Rockhound Picks the Grammys

By Kendall Polidori

The creation and consumption of music have changed profoundly. So many artists are competing for attention that the average listener may know the names of only a fraction of them and would have trouble naming more than a few of their songs.

So, do award nominations mean much in this new age of music? Maybe not as much as they did before Spotify, YouTube and TikTok came on the scene. But musicians still deserve recognition, and nominations for Grammy Awards still make sense in pop culture. The 64th Grammy Award ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 31, and here are my predictions for some of the top categories, based on music charts and the artists’ presence in pop culture.

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM

NOMINEES: Delta Kream (The Black Keys) Royal Tea (Joe Bonamassa) Fire It Up (Steve Cropper) 662 (Christone “Kingfish” Ingram) Who will win: Delta Kream (The Black Keys) Who should win: Delta Kream (The Black Keys)

Delta Kream, one of the picks for Rockhound’s Top 5 Rock Albums of 2021, is meant to win a Grammy. The 10th Black Keys album, an ode to classic blues, reflects the band at its core. The album reached No. 1 on multiple music charts, including Billboard’s rock and blues charts.

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM

NOMINEES: Shore (Fleet Foxes) If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (Halsey) Jubilee (Japanese Breakfast) Collapsed In Sunbeams (Arlo Parks) Daddy’s Home (St. Vincent) Who will win: Daddy’s Home (St. Vincent) Who should win: Shore (Fleet Foxes)

This is by far one of the strongest categories, and whoever wins is well-deserving. Annie Clark of St. Vincent is a veteran in the alternative/rock world and proved her range with her ‘70s-esque Daddy’s Home. Fleet Foxes shouldn’t be ignored but often slides under the radar of listeners who aren’t in tune with alternative folk-rock. Not one song on Shore deserves to be skipped. Listen to it from start to finish. It’s cohesive and adds to their long discography of accomplished recordings.

The Beatles, Stones and Zeppelin were awesome— but rock lives on. Why not break out of the classic rock cocoon and give new rock a chance? Rockhound is here to help. Think of it as a bridge from 1967 to today and beyond.

BEST ROCK SONG

NOMINEES: All My Favorite Songs (Weezer) The Bandit (Kings Of Leon) Distance (Mammoth WVH) Find My Way (Paul McCartney) Waiting On A War (Foo Fighters) Who will win: Waiting On A War (Foo Fighters) Who should win: Distance (Mammoth WVH) Although Paul McCartney may seem like the best choice for a rock Grammy Award, his latest album McCartney III Imagined did not meet expectations. Foo Fighters stuck with their signature sound on their new album, a sound that attracts flocks of rock fans. But Mammoth WVH’s song Distance is the heartfelt response to the loss of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest, Eddie Van Halen. The song, written and performed by Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, is a beautiful tribute to the legendary songwriter and guitarist. It is the perfect reflection of what the rock world lost in 2020.

Wolfgang Van Halen

Eric Burton of the Black Pumas

BEST ROCK ALBUM

NOMINEES: Power Up (AC/DC) Capitol Cuts - Live From Studio A (Black Pumas) No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1 (Chris Cornell) Medicine at Midnight (Foo Fighters) Who will win: Medicine at Midnight (Foo Fighters) Who should win: Capitol Cuts - Live From Studio A (Black Pumas)

There’s no doubting Foo Fighters’ talent or their place in rock music. The band has earned 29 Grammy nominations and won 12 of them. But with newer bands breaking into rock, it’s time for a new Grammy Award winner. In 2019, the Black Pumas delivered a soulful, instrument-driven self-titled debut album. Their new live-in-the-studio album captures the power of the band and the nuances of frontman Eric Burton’s vocals. It’s crisp and full of life.

Taylor Swift

BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Who will win: Planet Her (Doja Cat)

Who should win: Evermore (Taylor Swift)

SONG OF THE YEAR

Who will win: Olivia Rodrigo

Who should win: Japanese Breakfast

BEST NEW ARTIST

Who will win: drivers license (Olivia Rodrigo)

Who should win: Leave The Door Open (Silk Sonic)

LUCKBOX ASKED READERS WHAT WILL WIN THE BEST ROCK ALBUM AWARD AT THE 2022 GRAMMY AWARDS. HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID:

Medicine at Midnight by Foo Fighters: 35.6% McCartney III by Paul McCartney: 26.4% Capitol Cuts - Live From Studio A by Black Pumas: 16.1% Power Up by AC/DC: 12.1% No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1 by Chris Cornell: 9.8%

Kendall Polidori is The Rockhound, Luckbox’s resident rock critic. Follow her reviews on Instagram @rockhound_luckbox and Twitter @rockhoundlb.