterpieces like Tommy, Who’s Next, and Quadrophenia. Yet not one of those albums was even nominated for a GRAMMY.

Jimi Hendrix

So you’ve reinvented the electric guitar. And future rock legends like Prince, Slash, and John Frusciante modeled their own playing on your style. But before that, you blew the minds of Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. (Beck once said of Hendrix, “He swept us all aside and put us in a bin.”) OK, but what about the songs? “Purple Haze,” “Little Wing,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” and “Castles Made of Sand,” among others. Or the covers: “All Along the Watchtower,” “Hey Joe.” None of those were strong enough for a GRAMMY?

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