The Grammys sure have changed. They once considered Jethro Tull metal and now they are going in the other direction with this year's nominations by designating Metallica hard rock. (At least it wasn't pop.) We're just curious who draws the line between metal and hard rock and what that line is. Also we wonder when the Grammys are going to catch up with reality since metal outsells rap and country see story but the Grammys still only have one metal category but have multiple categories for those less popular genres. Some could argue that Metallica's "The Unforgiven III" isn't really metal since the song is mellower, so it makes sense that they be nominated for the hard rock Grammy and not the metal one. While the song is mellower, it definitely qualifies as a metal ballad based on the guitar solo section alone. That's a judgment call but with an industry that is so quick to use the punk label on pop bands, it curious to see them call Metallica hard rock. Sure they've mellowed over the years and metal has gotten heavier but their name is Metallica not Hardrockica!
Now that we've ranted a little, here is the announcement from Warner Bros. Records that inspired this rant: Metallica were nominated for a Grammy Awards today for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for "The Unforgiven III," a track from their two-time Grammy Award-winning album Death Magnetic.
Metallica have already won nine Grammy Awards, including five for "Best Metal Performance" since drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield formed the band in Los Angeles in 1981. They have gone on to become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold 100 million albums worldwide and playing to millions of fans the world over. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in April 2009.
The band's ninth studio album, Death Magnetic debuted atop the Billboard Top 200 Album chart at No. 1, Metallica's fifth consecutive album to do so, making them the only band in chart history to have five albums debut at No. 1. It breaks the band's tie with the Beatles, U2, and the Dave Matthews Band, all of whom have four No. 1 album debuts. In addition to debuting at No. 1 atop Billboard's Rock, Alternative, Hard, and Internet album charts in the U.S., the album racked up No. 1 chart positions in 28 foreign countries, including the U.K., Canada, and Australia, and Top 3 chart slots in seven more, including Japan. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album platinum just six weeks after its release on September 12th, 2008.
The Grammy Awards will be handed out at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 31st, 2010. Tune in to the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards telecast, which airs that night on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
