History of the Grammys, Part 5: A Decade Study

In Part 5 of our Grammy series, we're taking a look at the winners from the 2000s! Not quite as weird as the '90s, the '00s are almost a genre all their own and it was a lot of fun to be reminded of many of these songs. As is tradition, I'll only be highlighting the winners of the awards for Record of the Year (which is awarded to the performer and production team of a single song if other than the performer) and Song of the Year (which is awarded to the songwriter or songwriters of a single song). Let's jump in and start listening!

1999

The 41st Annual Grammy Awards were held February 24th, 1999 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Rosie O'Donnell, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 1998.

Record & Song of the Year - My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from Titanic) by Celine Dion (written by J. Horner, N. Vestuto, W. Jennings)

Whether you love it or hate it, if you were alive in 1999 you definitely know almost every word to this song. Featured on both Dion's 1997 album Let's Talk About Love and the soundtrack to the 1997 blockbuster hit Titanic (starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet), this song was EVERYWHERE for YEARS - playing on radios both home and retail, at weddings (even though the song is about lost love?), you literally could not get away from it. Dion's now signature song is one of the top selling singles of all time and the second best selling single by a female artists ever. It has been certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 2.3 million copies in the United States, ended up at #13 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100, and won an Oscar (Best Original Song 1998), 4 Grammys (Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television 1999), and a Golden Globe (Best Original Song 1998). People have been covering this song in both seriousness and silliness pretty much since it was released, but my favorite cover no lie has to be the guy who plays it on his recorder - check it out on YouTube, it's well worth it.

Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you/That is how I know you go on/Far across the distance and spaces between us/You have come to show you go on/Near, far, wherever you are/I believe that the heart does go on/Once more, you open the door/And you’re here in my heart and my heart will go on and on

2000

The 42nd Annual Grammy Awards were held February 23rd, 2000 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Rosie O'Donnell, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 1999.

Record & Song of the Year - Smooth by Santana ft. Rob Thomas (written by I. Shur, R. Thomas)

Smooth is one of those songs that you just instinctively know can't belong anywhere but the early 2000s. Featured on Santana's 1999 album Supernatural, this song definitely wouldn't be what it is without the iconic sound of both Carlos Santana's guitar and the unmistakable vocal stylings of Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas. Both the final #1 of the 1990s and the first #1 of the 2000s, it is officially the only song to show on two end-of-decade charts. Certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in the US, the song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ended up at #19 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100 for 1999. The song ended up walking away with three Grammys in 2000: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. There aren't a huge amount of cover versions of this song out there, but it is used and referenced in pop culture a few times, such as on Hannah Montana, Funny or Die, and The Onion.

Man, it’s a hot one, like seven inches from the midday sun/Well, I hear you whisper and the words melt everyone/But you stay so cool/My muñequita, my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa/You’re my reason for reason, the step in my groove, yeah/And if you said, "This life ain’t good enough"/I would give my world to lift you up/I could change my life to better suit your mood/‘Cause you’re so smooth/And it’s just like the ocean under the moon/Well, it’s the same emotion that I get from you/You got the kind of loving that can be so smooth, yeah/Gimme your heart, make it real or else forget about it

2001

The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards were held February 21st, 2001 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Jon Stewart, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 2000.

Record & Song of the Year - Beautiful Day by U2 (written by A. Clayton, P. Hewson, L. Mullen, D. Evans)

I know U2 has kind of become a meme over the years, but this is a song I actually dig. Featured on U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, this song became, and remains to this day, one of the biggest hits of the band's career. Certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in the United States, the song also peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ended up at #71 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100 for 2001. U2 ended up with 3 Grammys for the song: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Rock Performance by a Group or Duo with Vocal. It has been included on several "best of all time" lists by sources such as Rolling Stone, Blender, and VH1. A couple of notable covers include Lee DeWyze and Kurt Nielsen.

The heart is a bloom, shoots up through the stony ground/There’s no room, no space to rent in this town/You’re out of luck, and the reason that you had to care/The traffic is stuck and you’re not moving anywhere/You thought you’d found a friend to take you out of this place/Someone you could lend a hand in return for grace/It’s a beautiful day/Sky falls, you feel like/It’s a beautiful day/Don’t let it get away

2002

The 44th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 27th, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by comedian Jon Stewart, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 2001.

Record of the Year - Walk On by U2 (written by P. Hewson, A. Clayton, D. Evans, L. Mullen)

Oh look, it's U2 again. Like Beautiful Day the year before, this song was featured on the band's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind but was released as a single almost a full year after their big winner from the year before. In fact, with the band's win in 2002, it marked the first time an artist had won back to back Record of the Year awards for songs off the same album. Inspired by Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi, the chairperson for the National League of Democracy who had been under house arrest since 1989, this song actually got banned in Burma. That didn't stop it from doing well elsewhere, as it appeared on four different Billboard charts throughout the year, was nominated for two Grammys (winning one), and also won an Ivor Novello Award and a Meteor Music Award. There aren't a lot of covers of this song out there either, but it's still a good listen.

And love is not the easy thing/The only baggage you can bring/And love is not the easy thing/The only baggage you can bring/Is all that you can’t leave behind/And if the darkness is to keep us apart/And if the daylight feels like it’s a long way off/And if your glass heart should crack/And for a second, you turn back/Oh no, be strong/Walk on, walk on/What you got, they can’t steal it/No, they can’t even feel it/Walk on, walk on/Stay safe tonight

Song of the Year - Fallin' by Alicia Keys (written by A. Keys)

This song is still one of my favorites by the incredible talent that is Alicia Keys, who was only 21 when she won this award for this song. Fallin' is featured on Keys' 2001 album Songs in A Minor and is widely considered to be her signature song. Certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over two million copies in the US, the song also peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ended up at #2 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100 Chart for 2001. Keys won three of the four Grammys she was nominated for with this song: Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song, only losing Record of the Year to U2 and Walk On. I can't think of a huge amount of covers of this song, but I know it's been used in a ton of commercials and film/TV trailers in popular culture.

I keep on falling in and outta love with you/Sometimes I love ya, sometimes you make me blue/Sometimes I feel good, at times I feel used/Loving you, darling, makes me so confused/I keep on falling in and out of love with you/I never loved someone the way that I love you

2003

The 45th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 23rd, 2003 in New York City, New York. With no official host, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 2002.

Record & Song of the Year - Don't Know Why by Norah Jones (written by J. Harris)

North Texas hometown hero Norah Jones was a defining musical force of the mid-2000s with that calm, soothing voice and signature piano sound. Featured on her 2002 album Come Away with Me, this song is still Jones' best performing single in America to this day. It peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ending the year at #97 on Billboard's Year End Hot 100 Chart of 2003. Jones and songwriter Jessie Harris won three Grammys for Don't Know Why in 2003: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Jones performed the song on an episode of Sesame Street, where she helped Elmo find the letter Y, and actress Michelle Williams covered the song on an episode of The Masked Singer.

I waited ’til I saw the sun/I don’t know why I didn’t come/I left you by the house of fun/Don’t know why I didn’t come/Don’t know why I didn’t come/When I saw the break of day/I wished that I could fly away/Instead of kneeling in the sand/Catching teardrops in my hand/My heart is drenched in wine/But you’ll be on my mind forever

2004

The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 8th, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. With no official host, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 2003.

Record of the Year - Clocks by Coldplay (written by G. Berryman, J. Buckland, W. Champion, C. Martin)

Clocks may have to be included as one of the most recognizable piano intros of all time. Featured on Coldplay's 2002 album A Rush of Blood to the Head, this song debating contrast and urgency is considered to be one of their signature hits. The song has been certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in the US, peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, and ended the year at #81 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100 List for 2003. The aforementioned piano riff has become so popular through the years that it has been sampled multiple times in songs such as Jordin Sparks' No Air, Brandy's Should I Go, David Guetta & Kelly Rowland's When Love Takes Over, and Lupe Fiasco's Shining Down. Plus, the one and only Bono named Clocks as "one of the top 60 songs of his life," which is pretty high praise from a huge music icon.

The lights go out and I can’t be saved/Tides that I tried to swim against/Have brought me down upon my knees/Oh, I beg, I beg and plead/Singing come out of things unsaid/Shoot an apple off my head/And a trouble that can’t be named/A tiger’s waiting to be tamed, singing/You are/You are

Song of the Year - Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross (written by R. Marx, L. Vandross)

The late Luther Vandross and singer-songwriter Richard Marx took home 2004's Song of the Year for the sentimental track Dance With My Father. Featured on his 2003 (and final) album Dance With My Father, the song was inspired by Vandross's memories of his own dad. Vandross was actually in the hospital when the marketing for this song was happening, so the music video was shot featuring his friends and fans (such as Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Damon Wayans, Whitney Houston, Jason Kidd, Lil Romeo, Ashanti, Celine Dion, Patti LaBelle, Ruben Studdard, Brandy, Quincy Jones, Wyclef Jean, Wayne Brady, & Shaquille O'Neal just to name a few) along with childhood photos of Vandross himself. The song peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ended up winning two Grammys: Song of the Year and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Notable covers of this song include those by Kellie Coffey, Celine Dion, and Richard Marx.

Back when I was a child/Before life removed all the innocence/My father would lift me high/And dance with my mother and me and then/Spin me around ’til I feel asleep/Then up the stairs, he would carry me/And I knew for sure I was loved/If I could get another chance/Another walk, another dance with him/I’d play a song that would never, ever end/How I’d love, love, love to dance with my father again

2005

The 47th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 13th, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by singer/songwriter/actress Queen Latifah, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 2004.

Record of the Year - Here We Go Again by Ray Charles & Norah Jones (written by D. Lanier, R. Steagall)

What an awesome superstar duet. Featured on Charles' 2004 (and final) album Genius Loves Company, he recorded the Jones duet version close to 37 years after he recorded the original back in 1967. This version has been certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in the US and ended up becoming Charles' highest charting song in years. Charles and Jones' voices blend together really beautifully, and I'm happy Jones got to have that awesome experience before Charles passed away later in 2004. Other notable covers of this song include those by Nancy Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Dean Martin, George Strait, and Willie Nelson.

Here we go again/He’s back in town again/I’ll take him back again/One more time/Here we go again/The phone will ring again/I’ll be her fool again, I will/One more time/I’ve been there before/And I will try again/Any fool, any fool knows/That there’s no, no way to win/Here we go again/She’ll break my heart again, yeah/I’ll play the part again/One more time

Song of the Year - Daughters by John Mayer (written by J. Mayer)

As much as I periodically struggle with John Mayer, this song is not that bad. Featured on Mayer's 2003 album Heavier Things, the song has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over two million copies in the United States. It peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ended the year at #83 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100 for 2005. Despite this song not being one of Mayer's favorites (he's been quoted more than once as thinking the other singles from Heavier Things should've gotten more praise than Daughters), it's remained a notable hit for him and has been featured in TV shows such as 7th Heaven.

I know a girl, she puts the color inside of my world/She’s just like a maze where all of the walls all continually change/And I’ve done all I can to stand on her steps with my heart in my hands/Now I’m starting to see maybe it’s got nothing to do with me/Fathers, be good to your daughters/Daughters will love like you do/Girls become lovers who turn into mothers/So mothers, be good to your daughters, too

2006

The 48th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 8th, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. With no official host, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 2005.

Record of the Year - Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day (written by B. Armstrong, F. Wright, M. Pritchard, M. Dirnt)

Damn if this song isn't still a total banger as well as a time machine ride for me back to middle school. Featured on Green Day's 2004 album American Idiot, this is still one of Green Day's signature songs. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and finished the year at a whopping #7 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100 List for 2005. The song has been certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in the US and has made many, many All-Time and Decade lists include those by Rolling Stone and Billboard. In addition to Record of the Year at the Grammys, Green Day won 6 MTV Video Music Awards in 2005 and ended up donating all iTunes proceeds for this song to the Red Cross efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

I walk a lonely road/The only one that I have ever known/Don’t know where it goes/But it’s home to me, and I walk alone/I walk this empty street/On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams/Where the city sleeps/And I’m the only one, I walk alone/I walk alone, I walk alone/I walk alone, I walk a/My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me/My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating/Sometimes, I wish someone out there will find me/‘Till then, I walk alone

Song of the Year - Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own by U2 (written by A. Clayton, P. Hewson, D. Evans, L. Mullen)

Yes, U2 is back again but no, the song isn't from All That You Can't Leave Behind. Featured on their 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, this song peaked at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. While it didn't perform in America as well as their other two winners from this decade, U2 was able to win two Grammys for it in 2006: Song of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It's a really good, really emotional track that was inspired by the death of Bono's father Bob Hewson, who passed way from cancer in 2001.

Tough, you think you’ve got the stuff/You’re telling me and anyone you’re hard enough/You don’t have to put up a fight, you don’t always have to be right/Let me take some of the punches for you tonight/Listen to me now, I need to let you know/You don’t have to go it alone/And it’s you when I look in the mirror, and it’s you when I don’t pick up the phone/Sometimes you can’t make it on your own

2007

The 49th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 11th, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. With no official host, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 2006.

Record & Song of the Year - Not Ready to Make Nice by The Chicks (written by D. Wilson, E. Robison, M. Maguire, N. Maines)

Despite everything they've gone through over the years, I've never really let go of my love for The (former Dixie) Chicks. Featured on their 2006 album Taking the Long Way, I did not like this song much when it first came out but it has definitely grown on me over the years. Inspired by the very public controversy regarding lead singer Natalie Maines' comments regarding President George W. Bush, it's been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 2 million copies in the United States and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Chicks were able to take home three Grammys for Not Ready to Make Nice in 2007: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Regarding the nature and circumstances of the song, it's naturally been parodied by the likes of MADtv, but all in all the song is pretty solid and can resonate with anyone who's attempting to heal from a bad situation with another party.

Forgive, sounds good/Forget, I’m not sure I could/They say time heals everything/But I’m still waiting/I’m through with doubt/There’s nothing left for me to figure out/I’ve paid a price/And I’ll keep paying/I’m not ready to make nice, I’m not ready to back down/I’m still mad as hell and I don’t have time to go ‘round and ‘round and ‘round/It’s too late to make it right, I probably wouldn’t if I could/‘Cause I’m mad as hell, can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

2008

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 10th, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. With no official host, the televised awards honored musical achievements from the year 2007.

Record & Song of the Year - Rehab by Amy Winehouse (written by A. Winehouse)

Again, we have another absolute banger, albeit a much more tragic banger than the others. Featured on the late Amy Winehouse's 2006 (and final) album Back to Black, the song discusses Winehouse's very real refusal to attend alcohol rehabilitation after being recommended to do so by her management team. The song has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 2 million copies in the US, peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and ended the year at #74 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100 List for 2007. Winehouse won three Grammys for the song in 2008: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, as well as and Ivor Novella Award that same year. Notable covers of this song include Taking Back Sunday, Juuststin Timberlake, Fergie, Kanye West, and the cast of Glee.

They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said, "No, no, no"/Yes, I’ve been black, but when I come back, you’ll know, know, know/I ain’t got the time, and if my daddy thinks I’m fine/He’s tried to make me go to rehab, but I won’t go, go, go/I’d rather be at home with Ray/I ain’t got seventy days/‘Cause there’s nothing, nothing you can teach me/That I can’t learn from Mr. Hathaway/I didn’t get a lot in class/But I know it don’t come in a shotglass

Hopefully this has been a fun reminiscent post for you to rediscover some great music from the not so distant past. Happy listening, and see y'all next week!