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Actually, Metallica could hardly walk because of their strength. “And Justice For All” (1988), their fourth record and second LP on a major label, only made the band even more popular. And then in 1989 there was also her first music video (“One”) and a mega tour.
Nevertheless, Metallica lost to Jethro Tull in the “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance (Vocal or Instrumental)” category at the 1989 Grammys.
Looking back, even Tull frontman Ian Anderson believes this was completely unfair. And of course the thrash titans deserved the trophy much more. Especially in this genre.
Even Jethro Tull’s record company was sure that Metallica would win
“I didn’t think it was very likely that we would win the Grammy,” Anderson said in a 2017 interview with Classic Rock. “And yes, I was a little perplexed and amused when we were nominated in this category.”
Anderson wasn’t even present at the awards ceremony to accept the award when his band was named the winner – purely by chance for him. The label also had little trust. “Our record company told us, ‘Don’t bother coming to the Grammys. Metallica will definitely win it.'” A mistake!
More than 30 years later, the singer and flautist doesn’t feel like the award was more a sign of recognition than a judgment on Tull’s Crest Of A Knave album.
An award for “nice guys”
“In my opinion, we didn’t win the Grammy because we were the best hard rock or metal act. It was because we were a bunch of nice guys who had never won a Grammy before.”
But the “wrong decision” also had consequences. After even the laudators Alice Cooper and Lita Ford After being thoroughly confused about the winners, the organizers decided to independently split the category into Hard Rock and Heavy Metal the following year.