GRAMMYS: A Subjective History of the Album of the Year Winners

TYF Staff

February 10, 2015

[tps_title]1989-1980[/tps_title]

1989 — George Michael beats Tracy Chapman, Sting, Bobby McFerrin, Steve Winwood

Verdict: GOOD

1988: Joshua Tree beats Whitney #2, Bad, Trio and Sign o’ the Times

Verdict: READ THAT LAST ONE AGAIN

1987: in a decision that’s really only politically debatable, Graceland beats So, Control, The Broadway Album and something called Back in the High Life

Verdict: SO WHO WAS STEVIE WINWOOD SLEEPING WITH (AND DISAPPOINTING)?

1986: Annoying radio-land parasite No Jacket Required beats less annoying radio-land parasite Brothers in Arms, less annoying radio-land parasite Whitney Houston, less annoying radio-land parasite Sting and generally annoying but considerably less pointless “We Are the World.”

Verdict: PHIL COLLINS IS MORE LIKABLE THAN ALL OF THESE THINGS

1985: Lionel Richie beats Cyndi Lauper (OK wait a minute), Purple Rain (OK WAIT a minute), Born in the U.S.A. (really?!) and Private Dancer (even this is something of an outrage)

Verdict: BLAME REAGAN

1984: Thriller, the biggest album in the universe, beats Let’s Dance, An Innocent Man, Synchronicity and the Flashdance soundtrack

Verdict: NOTHING TO SEE HERE

1983: Toto IV (!) beats (!!) the most tolerable Paul McCartney album in years, the most substantial Billy Joel album perhaps ever, the sweetest Steely Dan gesture in the history of their genius and the John Mellencamp album with both “Jack and Diane” and “Hurts So Good.”

Verdict: SATIRE

1982: Double Fantasy (yay!) beats the Kim Carnes record I presume has “Bette Davis Eyes” on it, an Al Jarreau thing, a Quincy Jones thing called The Dude and Steely Dan’s least engaged album

Verdict: SO I GUESS THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO THANK MARK DAVID CHAPMAN FOR IS AL JARREAU NOT WINNING

1981: Christopher Cross.

Verdict: CHRISTOPHER CROSS

1980: Billy Joel’s très congenial 52nd Street beats out a Doobie Brothers album, the Kenny Rogers album with “The Gambler” on it, the Supertramp album with all your favorites on it and, um, Bad Girls.

Verdict: WRONG, BUT STILL — “STILETTO”!