grammy extra The Grammys have a long and illustrious tradition. But, too often, the Foundation seems to be out of step with what’s going on in popular culture. Here are some of the legendary artists that were never awarded the biggest honor in music. –dusty culpepper
10. Sam Cooke – Sam Cooke was the first soul star to cross over to pop audiences, one of the first popular artists to write his own music, and one of the first to move from romantically themed pop to more serious, socially aware music. But, in the early ‘60s, Cooke’s music (and R&B/rock ‘n’ roll music in general) were not considered art — so the Grammys paid little attention.
9. The Who – The most idiosyncratic of British rock’s “Big Three” (along with the Beatles and Rolling Stones), this quartet transformed concept albums into groundbreaking ‘rock operas’ like Tommy and Quadrophenia. But ‘The World’s Loudest Band’ was too cerebral and angry in the ‘60s and ‘70s for the tastes of the Grammy establishment.
8. Parliament-Funkadelic – This George Clinton-led collective took funk and crafted their own sound with a unique conceptual style, incorporating Afro-futuristic imagery and cartoonish individual personas. But like many artists of their day, they were too groundbreaking for the always-behind-the-times Grammy Foundation.
7. Queen – Probably no one in the history of music has crafted more stadium-filling anthems than Queen, and the late Freddie Mercury had one of the greatest voices in rock history. Never winning a golden Gramophone, they gave the sports world gems like “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” on the way to becoming one of the best-selling bands of all time.
6. Public Enemy – P.E. was the biggest act in hip-hop in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s — and one of the biggest acts in popular music. Their second album (It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back) and their third (Fear of A Black Planet) were multiplatinum, critically acclaimed masterworks, but they never claimed music’s top prize.
5. Led Zeppelin – Zeppelin was the most influential hard rock band of all time, crafting some of the most acclaimed albums of the classic rock era. “Stairway to Heaven” holds the record as the most-requested song on radio. But the legendary Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham’s work was completely ignored.
4. The Supremes – Releasing hit-after-hit throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, the iconic trio from Detroit was Motown’s biggest act and the best-selling American artists of the decade. Despite their glossy, sophisticated image and undeniable pop appeal, Diana Ross & Co. never took home a gold statue of their own.
3. Jimi Hendrix – Hendrix was one of the greatest artists of the ‘60s and The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1967 debut, Are You Experienced? was the best-selling debut album for 20 years; yet he was considered too experimental, wild and outlandish for Grammy voters of the late 1960s.
2. 2Pac – Tupac Shakur’s short recording career yielded a wealth of brilliant albums, hit singles, and soundtrack appearances. Although he was nominated twice for Best Rap Album, he lost both times — to Naughty By Nature in 1996 and the Fugees posthumously in 1997.
1. Bob Marley – He was celebrated globally as an ambassador of peace and love, and was the face and voice of his native Jamaica — his music transcended divides. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet Robert Nesta Marley was never given the music industry’s highest award.
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10. Sam Cooke – Sam Cooke was the first soul star to cross over to pop audiences, one of the first popular artists to write his own music, and one of the first to move from romantically themed pop to more serious, socially aware music. But, in the early ‘60s, Cooke’s music (and R&B/rock ‘n’ roll music in general) were not considered art — so the Grammys paid little attention.
9. The Who – The most idiosyncratic of British rock’s “Big Three” (along with the Beatles and Rolling Stones), this quartet transformed concept albums into groundbreaking ‘rock operas’ like Tommy and Quadrophenia. But ‘The World’s Loudest Band’ was too cerebral and angry in the ‘60s and ‘70s for the tastes of the Grammy establishment. 
8. Parliament-Funkadelic – This George Clinton-led collective took funk and crafted their own sound with a unique conceptual style, incorporating Afro-futuristic imagery and cartoonish individual personas. But like many artists of their day, they were too groundbreaking for the always-behind-the-times Grammy Foundation. 
7. Queen – Probably no one in the history of music has crafted more stadium-filling anthems than Queen, and the late Freddie Mercury had one of the greatest voices in rock history. Never winning a golden Gramophone, they gave the sports world gems like “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” on the way to becoming one of the best-selling bands of all time.
6. Public Enemy – P.E. was the biggest act in hip-hop in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s — and one of the biggest acts in popular music. Their second album (It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back) and their third (Fear of A Black Planet) were multiplatinum, critically acclaimed masterworks, but they never claimed music’s top prize.
5. Led Zeppelin – Zeppelin was the most influential hard rock band of all time, crafting some of the most acclaimed albums of the classic rock era. “Stairway to Heaven” holds the record as the most-requested song on radio. But the legendary Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham’s work was completely ignored.
4. The Supremes – Releasing hit-after-hit throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, the iconic trio from Detroit was Motown’s biggest act and the best-selling American artists of the decade. Despite their glossy, sophisticated image and undeniable pop appeal, Diana Ross & Co. never took home a gold statue of their own.
3. Jimi Hendrix – Hendrix was one of the greatest artists of the ‘60s and The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1967 debut, Are You Experienced? was the best-selling debut album for 20 years; yet he was considered too experimental, wild and outlandish for Grammy voters of the late 1960s.
2. 2Pac – Tupac Shakur’s short recording career yielded a wealth of brilliant albums, hit singles, and soundtrack appearances. Although he was nominated twice for Best Rap Album, he lost both times — to Naughty By Nature in 1996 and the Fugees posthumously in 1997. 
1. Bob Marley – He was celebrated globally as an ambassador of peace and love, and was the face and voice of his native Jamaica — his music transcended divides. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet Robert Nesta Marley was never given the music industry’s highest award. 
