2. Jethro Tull: More Metal Than Metallica
The first Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance was awarded in 1989 to Jethro Tull. Competing for the award against Tull were acts including Metallica, Iggy Pop and AC/DC—you know, actual metal musicians. We have nothing against Jethro Tull, but co-presenter Lita Ford started laughing when Alice Cooper announced them as the winners, and that’s an understandable reaction. Metallica had just rocked the stage off, and Jethro Tull have a lead flautist.
The crowd actually booed when Tull were named the winners, leading to the Grammys separating Hard Rock and Metal in the coming years. They would award Metallica Best Metal Performance for “One” in 1990, attempting to make up for this faux pas, but it would take a few years before they worked out the kinks with the Rock awards.
