Let’s face it. No matter who you are or what genre of music you like, you have a favorite song or album. But have you ever thought about the people who are behind it? The producers, the musicians, the songwriters or the engineers? Many of those people’s names and job titles listed inside those folded and squished album booklets have gone on to win those shiny gold Grammys for their work and contributions.
Ryan Tedder
The OneRepublic frontman, who has penned hit songs for, and with, The Jonas Brothers (“Sucker”), Leona Lewis (“Bleeding Love”), Beyoncé (“Halo” and “XO”), Ellie Goulding (“Burn”), Ed Sheeran (“Happier”) and more, has won three Grammys for his producing work. Tedder won Album of the Year due to his production credits on Adele’s albums 21 (2011) and 25 (2016), and Taylor Swift’s 1989 (2016). Tedder also has nine Grammy nominations under his belt, some of which include “Bleeding Love” in the Record of the Year category and OneRepublic’s “Apologize” in the Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals category in 2008.
Paul McCartney
Famed Paul McCartney from the legendary band The Beatles is definitely no stranger to winning Grammy awards. He’s won 18 of them and has 78 nominations. In 1967, McCartney won a Grammy for The Beatles song “Michelle” from their album Rubber Soul, which was composed mainly by McCartney. The song is a love ballad with part of its lyrics sung in French. He was also nominated for the songs “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “Yesterday” and “A Hard’s Day Night.”
Carole King
Legendary songwriter and performer Carole King won four Grammys during the 14th annual Grammy Awards in 1971. She won for Record of the Year for “It’s Too Late,” Song of the Year for “You’ve Got A Friend,” Best Pop Vocal Performance for “Tapestry” and Album of the Year for Tapestry. King also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and her life story and songs are also featured in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway for the past five years to much success.
Amy Winehouse
It is no secret that Amy Winehouse led a tortured life, but what Winehouse did best was turn that pain into art. Winehouse, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 27, won six Grammys. In 2007, Winehouse won for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Rehab,” Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album for Back to Black. Those wins made Winehouse the first British woman to win five Grammys in a single night.
Billy Joel
This native New Yorker is not only in a New York State of Mind, but also in a Grammy state of mind since he has won five of them and has been nominated for 23. In 1978, during the 21st annual Grammy Awards, he won Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Just The Way You Are.” The following year, he won Album of the Year for 52nd Street and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for “Glass Houses.”
In the past, Joel said that he started writing music first and then later on in life started writing words to the music.
“It’s the backwards way of writing because traditional songwriting is you take words or a poem and you set it to music,” he said. “I actually write music and I set words to that. Melody and chords are first.”
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen or as he’s referred to by many, “The Boss,” has won 20 Grammys and has been nominated for a staggering 50. It was a great year for Springsteen in 1994 when he won four Grammys with one of them being Song of the Year for his song “Streets of Philadelphia.” The song was for the 1993 film Philadelphia, which was an early mainstream film that dealt with HIV/AIDS. In 2002, Springsteen won for Best Rock Song “For The Rising,” which was titled after his 12th studio album with the same name, which he also won a Grammy for Best Rock Album. The first song that Springsteen learned to play on the guitar was the traditional English folk song “Greensleeves.” He certainly has come a long way.
Alicia Keys
Grammy host and native New Yorker Alicia Keys has also won a Grammy for her signature song, “Fallin’” in 2002 for Song of the Year. The song was featured on her debut studio album, Songs In A Minor, which topped the Billboard 200. Overall, Keys has won 15 Grammys and has been nominated 29 times. Her latest win was for Best R&B Album in 2013 for Girl On Fire.
