The Grammy Award for best rock album is one of the most esteemed honors in music. It is presented annually by NARAS, America’s accrediting body for recording artists.
Since 1958, the Grammy Awards have recognized artistic accomplishments, technical proficiency and overall excellence in recording industry. Over time, rock albums have won multiple awards in this prestigious competition.
Jagged Little Pill
Released on June 13th 1995, Jagged Little Pill cemented Alanis Morissette’s status as one of the world’s iconic female singers. It reached #1 on the US charts and sold over 33 million copies worldwide.
Morissette’s album earned her five Grammy awards, including best rock album. Additionally, her hit single “You Oughta Know” won a Grammy for best rock song.
Today, Morissette continues her tour of the album’s hits – and her latest creation, Jagged Little Pill, will open on Broadway next month! Atlantic Records has joined forces with the production to release an original Broadway cast recording shortly after it opens its doors on December 6th!
Wildflowers
Tom Petty’s Wildflowers is one of the most iconic rock albums in history and a timeless classic of sonic realism, telling a tale with songs and lyrics about broken hearts, lost love, and forgiveness.
On November 1, 1994, this iconic album saw numerous reissues and expanded editions. Now, some of these classic recordings can be found in a comprehensive box set that also includes session outtakes and demos.
On Sunday night at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, Chris Stapleton and Emmylou Harris joined forces to perform “Wildflowers” as a touching tribute to Petty. Their moving performance marked an in memoriam segment honoring musical icons who passed away over the past year.
Vitalogy
Pearl Jam’s third album marks a change from their earlier works Ten and Versus in that it abandons the straightforward rock songs approach for more nuanced compositions of aggressive punk songs, poignant ballads, and genuine experimentation. Vitalogy also signifies where vocalist Eddie Vedder took control of the band’s creative direction for the first time ever.
Pearl Jam faced a difficult period during the recording of their album, as tensions within the band and communication were at an all-time low. Nevertheless, the finished product became their second number one selling album on Billboard 200.
Vitalogy, Eddie Vedder’s first album as lead singer, was packaged in a booklet inspired by an old 1920’s medical book. This album served as an expression of their collective struggles; including Stone Gossard’s absence from their creative process as well as Vedder’s disengagement from media attention and music industry relationships.
Mirror Ball
Mirror Ball is the sixth track on Taylor Swift’s 2020 album “Folklore.” The song explores how people shape their personalities by mirroring others.
The song serves as a metaphor for fame and the personal rights that can be compromised when people become duplicitous. Taylor suggests she is like a mirror ball, changing her personality to fit different people’s needs.
A disco ball (also known as a mirror ball) is an ethereal orb made up of multiple pieces of mirror that reflect light in various directions. These balls are commonly hung from the ceiling at nightclubs and parties to create an eye-catching display.
After four years, Arctic Monkeys are back and have just released their first single in quite some time. ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’ serves as a prelude to their forthcoming album.
Blunderbuss
Jack White has been nominated for three Grammy awards, including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. These nominations come just months after his debut solo album Blunderbuss debuted at number one on Billboard charts.
The blunderbuss was an unrefined weapon that lacked precision, yet proved ideal for close quarter battles. It could be mounted to railings, gunwales and other rigging to provide sailors with a more convenient way to clear decks of enemy troops.
The blunderbuss was an essential weapon of choice for swashbuckling pirates, particularly during the mid-17th century when piracy became lucrative and pirates were rewarded with high stakes and severe punishments. As such, it became a beloved symbol of piratery – used even by the British Royal Navy to defend ships and wharves against attack.
The 2nd Law
Muse’s 2012 album The 2nd Law featured prog rock and electronic experimentation, exploring big-picture themes of societal collapse and totalitarianism. The title itself is an allusion to the second law of thermodynamics – Bellamy drawing inspiration from this concept when crafting its songs.
On its release, The 2nd Law was an instant sensation with fans and critics alike. Its cover artwork featured a photo of the neurological circuitry of the human brain taken by The Human Connectome Project.
As the band continued to explore new musical terrain, The 2nd Law marked one of their most daring albums yet. It featured several songs that utilized dubstep music with DJ Skrillex providing electronic sounds on “Save Me” and “Liquid State.”
The Resistance
Disney and Lucas Film’s The Resistance is the newest in a long line of Star Wars spinoffs. Set to premiere on Disney Channel this October, The Resistance features an all-new cast of characters as well as voice talents.
The main character of the show is Kaz Xiono, a pilot who goes undercover on an aircraft refuelling platform named Colossus. He meets an older pilot named Yeager (Scott Lawrence from Legion), along with Tam Ryvora (Suzie McGrath) and Neeku.
They are a group of young resistance fighters who band together to fight the Nazis. Jesse Eisenberg stars as Marceau, a French mime who performs his own radio broadcasts to encourage people to keep their spirits high and hold onto hope. Other stars include Alicia von Rittberg, Felix Moati and Clemence Poesy.
Backspacer
Backspacer was Pearl Jam’s first album with longtime producer Brendan O’Brien since 1998’s Yield, featuring pop and New Wave influences with more upbeat lyrics than its politically charged predecessors Riot Act and Pearl Jam had to offer.
On September 20, 2009, the album reached number one on Billboard’s charts for the first time ever and received glowing reviews praising its sound and composition. Additionally, it was nominated for a 53rd Grammy Award for best rock album.
In the months prior to their release, Pearl Jam sought ways to promote their album beyond traditional channels. They were successful in securing a deal with Target that would serve as the exclusive big-box retailer for the album.
A Different Kind of Truth
David Lee Roth led The Van Halens as they returned with A Different Kind of Truth, their first studio album since 1998’s Van Halen III. Featuring Eddie Van Halen on guitar, Alex Van Halen on drums and Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie’s son) playing bass, it was produced by John Shanks.
Van Halen’s album combines the best of what the ’80s brought them and what they’d been missing. It also shows a willingness to return to the rock-and-roll that defined their early years while capitalizing on its potential for mainstream success.
Back in the High Life
Back in the High Life is one of the greatest records ever created. It’s an intense, acoustic masterpiece that offers as much musical storytelling as it does neo-traditional rock perfection.
This classic album showcases an artist at their peak, offering a brilliant set of songs that fuse pop, rock and soul influences to create something truly unique both sonically and thematically. It’s one of those rare albums that can stand the test of time while remaining relevant in today’s digital age.
Winwood’s debut acoustic guitar album was one of the earliest albums to showcase his instrument of choice, an instrument which would become iconic later in his career. Additionally, Winwood collaborated with English songwriter Vivian Stanshall for the title track; these two had been longtime friends having performed together on Traffic’s 1973 LP When the Eagle Flies.