GRAMMY winners from New York
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Lady Gaga to Jay Z: 9 GRAMMY winners from New York

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Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, Tony Bennett, and Barbra Streisand also make our list of multiple GRAMMY winners with roots in the host city of the 60th GRAMMY Awards
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

New York is home to Wall Street, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and Broadway. And on Jan. 28, 2018, the city will serve as the home for the 60th GRAMMY Awards. New York has also been called home by some of the biggest stars in entertainment. It's no wonder everyone from Liza Minnelli and Frank Sinatra to Jay Z say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. Here's a list of nine GRAMMY-winning New Yorkers who did it their way. 

Christina Aguilera

Staten Island-born Christina Aguilera was a mainstay in New York City in the late '90s and early '00s as a frequent guest on MTV"s "Total Request Live," which listed her "Dirrty" as the show's fifth greatest video on its final countdown. A week after winning the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance GRAMMY with A Great Big World for "Say Something," the five-time GRAMMY winner returned to her home state for a New York-themed halftime performance at the 2015 NBA All-Star Game.  

Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony's East Harlem neighborhood has definitely impacted his career. "Being from New York, there was Latin music in the house and salsa coming out of my brother's room," Anthony told The Latin Recording Academy when he was named their 2016 Person of the Year. "I'd go out in the street and it was Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight and Aretha [Franklin]. I think I ended up being a melting pop of musical sensibilities." That melting pot has helped Anthony earn two GRAMMYs and five Latin GRAMMYs. 

Tony Bennett

Though he may have left his heart in San Francisco, Tony Bennett performed for the first time in 1946 at Shangri-La nightclub in Astoria, Queens, the city in which he was born. It was all uphill from there, with Bennett earning 18 GRAMMYs to date. Several of his career achievements have featured nods to his hometown, including GRAMMY nominations for 1990's Astoria: Portrait Of The Artist and 2001's "New York State Of Mind" (with Billy Joel), and 1994's Album Of The Year GRAMMY winner MTV Unplugged, which was recorded at New York's Sony Studios.

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Billy Joel - New York State Of Mind (from Live at Shea Stadium) ft. Tony Bennett

Mariah Carey

Despite telling Complex she was "dropped here" as a "fairyland experience," Mariah Carey was born in Long Island. She began singing and writing songs at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, N.Y., and her resulting career has been anything but fantasy, including a 1990 Best New Artist GRAMMY, a GRAMMY nomination for 1992's MTV Unplugged EP, which was recorded in Astoria Studios in Queens, and, most recently, an infamous New Year's Eve performance in Times Square, to which the five-time GRAMMY-winning diva jokingly responded: "S*** happens."

Danger Mouse

Producer/engineer/mixer Danger Mouse told The New York Times he was influenced by fellow New Yorker and GRAMMY winner Woody Allen, whose films taught him to take a "director's role within music." So far that approach has worked for Danger Mouse, who was born in White Plains. He's earned six GRAMMYs, including wins for solo projects, as one-half of Gnarls Barkley and his production for Adele, the Black Keys and his Broken Bells project.

Jay Z

With 21 GRAMMY wins, Jay Z is one of the top GRAMMY winners of all time and the top hip-hop artist from New York. (He's just two wins behind the top GRAMMY-winning New Yorker, John Williams). The Brooklyn rapper's GRAMMY-winning catalog is peppered with references to his hometown. From "Numb/Encore" to "Empire State Of Mind," his chart-topping collaboration with fellow New Yorker Alicia Keys, Hova has good reason to claim he's the King of New York.

Top GRAMMY winners: Where does Jay Z rank?

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga once tweeted she'd "bleed for [her] hometown." Thus it's no surprise the six-time GRAMMY winner, born in Manhattan as Stefani Germanotta, made the city of New York the subject of her 2011 hit "Marry The Night," which is featured on her Album Of The Year -nominated chart-topper, Born This Way. "New York is not just a tan that you'll never lose," Gaga sings. The 13-minute-plus video was shot throughout the city and was described as a "nod to New York downtown refinement."

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Lady Gaga - Marry The Night (Official Video)

Chris Rock

From his stint on "Saturday Night Live" and his Brooklyn-based sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" to his role as Pookie in 1991's New Jack City, Chris Rock is a New Yorker through and through. The South Carolina-born/Brooklyn-raised comedian can even be found sitting in the front row at Knicks games despite the team's inability to make the NBA Finals since 1999. Coincidentally, that was the same year Rock released his Best Spoken Comedy Album-winning Bigger And Blacker, which was recorded at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater.    

Barbra Streisand

New York has been good to Brooklyn native Barbra Streisand, beginning with her turn in the Broadway musicals "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" (1962) and "Funny Girl" (1964), the latter leading to her first Oscar win for her performance in the 1968 film adaptation. In 1963 she recorded her debut album, The Barbra Streisand Album, at Columbia's Studio A in New York City. It earned Babs an Album Of The Year GRAMMY, the first of eight GRAMMY wins, and launched a musical legacy that has resulted in GRAMMY Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards.   

Another bite out of the Big Apple

In addition to the artists above, these 12 multiple-GRAMMY winners also hail from New York:

Beastie Boys
Mary J. Blige
Sean "Diddy" Combs
Billy Joel
Alicia Keys
Norah Jones
Cyndi Lauper
Al Schmitt
Simon & Garfunkel
Steely Dan
Hezekiah Walker
John Williams

Beastie Boys, Kiss and Billy Joel: 9 album covers shot in New York

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A GRAMMY Valentine

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On Valentine's Day, we offer flowers, a box of chocolates and a sampling of GRAMMY-winning romantic duets
Paul Grein
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

The year's most romantic holiday seemed an appropriate opportunity to look at a select list of romantic duets honored by the GRAMMY Awards through the years. Covering country, pop, R&B, and even folk and hip-hop, duets have the kind of natural appeal that crosses genres and generations. Whether they combine stars of the highest magnitude or artists who simply make magic together they tend to have a lasting impact on the listener.

"That Old Black Magic," Louis Prima And Keely Smith
This fizzy recording was the signature song by the husband-and-wife team, whose high-energy nightclub act made them Las Vegas favorites. It won a GRAMMY for Best Performance By A Vocal Group Or Chorus in 1958, the first year of the awards. Prima and Smith performed the song in the 1958 movie Senior Prom. Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer wrote the song for the 1943 movie Star Spangled Rhythm. It earned an Oscar nomination under the title "Black Magic." Big band leader Glenn Miller had the first big hit with the song. Sammy Davis Jr. revived it in 1955.

"If I Were A Carpenter," Johnny Cash And June Carter
The legendary husband-and-wife team had eight country hits, but this was the only one to cross over to the pop chart. This duet made the Top 40 in early 1970, when Cash had a weekly variety series on CBS. The couple brought a warm, informal tone to the Tim Hardin song, which Bobby Darin had popularized in 1966. The hit, which was featured on Cash's album Hello, I'm Johnny Cash, won a GRAMMY for Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group in 1970. Cash and Carter had previously won for 1967's "Jackson."

"After The Fire Is Gone," Conway Twitty And Loretta Lynn
This was the first of 14 country hits that these country legends recorded together. The ballad won Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group in 1971. It marked Lynn's first GRAMMY and the only one for Twitty. Another country legend, Owen Bradley, produced the traditional country track, which appeared on their album We Only Make Believe. More than 30 years later, Lynn won a GRAMMY for a collaboration with a very different type of artist, Jack White. Their song "Portland Oregon" won Best Country Collaboration With Vocals.

"Where Is The Love," Roberta Flack And Donny Hathaway
These two great singers have perfect chemistry on this bittersweet song about a couple whose romance is at the breaking point. The song, from their hit album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, was one of six chart hits for the pair. Joel Dorn and Arif Mardin co-produced the single, which was voted Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus in 1972. This and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" brought Flack her first two GRAMMYs. This was Hathaway's only GRAMMY. He took his own life in 1979.

"That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," Roy Orbison And Emmylou Harris
This graceful ballad appeared in the movie Roadie, which starred Meat Loaf. It was voted Best Country Performance, Duo Or Group in 1980. (Surprisingly, it marked the first GRAMMY for Orbison.) Both singers went on to win GRAMMYs for subsequent collaborations. Orbison won for a pairing with k.d. lang on his classic "Crying" and for the all-star Traveling Wilburys project. Harris won twice for recordings with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt.

"Guilty," Barbra Streisand And Barry Gibb
Streisand has recorded duets with such stars as Neil Diamond, Celine Dion and Donna Summer, but this was the only one to win a GRAMMY. This slinky recording won Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal in 1980. Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb co-wrote the song, which was featured on Streisand's smash album of the same name. It's closer to the Bee Gees' hit sound than to Streisand's usual ballad style, but she rose to the occasion, demonstrating her versatility. Gibb also co-produced the album, which spawned a second duet hit, "What Kind Of Fool."

 "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," Aretha Franklin And George Michael
The Queen of Soul and the prince of MTV teamed for this scorching duet, which was featured on Franklin's 1986 album Aretha. The smash won Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal in 1987. It was the first GRAMMY for Michael, who won Album Of The Year the following year for Faith. The video includes stills of two earlier pairings, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and Sonny and Cher — choices that reflect this record's multiformat appeal. The song's success helped its producer, Narada Michael Walden, win the 1987 GRAMMY for Producer Of The Year.

"(I've Had) The Time Of My Life," Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.
This vibrant recording helped make Dirty Dancing a hit movie, a smash soundtrack and an enduring phenomenon. The song won an Oscar as well as a GRAMMY for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal in 1987. Warnes had won in the same category five years earlier for "Up Where We Belong," a duet with Joe Cocker from An Officer And A Gentleman. Dirty Dancing was set in 1963, which is the same year that Medley first hit the chart as one-half of the Righteous Brothers. This is his only GRAMMY to date.

"I'm In The Mood," John Lee Hooker Featuring Bonnie Raitt
Hooker had a No. 1 R&B hit with this song in 1951. Nearly 40 years later, Raitt teamed with him to remake it for his all-star album The Healer. Their version was voted Best Traditional Blues Recording in 1989. It marked the first GRAMMY win for both artists. (Raitt won three other awards that year for her album Nick Of Time.) Both artists have since won GRAMMYs for collaborations with other artists. Raitt won for 1991's "Good Man, Good Woman," a pairing with Delbert McClinton. Hooker won for 1997's "Don't Look Back," a collaboration with Van Morrison.

"Makin' Whoopee," Dr. John With Rickie Lee Jones
This lighthearted duet appeared on Dr. John's album In A Sentimental Mood. The track won Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo Or Group in 1989. This was Dr. John's first GRAMMY. He and Jones capture the song's amorous and impish spirit. Their rendition gained wider exposure in 1993 when it was featured in the hit movie and soundtrack Sleepless In Seattle. Eddie Cantor introduced the song in the 1928 Broadway musical "Whoopee!" Ray Charles revived it in 1965.

"Don't Know Much," Linda Ronstadt Featuring Aaron Neville
Bill Medley and Bette Midler had both charted with this ballad, but it took this pairing to turn it into a smash. The track won for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal in 1989. It was Neville's first GRAMMY (along with another award that same year for the Neville Brothers). Ronstadt and Neville won again the following year for "All My Life." Both songs appeared on Ronstadt's album Cry Like A Rainstorm — Howl Like The Wind. "Don't Know Much" was co-produced by Peter Asher (that year's GRAMMY winner for Producer Of The Year) and Steve Tyrell.

"Unforgettable," Natalie Cole With Nat "King" Cole
This ultraromantic ballad garnered wins for Record Of The Year and Best Traditional Pop Performance in 1991. It was featured on Natalie's Unforgettable With Love, which was voted Album Of The Year. Nat's vocals were dubbed from a 1961 recording. (He had first recorded the song in 1951.) David Foster produced this velvety recording, which helped him win a GRAMMY for Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical). Natalie encored five years later with a recording of her father's 1957 classic '"When I Fall In Love," which also featured Nat's vocals. It won a GRAMMY for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

"Beauty And The Beast," Celine Dion And Peabo Bryson
This elegant ballad, written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, won an Oscar as well as a GRAMMY for Best Song Written Specifically For A Motion Picture Or For Television. Angela Lansbury performed the song in the movie. This pop version played over the end credits. Both versions were featured on the soundtrack. The Dion/Bryson version was voted Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal in 1992. It marked the first GRAMMY for both artists. Bryson won in the same category the following year with another movie theme duet, "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)," which he sang with Regina Belle.

"I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By," Method Man Featuring Mary J. Blige
This influential recording blended hard-edged rap with old-school R&B. It won for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group in 1995. The smash grew out of the track "All I Need," which appeared on Method Man's 1994 album Tical, his first apart from Wu-Tang Clan. Producer RZA created the hit remix. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell introduced "You're All I Need To Get By" in 1968. Another blue-chip team, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, wrote the song. This was the first GRAMMY for Blige, who has gone on to win for collaborations with Sting, Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan.

"Dilemma," Nelly Featuring Kelly Rowland
This smash, which still sounds fresh, was voted Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2002. The song borrowed heavily from Patti LaBelle's 1984 R&B hit "Love, Need And Want You," so it was fitting that LaBelle had a cameo in the video as Rowland's mom. This marked the first GRAMMY for Nelly (along with an award that same year for "Hot In Herre," another track from his sophomore album, Nellyville). Rowland had previously won three GRAMMYs for her work with Destiny's Child. The two reunited in 2011 for "Gone."

"A Wonderful World," Tony Bennett And k.d. lang
This was the title track of an album-length collaboration that won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2003. Near the end of the song, Bennett tips his hat to Louis Armstrong, who introduced the song in 1967. Bennett and lang have a long history of collaborations. They teamed to sing "Moonglow" on his 1994 album MTV Unplugged; "Because Of You" on his first duets album, 2006's Duets: An American Classic; and "Blue Velvet" on his 2011 album Duets II. In addition, both singers have won GRAMMYs for duets with other partners. Lang won for a 1988 pairing with Roy Orbison; Bennett for a 2006 collaboration with Stevie Wonder.

"Crazy In Love," Beyoncé (Featuring Jay-Z)
Beyoncé's solo career got off to an explosive start with this smash, which won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2003. It borrows the horn hook from the Chi-Lites' 1970 R&B hit "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)." "Crazy In Love" appeared on Beyoncé's first solo album, Dangerously In Love, which won Best Contemporary R&B Album. "Crazy In Love" was the second of four pairings by Beyoncé and Jay-Z to hit the chart. In 2008 they took their collaboration to the next level by getting married.

"My Boo," Usher And Alicia Keys
This tender duet won a GRAMMY for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals in 2004. It was added to a deluxe edition of Usher's blockbuster album Confessions, which was voted Best Contemporary R&B Album. Usher is featured on an edgy, rock-accented opening, but the song really comes alive when the two singers join forces. Keys' plaintive vocal enhances the song's emotional power. This valentine is just right for the hip-hop generation: it's warm and melodic but not at all gooey.

"Please Read The Letter," Robert Plant And Alison Krauss
This rootsy ballad won Record Of The Year in 2008. It was one of the highlights of Raising Sand, the unlikely pairing of rock idol Plant and country/bluegrass star Krauss. The album brought the pair a total of six GRAMMYs, including Album Of The Year and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. T Bone Burnett's spare production adds to the song's impact. The song first appeared on the 1998 album Walking Into Clarksville, which Plant recorded with his former Led Zeppelin cohort Jimmy Page.

"Lucky," Jason Mraz And Colbie Caillat
Mraz and Caillat are known for mellow songs such as "I'm Yours" (his) and "Bubbly" (hers), and this duet couldn't be mellower. The serene ballad about being in love with your best friend won Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals in 2009. (Remarkably, Caillat had a second teaming in the running, "Breathe," which she recorded with Taylor Swift.) The song appeared on Mraz's album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Mraz and Mexican singer Ximena Sariñana later recorded a Spanish-language version of the song.

(Paul Grein, a veteran music journalist based in Los Angeles, writes the weekly Chart Watch column for Yahoo.com.)

Album covers shot in NYC
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Billy Joel to Beastie Boys: 9 New York album covers

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Explore the inside stories behind these iconic album covers shot on location in the Big Apple
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

With New York's stature as one of the most iconic cities in the world, it's no surprise that the Big Apple has served as the backdrop for many an album cover. For adventurists and music buffs alike, searching out those locations can be a fun addition to a wider music landmark tour of NYC. To point you in the right direction, we've collected nine classic album covers shot in, to quote former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, "the Capital of the World" — from Steely Dan and LL Cool J to Led Zeppelin, Vampire Weekend and Billy Joel.

Kiss, Dressed To Kill

Kiss turned to their New York hometown for the cover of their third album, 1975's Dressed To Kill. Though the combination of suits and their theatrical makeup seems incongruous, the band settled on this sharp-dressed shot, taken by photographer Bob Gruen, at the southwest corner of 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue. Despite the low budget and borrowed suits (courtesy of their manager, Bill Aucoin), many Kiss fans have made a NYC pilgrimage to recreate this classic album cover.

Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti 

One of the most notable New York covers of all time, the cover shot for Led Zeppelin's 1975 double-album, Physical Graffiti, was taken at St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Avenue A. The building still stands today, and those with a sharp eye will realize album designer Peter Corriston had to cut the top floor of the building out of the photo in order to fit the square album cover.

Bob Dylan, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

For Dylan, 1963's The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan marked him as an incomparable songwriter with tracks such as "Blowin' In The Wind," "Masters Of War" and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall." The album cover for this work is also a classic. Photographed by Don Hunstein, the image shows Dylan and then-girlfriend Suze Rotolo cozying up for a winter stroll down Jones Street and West Fourth Street. (Cinema fans will recall that Cameron Crowe worked in multiple nods to this album cover in his 2001 film, Vanilla Sky, starring Tom Cruise.)

Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique

Following up their hit debut album, Licensed To Ill, was a tall order for the Beastie Boys. Enter their sophomore effort, 1989's Paul's Boutique. The cover art, captured by Jeremy Shatan, looks down Ludlow Street from a vantage point at 99 Rivington Street where a sports storefront was garnished with a Paul's Boutique sign for the photograph. Up until 2007, a Paul's Boutique restaurant occupied this place in honor of the album's title.

New York to host the 60th GRAMMY Awards

LL Cool J, Bigger & Deffer (BAD)

LL Cool J took it back to Queens-based Andrew Jackson High School — incidentally, the school he dropped out of after releasing his successful debut single "I Need A Beat" at the age of 14 — for the cover of one of his best-selling albums, 1987's Bigger & Deffer (BAD). The back cover of the album was taken in his grandmother's basement where he was living at the time of the shoot. Glen E. Friedman served as photographer for both images.

Billy Joel, Turnstiles

A longtime resident of New York, Joel tapped the downtown Manhattan Astor Place subway station for the cover art for 1976's Turnstiles. The neighborhood is familiar to diehard Joel fans, as it is located near local clubs such as the Bottom Line where Joel played in his early days. Joel has said each character in the photo, shot by Jerry Abramowitz, represents a song on the album. Bonus fact: He used the same neighborhood to film the music video for 1986's "A Matter Of Trust."

Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires Of The City

Encapsulating a stark look back at a smog-covered New York City skyline, Vampire Weekend used an image by New York Times photographer Neal Boenzi for their sophomore album, Modern Vampires Of The City. The photo was taken from the top of the Empire State Building in 1966 during a smog epidemic. "The image looks old, but also seems like it might be a rendering of some kind of future," band member Rostam Batmanglij told Pitchfork.

Steely Dan, Pretzel Logic

As New York natives, Steely Dan sought to capture the essence of their hometown for their third album, 1974's Pretzel Logic, so they went straight to the hot dog and pretzel vendors that litter street corners. Taken by photographer Raeanne Rubenstein, the album's cover was shot on the Central Park side of East 79th and Fifth Avenue. The vendor featured declined to sign a release, but the record label discovered he was operating without a license, so they took the shot anyway, gambling that the vendor wouldn't sue.

Neil Young, After The Gold Rush

Arguably Young's most iconic album cover, the artwork for 1970's After The Gold Rush was part of a spontaneous photo shoot by a young Joel Bernstein. Graham Nash was on hand as well, but he was cropped out of the final cover. The dark image was set in the West Village at the intersection of Sullivan and West Third Street outside New York University School of Law.

Take our tour of New York's iconic music landmarks

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The Most Fashionable Time Of The Year

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Looking back at some of the most memorable GRAMMY red-carpet moments
Hal Rubenstein
GRAMMYs
Feb 1, 2016 - 11:55 am

A few rare souls with an eye for beauty may actually have chosen the wall-to-wall color for their living room. However, for those of us who relish the spectator sport that features competitors in high heels, stacked wedges and combat boots, we can hardly wait to hit a remote and fill our living rooms' 50-inch screens with the glorious sight of a red carpet serving as a glamour-filled pathway to a host of gold and crystal trophies. This is awards season. When scarlet rugs unroll in every direction, replete with fashion that induces euphoria, ignites desire, widens eyes, inspires dreams (and sometimes diets), and sparks the occasional envious swipe of lacquered claws. So, on behalf of all of us who shamelessly admit to this vicarious style addiction (and millions more in denial that they're unable to resist the rush of fashion any more than a starving moth would pass up an uncamphored cashmere turtleneck), and with apologies to past GRAMMY host Andy Williams, welcome to the most wonderful time of the year.

Amid the glittering parades that take place throughout the year, there is one sparkling red-carpet stroll that stands out from all the others. Every year, the walk-up to the GRAMMY Awards is fashion's most singular sensation because it never fails to celebrate a gleefully unpredictable mix of brilliantly crafted couture, let-it-all-hang-out daring, enviable sophistication, unabashed sensuality, in-your-face swagger, and brilliantly engineered showstoppers. Why does GRAMMY night guarantee such glorious and occasionally outrageous diversity? Because Music's Biggest Night celebrates a different breed of stars.

For our favorite music idols, the GRAMMY red carpet is just another version of a live performance, so it's only natural that the line between onstage costumes and on-the-carpet sartorial is closer than in other pop culture worlds. Add to that the fact that the wardrobes for hip-hop hyphenates, jazz masters, smooth crooners, brash rockers, country stars, soul stirrers and pop icons are likely to have less in common than the music itself. So how can we not get giddy and near delirious anticipating what's about to come into view on GRAMMY night? 

But just in case you need a refresher course to pump you up for this extravaganza, feast your eyes on some of our favorite past GRAMMY moments. Get ready to sigh, smile and maybe even scratch your head. But wouldn't you be disappointed if music's best offered anything less?

And with that said, when it comes to fashion, the GRAMMYs are …

Oh So Glamorous

Move over Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, because for the most dynamic of music divas, knocking us out is simply doing what comes naturally. These are the women who designers fight to dress because their bodies, brains and beauty are bound to do them proud. And still there is such range. Taylor Swift boasts the sleek radiance of youth; Patti LaBelle embraces the elegance of maturity; Mary J. Blige has emerged as a sophisticated urbane clotheshorse; Adele proves stereotypes are meant to be broken; and Beyoncé, well, she is in a category all by herself.

Fearlessly Sexy

Do you really expect music's hottest women to be demure? Do you think that before singing while doing dazzling acrobatics high above a stage wrapped around a silk bolt of fabric, Pink is going to show up as merely pretty? Can Rihanna not turn up the heat, even when dressed ironically flirty? Our newest dream weaver Katy Perry doesn't need special effects to create fireworks. Melissa Etheridge proves that talent, courage and celebrating life make for a mesmerizing combination. And Jennifer Lopez? She gets bragging rights for the greatest, most celebrated and audaciously plunging red-carpet moment of all time.

Not Afraid Of High Fashion

Top designers used to hesitate to lend their best to our favorite singers. Not anymore.  Fashion's biggest names have come to appreciate the buzz-fueled resonance instigated by these gifted women who are far more fascinating than mannequins. Besides, it takes a heaping dose of confidence and self-assurance to pull off these looks. Which one of these women would you call shy? It's no wonder the best of New York, Milan, London and Paris now vigorously compete for the right to dress these ladies in their most fashion-forward creations.

Also About Sharp-Dressed Men

On other red carpets, handsome men rarely do more than show up with a good haircut, a perfectly cut tuxedo and movie star magic, not that that doesn't go far. But music's coolest studs, having happily abandoned the misguided desire to appear like they just came in off the street after a game of pickup basketball, have adopted an unbridled swagger and desire not to fade into the background. The divas may still command center stage, but fashion fans are not about to ignore these men. 

Sometimes Absolutely Wild

Admit it. We live for the grand entrance of music's stars because they know no boundaries, strategize their appearance on GRAMMY night like the invasion of Normandy, and because whether they hit or miss their fashion mark, they're guaranteed to instantly trend on all social media platforms. Their choices are the essence of entertainment, confirm music's constant craving for independence and, above all else, are inseparable from their spectacular artistry. When they don't show up, we're bummed. When they do, the GRAMMYs shoot for the moon.

Sometimes Just Too Much … And That's Why We Love Them

This was the GRAMMYs' most dazzling fashion trifecta. The night the women of Destiny's Child — Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams — wore three sets of matching outfits that quite simply killed. The fact that the trio sounded as mind-blowing as they looked didn't hurt either. Three more reasons why the GRAMMY Awards is the show of shows.

(Hal Rubenstein is the fashion director for InStyle magazine and one of its founding editors. He has worked as the men’s style editor for The New York Times Magazine and is the creator of Egg magazine. In 2011 Rubenstein was presented with the Founders Award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. He is the author of 2011’s 100 Unforgettable Dresses and his next work, The Gentry Man: A Guide To The Civilized Male, will be published this year.)   

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