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Bonnie won song of the year at the 2022 Grammys' with "Just Like That" I read the background on the song. Pretty interesting about a mother meeting the man who now had her son's heart through organ donation. She said she structured the song like she thought John Prine would. I've read the comments on some sites and alot are saying the song didn't deserve song of the year. What's the opinion of the JPF board? Ye or nay?

Edit: Forgot to add my thoughts. If I look at it through my eyes as someone that would love to write lyrics like that then yes but looking at it as a hit with tons of radio play, then I just don't see it. But I like the song and it's worthy of recognition. One of the best quotes I've read was that the Mona Lisa isn't a masterpiece because it sold, Its a masterpiece because it was painted.

Chesterb,

One thing that you should keep in mind in both Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt's win at the Grammy's, you need to understand that while both are certainly deserving of these awards, they were much more due to the fact that the raitings of all awards shows are in the toilet, and these two were more or less "reaching out to make old people (white people) keep tuning into the Grammys, despite all the total insanity and insulting that they have become." It's a ploy to lure older viewers who have tuned out, to try and get the ratings up.

With Willie, it's mostly the "Let's give Willie one more before he dies" and with Bonnie it's the "Unknown blues singer" (an actual quote from one of the reviewer) who is "culturally appropriating music, and denying Beyonce her much deserved award." These are coming from the people whose entire understanding of history is three years before. Any other history is there to be destroyed, erased and re-written.

So before anyone gets too comfortable with a couple of wins, however well deserved, this is really more just a "Hey people who spend money for our advertisers, come on back! We're not as Satanic, woke idiots as we seem to be."

Just a token. A last nod to forms of music that are mostly gone and in the mind of the people behind this, are being celebrated that they're gone.
No more, no less.

I suppose you may be right Marc; I haven't watched the Grammy's since 78 (I think) when Dylan won for "Slow Train Coming". Music has changed I'm not bitter about it, got all the CD's I could listen to in a lifetime. Found the music I liked and never looked too far for anything new. Every now and then I'll download a song I think stands out or above the rest and I'm happy just plugging away on my guitar and writing to my limitations. I guess I never got up close and personal to the politics in the music Biz. I feel good for Bonnie, those that hadn't heard of her know her now and her streams and downloads have skyrocketed so it's a good thing.

Yeah, ABBA was nominated too.

I think token old celebrities are a lure to get families watching together. Award shows are considered good TV. You see alot of movies from 70's and 80's being remade, that way parents can say "hey, i saw that when i was a kid". a bonding moment.

All about the family unit, im not sure it works. Personally, ive always hated The Grammy's, the whole concept and process is flawed, when there is no such thing as "best" song.

Rock n Rollers never really got grammy's it was always pop stars.

Springsteen in his later years could win a grammy nomination on name alone.

Just like sport stars get nominated to the All Star team, even if they had an off year. The name sells it.

But my God, can anybody sit throw an entire grammy show? The Last good show was when Springsteen , Joe Walsh and Dave Grohl joined McCartney. That was another call to the legends to try and catch ratings.

We always argue about subjectivity and award shows are simply the subjective opinions of well informed people immersed in the industry

That is today

The acid test is will BR's Just Like That be played and enjoyed 50, 100 years from now, or will it be Beyonce's Break My Soul???

Hard to say now which one it will be, but good music lasts while fluff disappears

Bonnie Raitt won for song of the year for one simple reason...it just happened to be the best song of the year and those making the decision had the good sense to recognize that fact. The other nominees other than perhaps Easy On Me were not even close. They need to come up with better songs but Bonnie won hands down this year against mediocre songs....

and John, Break My Soul won where it should ...Best dance/electronic recording...and that was a stretch....

not for one moment do I buy into Bonnie winning for any other reason than it was the best song...just read the lyric folks...it may not be remembered 50 years from now but I still love "I Can't Make You Love Me" sung by??? Bonnie Raitt...a classic from 30 years ago

Steve

"Just Like That" is packed with great lyrics and the backstory is heartwarming and emotional. I've listened to "I Can't Make You Love Me" 100's of times even though I've been happily married for 37 years, and it shouldn't appeal to me. I think it's great. Wrote by Mike Reid who was a defensive lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals. Quit his day job and moved to Nashville to write songs.

When I get lazy with my songwriting I always go back to "I Can't Make You Love Me" and re read the lyric...IMO it stands above all other break up songs

Steve

The people who pick grammy's are going first and foremost by popularity/exposure/money earned. Which is why you wont find somebody on soundcloud who is not a famous or decently famous act being nominated.

So it's always going to be somebody well known, Right there, that stacks the deck. Well known, and streams and cd sales does not make a song better. it DOES mean something though. Any time somebody is willing to shell out money for any music, no matter what it is, that is a major feat, so people who make alot of money with their music are doing something right.

What it DOESNT mean is that the songs are "THE BEST" it doesnt exist, if i like a song and you dont, there are no words i can say to you to make you like it. You just dont.

Subjectivity is even involved at the pro level, one so called expert, may not agree with another so called expert.

But one thing we can not say is that the best song WON. no way does it mean that.

One thing I can say is.... Bonnie Raitt had the best song of the year because she won the Grammy for Song Of The Year..... and that is what winning the Grammy means...and as Stevie Nicks says "and nothing else matters"

It is irrelevant, to me, what process is used to decide song of the year...she beat out all the other nominations because she had, in the minds of those deciding, the best song so yes we can say the best song WON. We may all have our personal choices for Song of the year but none of them beat her song

The only thing that must decide the winner is the subjective view of those deciding who won and the moment that is not the case ...shut down the Grammy Awards

The Grammy is what it's all about and when you win, you are the best and you can say that for the rest of your life


Steve

So it's the best song because I SAID SO huh?

How is the process irrelevant? Isn't HOW a song is determined to be the best, important?

How do i know what i need to do to win a Grammy, if nobody tells me?

Flawed thinking V

But I dont mind you disagreeing.

Flawed thinking....I think not

This thread is basically about the Grammy Awards...so I'm only speaking about the Grammy Awards...There may be thousands of songs that are better than songs nominated for a Grammy.... personally I don't care about them or why they didn't make it to the Grammy event

As far as the Grammy Awards go, Raitt won song of the year so the best song WON Song of the Year as decided by those making the decision...it wasn't best song because I said so...it was best song winning the Grammy because they said so

Of course the process is irrelevant...I'm not involved in the process and if I don't like how they choose nominees, I won't watch...they have a process that has evolved over the decades and that's fine with me...if the masses don't like it, they will change the process

Choosing a winner process is also irrelevant...if it's a corrupt process...bye, bye Grammy

How you win a Grammy is not important...tell me anybody that knows how to win ....how you get nominated is the issue

My original post was in response to a suggestion that Bonnie and Willie wins were somehow the Grammy Awards trying to attract back an older crowd...which IMO makes zero sense...Bonnie was nominated because she should have been IMO.... and she won because they decided it was the best song...in their opinion

A little bit of logic

Steve

But your first paragrah describes why the best song DOES NOT WIN THE GRAMMY, your second one says it does.

And my main point was, If The Beatles are the greatest group of all time, i have no way of proving that.

Ive never won an argument on who the best guitarist of all time is.

And nobody has ever won best song. No such thing. Awards are based on flawed reasoning.

I get it, out of the big huge popular songs, somebody has to win. But only those that are big and huge can come to the party.

Music is subjective. my main point

Music is subjective. my main point

I made the exact same point in an earlier post..."The only thing that must decide the winner is the subjective view of those deciding who won and the moment that is not the case ...shut down the Grammy Awards"


My first paragraph did not say the best song does not win the Grammy..I am only talking about songs nominated for the category "Song of the Year" and in 2023 "Just Like That" was the best song from those nominated and nobody else on Earth can say their song was the best song in the "Song of The Year" category at the Grammy Awards because they weren't even nominated.


Why don't you start a new awards show called "songs that didn't get nominated for a Grammy"...and the nominees for song of the year are....and the winner for song of the year for songs that didn't get nominated for song of the year category at the Grammy Award is....


Ive never won an argument on who the best guitarist of all time is..and you never will...but there all kinds of "greatest guitarists of all time lists as chosen by.....pick what ever list you want


that is why I am keeping my comments to the Grammy awards and I know for sure Just Like That was the best song in the Song of the Year category because it beat out all the other songs in that category


Awards are based on flawed reasoning. ...I love it when someone makes a statement as if it is fact and is to be believed...please explain


I get it, out of the big huge popular songs, somebody has to win. But only those that are big and huge can come to the party......would Bonnie Raitt be in the big/huge popular songs group..I'm not sure that is the case in 2023 but she did come to the party and WON...I'd love to have seen the odds on her winning out of Vegas

Steve

Well, there are award shows for "those that weren't considered" not in so many words, but even this site is about those that were not considered.

Of course it won best song, because it beat out other songs lol. I get that much. but WHY did it beat out other songs, was it magic, or was there reasoning and a system behind picking this gem?

One of my favorite Bob Dylan songs is Ballad in Plain D. There would be no way in hell it would ever be nominated for a grammy, the song is 8 miinutes long, the same melody throughout the whole thing, basicly one giant verse. But it's one of my favorite songs of his, and i couldnt even tell you why, it just brings me in.

Back to point, in my opinion, Ballad in Plain D is better than Blowin in the wind. Many may not agree, but that right there is what im talking about.

i KNOW it won because it won. lol. What i dont know is WHY it won. Was it a bunch of people saying I like this song best, or was there a criteria to it. Based on...oh i dont know crazy things like structure, and story telling ability, great lines within the song, outstanding melody, great vocals, great arrangement, which btw, are ALL subjective.

If your answer is it beat out other songs, you are 100% correct.

But thats not really what i questioned. It's all good, lets not fight, im too good lookin to get a black eye!