Some recordings take years or even decades to acquire classic status. Others are classics right off the bat. Seventeen records from the 1990s have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which means they went in as soon as they became eligible, or soon after. Records become eligible 25 years after their release. Counting this year’s 14 additions to the Grammy Hall of Fame that were announced on Wednesday (Feb. 11), the Hall now includes 1,179 recordings.
Related
Of the 17 recordings from the 1990s that have been inducted so far, hip-hop and alternative rock are the genres with the most representation – five recordings each. Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest and 2Pac represent rap and hip-hop. Nirvana (with both an album and a single), Pearl Jam, Radiohead and R.E.M. are the acts associated with alternative that have been acknowledged.
The 17 inducted recordings include 13 albums and four singles. Two of the inducted singles were written by the bands (Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion”), but the other two were cover versions that were so definitive that they instantly seemed like more than ordinary cover versions – Whitney Houston’s power ballad rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” and Bonnie Raitt’s tender reading of Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”
Three of the inducted recordings were debut albums (Buena Vista Social Club’s Buena Vista Social Club, Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt and Pearl Jam’s Ten). Two others were solo debut albums (Dre’s The Chronic and Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill). At the other extreme, two of the inducted recordings were those artists’ 18th studio albums – Santana’s Supernatural and Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball.
The Grammy Hall of Fame was established by the Recording Academy’s national trustees in 1973. The original idea was to honor recordings that were released before the Grammys were first presented in 1959. It is now open to any recording that is at least 25 years old. The inducted recordings are selected annually by a committee, with final ratification by the Recording Academy’s national board of trustees. Selected recordings must demonstrate “qualitative or historical significance.” Eligible recipients receive a certificate from the Recording Academy.
Recordings released in 2000 and 2001 are now eligible, though none have been selected yet.
Here’s the complete list of recordings from the 1990s that have been selected for the Grammy Hall of Fame, listed alphabetically by artist.
