Way Back 2024

February 2, 2025 - The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Quincy Jones: Grammys Acknowledge Everlasting Excellence

Deja vu at the Grammys? Maybe not! Both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are winners this year, the former for "Now and Then" as Best Rock Performance and the latter for Hackney Diamonds as Best Rock Album. The last time the two leading British bands pulled off a same-year victory like this was: never! They did, however, each have recordings inducted into Grammy's Hall of Fame in two consecutive years: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" made the grade in 1998, then in 1999, the Beatles album Revolver and song "Strawberry Fields Forever" were added, while Stones albums Beggars Banquet and Sticky Fingers were likewise honored.

More Grammy notes: a mid-show tribute to the great Quincy Jones kicked off with Will Smith's narrative about the music master's career set to Q's 1969 instrumental classic, "Killer Joe." Cynthia Erivo delivered an excellent vocal performance of "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" as a tribute to Jones's work with Frank Sinatra, then Lainey Wilson got into a Ray Charles groove with "Let the Good Times Roll." The segment continued with Stevie Wonder (on harmonica) and Herbie Hancock (on piano) delivering a socko instrumental rendition of Toots Thielemans' "Bluesette." All in all, it was a real treat for '60s jazz buffs and Quincy's followers .

Also, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (who won the Best Pop Duo/Group award for the '70s-styled "Die With a Smile") bypassed their hit song in favor of a performance of '66 Mamas and the Papas opener "California Dreamin'."




I Want to Hold Your Hand (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction Strawberry Fields Forever

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