November 30, 2007
This may be how TV looks in a few months: IN between reality shows and reruns there will be cut up versions of old awards shows, repackaged as new events.
"My Night at the Grammys" Friday on CBS was meant to the the first in what may be a long salute to the 50th anniversary of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ annual event.
It wasn’t a bad idea. Unlike the performances on the MTV Music Awards, which are rerun incessantly the week of the event only to live on in website archives, the often bigger Grammy performances come and go the night of the live broadcast.
There are far worse ways to spend a Friday night than hearing Aretha Franklin soar on Nessum Dorma once more, or Marvin Gaye return to sing "Sexual Healing."
One time only events on the Grammys from Elton John’s duet with Eminem to tributes to the Clash were great to see again – though a bunch of Americans (Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, Little Steven) trading verses with one Brit (Elvis Costello) on "London Calling" was rather odd. Despite the 50-year mark, nothing went further back than the 1980s.
It would have been great, too, had we been able to bask in these full performances, rerun in their entirety one more time. But they were by and large truncated tapes, and even when they were playing, somebody would be popping up in a little frame telling us what a great performance it had been (well, if we could hear it, we might have that same reaction).
Faith Hill, Melissa Etheridge and Alicia Keys tried their hands as co-hosts of the look back (and for their trouble they were each awarded a clip in the top 25, no matter how well deserved).
There was less insider history than I'd expected. But there were little vignettes of acceptance speeches, some sweet presentation moments (including one involving John Lennon and Paul Simon giving an award to Olivia Newton-John that was accepted by Art Garfunkel). And there was a tiny glimpse of provacative fashion. But in an indication of how much permissiveness has changed on TV this century, that green peekaboo dress that J-Lo wore in 2000 that was much photographed and reproduced, could only be seen again on prime time CBS with her décolletage blurred out (and no, Janet Jackson was not in the Top 25).
And how about that final list of favorite ever Grammy performances? The 25 chosen from a bank of 50 clips online were pretty representative at the predominance of recent clips to choose from (reunions by the Police and Simon & Garfunkel didn’t make it). And while divas of a recent vintage tended to bunch up at the top of the list, the No. 1 performance, essentially the best Grammy performance ever is one that the act wouldn’t even admit was one of its better performances.
Check the list on the jump.
Favorite Grammy moments, as voted online
1. Green Day, "American Idiot," 2005
2. Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On," 1998
3. Christina Aguilera, "It’s a Man’s Man’s World," 2007
4. Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You," 1994
5. Shania Twain, "Man I Feel Like a Woman," 1999
6. Michael Jackson, "Man in the Mirror," 1988
7. Beyonce/Prince, "Crazy in Love/Let’s Go Crazy," 2004
8. Alan Jackson, "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," 2002
9. Tina Turner, "What’s Love Got to Do with It," 1985
10. U2, "Beautiful Day," 2001
11. Faith Hill, "Breathe," 2001
12. Ricky Martin, "La Copa De la Vida," 1999
13. Paul McCartney, Jay-Z & Lincoln Park, "Yesterday," 2006
14. Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven," 1993
15. Madonna & Gorillaz, "Hung Up," 2006
16. Marvin Gaye, "Sexual Healing," 1983
17. Elton John & Eminem, "Stan," 2001
18. Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, "London Calling," 2003
19. Usher & James Brown, "Caught Up/Sex Machine," 2005
20. Bruce Springsteen, "Streets of Philadelphia," 1995
21. Mary J. Blige, "No More Drama," 2002
22. Jamie Foxx & Alicia Keys, "Georgia on My Mind," 2005
23. Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand, "You Don’t Bring Me Flowers," 1980
24. Melissa Etheridge & Joss Stone, "Piece of My Heart," 2005
25. Aretha Franklin, "Nessun Dorma," 1987
http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catl...posing-the.html
Well deserved for sure! 
But then as my VCR was flying by and I saw #5 and yea that fantastic outfit, I reversed and got to the beginning. I remember watching it that night it aired and it is still a special moment for me and I'm sure everyone else here. 
But WOOO @ #5! Take THAT Bashville! 
Linear Mode
