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The 10 Biggest Classic Rock Hits That Never Won Record of the Year, Ranked
Collider has published a ranked list of ten classic rock songs that became huge hits but never won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, highlighting what the piece frames as some of the Recording Academy's biggest historical snubs.
– "The Boys Are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy (No. 10) – peaked at No. 12 in 1976, lost the 1977 Grammy to George Benson's "This Masquerade"– "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas (No. 9) – peaked at No. 11 in 1977, lost the 1978 Grammy to Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life"– "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac (No. 8) – written by Lindsey Buckingham following his split from Stevie Nicks– The remaining entries (No. 7 down to No. 1), reportedly including further Beatles and Queen tracks, are not detailed in the excerpt provided
In short
- Collider ranks ten classic rock hits that never won Grammy Record of the Year
- Thin Lizzy and Kansas songs lost to now-forgotten winners in the 1970s
- Full top-ten list, including entries 7 through 1, wasn't fully available
Explained simply
The Grammy Awards are US music prizes presented by the Recording Academy. Record of the Year honours a recorded performance and its production, and is awarded to the artists and people who made the recording; it is different from Song of the Year, which recognises songwriting.
A hit single’s chart success does not guarantee a Grammy win. Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town” and Kansas’s “Carry On Wayward Son” reached the US top 20, but the Record of the Year prizes for their respective eligibility years went to other recordings. The comparison matters because it shows how chart popularity and award recognition can diverge.
The songs in the list come from a period when classic rock acts such as Fleetwood Mac, Queen and the Beatles were prominent. Looking at which recordings won instead gives context for how Grammy voters’ choices compare with the songs that have endured with listeners.