Greetings internet! I spent much time deliberating on how to introduce myself to you all, but I figured since I'm a Music Industry major a great way to do that would be to talk about my opinion on the recent Grammy awards. And no, I'm not interested in the politics or Beyoncé's incoming twins - but the state of rock music in our pale and lifeless world. I'm simply concerned about the lack of respect for a genre of music that has defined my life and given it direction. Of course this is all my opinion and not meant to be an attack on artists or music that others enjoy. So without further ado, let's delve into my brain!
Rock music in general, in my opinion, is filled with a raw emotion and power that to my ears is lost on much of the popular music world. Of course, not all rock music is pleasing to the ears - believe me there are some awful ones. But it is undeniable at the least that rock has something unique to its peers, and it should be celebrated just as much as any other genre whether it’s been relevant for five decades or one.
This was my main issue with the 2017 Grammy awards – the fact that the only “rock” performance of the night was a collaboration between Metallica and Lady Gaga, yet there were several pop, hip-hop, and country performances. Why couldn’t Metallica, the pioneers of thrash metal and arguably the biggest name in metal since Black Sabbath get their own performance? I understand that the Grammy’s/Recording Academy want to craft unique collaborations when they can – but why couldn’t the only “rock” performance be one without a pop star? If these awards are supposed to celebrate all forms of music, why was rock so shorted? Adele and Beyoncé both had their own solo performances, with the prior having two on her own if I recall correctly. Metallica has been not only touring but successful since before Adele or Beyoncé were even born – so why couldn’t they get their own performance? Lady Gaga and the metal legends put on a fantastic show, but it still felt like Metallica got the shortest straw.
Metallica's fiery performance alongside Lady Gaga (no pun intended).
Before you ask, let's just not even talk about the incident where James Hetfield's microphone was "unplugged" by an engineer underneath the stage or the fact that the trash icons were not introduced alongside Gaga for their joint performance. Even though neither were maliciously done, it still seems metaphorical for metal (or any form of rock) music's relationship with the mainstream.
Speaking of Metallica, let's move on to something small that may sound like I'm nit-picking - but hear me out. Do you remember the specific awards that were given out during the main show? Do you remember how many were rock awards?
One...Just one. It was the award for "Best Rock Song," of which Metallica's thrash metal title-track "Hardwired" was somehow in the running for. It makes you question whether the Grammy's even listen to the music they nominate. I understand these are both trivial complaints, but often it's the small things that speak louder than words.
The set of Metallica's "Moth Into Flame" music video, the track played in their Grammy performance.
Now, onto the single most infuriating act of the entire night, in my humble opinion. During the pre-show event, Dave Mustaine and his band Megadeth finally earned their first Grammy in the “Best Metal Performance” category after 11 previous nominations. Mustaine, the former lead singer/guitarist of thrash rivals Metallica who was kicked out due to his extensive drug and alcohol abuse, was elated to finally win an award his band has deserved for decades.
After hearing Megadeth’s name called, the entire band jumped and was immediately embraced by several of their peers in the metal community. The band did not realize it until they got halfway down the stage, however, that instead of playing a song from their now Grammy-winning record “Dystopia,” the house band played the instrumental to none other than Metallica’s 1986 hit, “Master of Puppets.” Having grown up listening to that record, I instantly recognized the guitar riff - and then subsequently felt my heart sink into my seat.
I adore Metallica and Megadeth the same despite their unspoken rivalry, but this showcased just how decidedly ignorant the Grammy’s really are about metal music to learn the proper material to play during the show. It was insulting. It was a slap to the face to a band who has been snubbed in the running for this award eleven times already and once they finally succeed this happens. I could feel it from just watching the television screen.
Thankfully, Dave Mustaine seemed to find it entertaining as he sarcastically air-guitared his way down the aisle. He later responded to a fan on Twitter that night who brought up the incident, saying, "Ah, you can't blame [the house band] for not being able to play Megadeth."
Despite the likes of Dave Mustaine and Metallica taking the technical and just plain rude issues in stride, it does not erase the fact that it all happened. I had never watched the Grammy’s in its entirety before this year, and I now understand why. Whether you believe me or not, I truly do have an appreciation for all genres and flavors of music. But it was metal music that made me feel welcome, that made me want to pick up a guitar, that handed me the torch and quite literally saved my sanity. For each person, it may be a different genre or artist - but how is it fair of an awards show that is supposed to celebrate all forms of music equally to disrespect a genre that has and still does captivate millions? In the music world we should all watch the Grammy's and stay up to date with this ever-changing industry, but in terms of my personal endeavors, this year's Grammy Awards only provided aggravation.
