The Grammy Song and Record of the Year Winners Ranked

Originally posted 1/19/2012; updated 1/26/2020.

The Grammy Awards have been given annually since 1958. Two of the most prestigious awards are Record of the Year (given to the performers) and Song of the Year (given to the songwriters). Below is a listing of all songs to receive either award. Following that is a ranking by the DMDB of all those songs.

• 2020 RECORD/SONG: Billie Eilish “Bad Guy” (2019)
• 2019 RECORD/SONG: Childish Gambino “This Is America” (2018)
• 2018 SONG: Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like” (2016)
• 2018 RECORD: Bruno Mars “24K Magic” (2016)
• 2017 RECORD/SONG: Adele “Hello” (2015)
• 2016 SONG: Ed Sheeran “Thinking Out Loud” (2014)
• 2016 RECORD: Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk!” (2014)
• 2015 RECORD/SONG: Sam Smith “Stay with Me” (2014)
• 2014 SONG: Lorde “Royals” (2013)
• 2014 RECORD: Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams “Get Lucky” (2013)
• 2013 SONG: Fun with Janelle Monáe “We Are Young” (2012)
• 2013 RECORD: Gotye with Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know” (2011)
• 2012 RECORD/SONG: Adele “Rolling in the Deep” (2010)
• 2011 RECORD/SONG: Lady Antebellum “Need You Now” (2009)
• 2010 SONG: Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008)
• 2010 RECORD: Kings of Leon “Use Somebody” (2008)
• 2009 SONG: Coldplay “Viva La Vida” (2008)
• 2009 RECORD: Robert Plant with Alison Krauss “Please Read the Letter” (2007)
• 2008 RECORD/SONG: Amy Winehouse “Rehab” (2006)
• 2007 RECORD/SONG: Dixie Chicks “Not Ready to Make Nice” (2006)
• 2006 SONG: U2 “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” (2005)
• 2006 RECORD: Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (2004)
• 2005 SONG: John Mayer “Daughters” (2004)
• 2005 RECORD: Ray Charles with Norah Jones “Here We Go Again” (2004)
• 2004 SONG: Luther Vandross “Dance with My Father” (2003)
• 2004 RECORD: Coldplay “Clocks” (2002)
• 2003 RECORD/SONG: Norah Jones “Don’t Know Why” (2002)
• 2002 SONG: Alicia Keys “Fallin’” (2001)
• 2002 RECORD: U2 “Walk On” (2001)
• 2001 RECORD/SONG: U2 “Beautiful Day” (2000)
• 2000 RECORD/SONG: Santana with Rob Thomas “Smooth” (1999)
• 1999 RECORD/SONG: Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On” (1997)
• 1998 RECORD/SONG: Shawn Colvin “Sunny Came Home” (1997)
• 1997 RECORD/SONG: Eric Clapton “Change the World” (1996)
• 1996 RECORD/SONG: Seal “Kiss from a Rose” (1994)
• 1995 SONG: Bruce Springsteen “Streets of Philadelphia” (1994)
• 1995 RECORD: Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do” (1994)
• 1994 SONG: Peabo Bryson with Regina Belle “A Whole New World” (1992)
• 1994 RECORD: Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992)
• 1993 RECORD/SONG: Eric Clapton “Tears in Heaven” (1992)
• 1992 RECORD/SONG: Natalie Cole with Nat “King” Cole “Unforgettable” (1991)
• 1991 SONG: Bette Midler “From a Distance” (1990)
• 1991 RECORD: Phil Collins “Another Day in Paradise” (1989)
• 1990 RECORD/SONG: Bette Midler “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1989)
• 1989 RECORD/SONG: Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry Be Happy” (1988)
• 1988 SONG: Linda Ronstadt with James Ingram “Somewhere Out There” (1986)
• 1988 RECORD: Paul Simon “Graceland” (1986)
• 1987 SONG: Dionne Warwick & Friends “That's What Friends Are For” (1985)
• 1987 RECORD: Steve Winwood “Higher Love” (1986)
• 1986 RECORD/SONG: USA for Africa “We Are the World” (1985)
• 1985 RECORD/SONG: Tina Turner “What’s Love Got to Do with It” (1984)
• 1984 SONG: The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
• 1984 RECORD: Michael Jackson “Beat It” (1983)
• 1983 SONG: Willie Nelson “Always on My Mind” (1982)
• 1983 RECORD: Toto “Rosanna” (1982)
• 1982 RECORD/SONG: Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981)
• 1981 RECORD/SONG: Christopher Cross “Sailing” (1980)
• 1980 RECORD/SONG: The Doobie Brothers “What a Fool Believes” (1979)
• 1979 RECORD/SONG: Billy Joel “Just the Way You Are” (1977)
• 1978 SONG (tie): Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977)
• 1978 SONG (tie): Barbra Streisand “Evergreen (Love Theme from ‘A Star Is Born’)” (1976)
• 1978 RECORD: Eagles “Hotel California” (1977)
• 1977 SONG: Barry Manilow “I Write the Songs” (1975)
• 1977 RECORD: George Benson “This Masquerade” (1976)
• 1976 SONG: Judy Collins “Send in the Clowns” (1975)
• 1976 RECORD: Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975)
• 1975 SONG: Barbra Streisand “The Way We Were” (1973)
• 1975 RECORD: Olivia Newton-John “I Honestly Love You” (1974)
• 1974 RECORD/SONG: Roberta Flack “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1973)
• 1973 RECORD/SONG: Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1972)
• 1972 SONG: Carole King/James Taylor “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971)
• 1972 RECORD: Carole King “It’s Too Late” (1971)
• 1971 RECORD/SONG: Simon & Garfunkel “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970)
• 1970 SONG: Joe South “Games People Play” (1968)
• 1970 RECORD: The Fifth Dimension “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969)
• 1969 SONG: Roger Miller “Little Green Apples” (1968)
• 1969 RECORD: Simon & Garfunkel “Mrs. Robinson” (1968)
• 1968 RECORD/SONG: The Fifth Dimension “Up, Up and Away” (1967)
• 1967 SONG: The Beatles “Michelle” (1965)
• 1967 RECORD: Frank Sinatra “Strangers in the Night” (1966)
• 1966 SONG: Tony Bennett “The Shadow of Your Smile (Love Theme from ‘The Sandpiper’)” (1965)
• 1966 RECORD: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass “A Taste of Honey” (1965)
• 1965 SONG: Louis Armstrong “Hello, Dolly!” (1964)
• 1965 RECORD: Stan Getz with Joao Gilberto “The Girl from Ipanema” (1964)
• 1964 RECORD/SONG: Henry Mancini “The Days of Wine and Roses” (1963)
• 1963 SONG: Sammy Davis, Jr. “What Kind of Fool am I?” (1962)
• 1963 RECORD: Tony Bennett “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” (1962)
• 1962 RECORD/SONG: Henry Mancini with Audrey Hepburn “Moon River” (1961)
• 1961 SONG: Ferrante & Teicher “Theme from ‘Exodus’” (1960)
• 1961 RECORD: Percy Faith “A Theme from ‘A Summer Place’” (1960)
• 1960 SONG: Johnny Horton “The Battle of New Orleans” (1959)
• 1960 RECORD: Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959)
• 1959 RECORD/SONG: Domenico Modugno “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blue)” (1958)

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GRAMMY WINNERS RANKED

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This is the DMDB’s ranking of all songs which have won Grammys for Song or Record of the Year. 1. Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992)
2. The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
3. Simon & Garfunkel “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970)
4. Eagles “Hotel California” (1977)
5. Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On” (1997)
6. Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959)
7. Adele “Rolling in the Deep” (2010)
8. Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk!” (2014)
9. Gotye with Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know” (2011)
10. Adele “Hello” (2015)
11. USA for Africa “We Are the World” (1985)
12. Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981)
13. Michael Jackson “Beat It” (1983)
14. Santana with Rob Thomas “Smooth” (1999)
15. Roberta Flack “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1973)
16. Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977)
17. Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008)
18. Simon & Garfunkel “Mrs. Robinson” (1968)
19. Coldplay “Viva La Vida” (2008)
20. Barbra Streisand “The Way We Were” (1973)
21. Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1972)
22. Lorde “Royals” (2013)
23. Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams “Get Lucky” (2013)
24. The Fifth Dimension “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969)
25. Alicia Keys “Fallin’” (2001)
26. Ed Sheeran “Thinking Out Loud” (2014)
27. Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (2004)
28. Sam Smith “Stay with Me” (2014)
29. U2 “Beautiful Day” (2000)
30. Willie Nelson “Always on My Mind” (1982)
31. Fun with Janelle Monáe “We Are Young” (2012)
32. Tina Turner “What’s Love Got to Do with It” (1984)
33. Johnny Horton “The Battle of New Orleans” (1959)
34. Frank Sinatra “Strangers in the Night” (1966)
35. Seal “Kiss from a Rose” (1994)
36. Henry Mancini with Audrey Hepburn “Moon River” (1961)
37. Lady Antebellum “Need You Now” (2009)
38. Dionne & Friends “That's What Friends Are For” (1985)
39. Phil Collins “Another Day in Paradise” (1989)
40. Eric Clapton “Tears in Heaven” (1992)
41. Billie Eilish “Bad Guy” (2019) 42. Coldplay “Clocks” (2002)
43. Bette Midler “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1989)
44. Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975)
45. Percy Faith “A Theme from ‘A Summer Place’” (1960)
46. Amy Winehouse “Rehab” (2006)
47. Olivia Newton-John “I Honestly Love You” (1974)
48. Billy Joel “Just the Way You Are” (1977)
49. Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like” (2016)
50. Kings of Leon “Use Somebody” (2008)
51. Carole King “It’s Too Late” (1971)
52. Domenico Modugno “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blue)” (1958)
53. Bruce Springsteen “Streets of Philadelphia” (1994)
54. Peabo Bryson with Regina Belle “A Whole New World” (1992)
55. Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do” (1994)
56. Louis Armstrong “Hello, Dolly!” (1964)
57. Stan Getz with Joao Gilberto “The Girl from Ipanema” (1964)
58. Barbra Streisand “Evergreen (Love Theme from ‘A Star Is Born’)” (1976)
59. Tony Bennett “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” (1962)
60. Eric Clapton “Change the World” (1996)
61. James Taylor “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971)
62. Barry Manilow “I Write the Songs” (1975)
63. Natalie Cole with Nat “King” Cole “Unforgettable” (1991)
64. The Fifth Dimension “Up, Up and Away” (1967)
65. Steve Winwood “Higher Love” (1986)
66. The Doobie Brothers “What a Fool Believes” (1979)
67. The Beatles “Michelle” (1965)
68. Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry Be Happy” (1988)
69. Shawn Colvin “Sunny Came Home” (1997)
70. Norah Jones “Don’t Know Why” (2002)
71. Christopher Cross “Sailing” (1980)
72. Childish Gambino “This Is America” (2018)
73. Bruno Mars “24K Magic” (2016)
74. Bette Midler “From a Distance” (1990)
75. Toto “Rosanna” (1982)
76. Henry Mancini “The Days of Wine and Roses” (1963)
77. George Benson “This Masquerade” (1976)
78. Linda Ronstadt with James Ingram “Somewhere Out There” (1986)
79. Dixie Chicks “Not Ready to Make Nice” (2006)
80. Judy Collins “Send in the Clowns” (1975)
81. Sammy Davis, Jr. “What Kind of Fool am I?” (1962)
82. Paul Simon “Graceland” (1986)
83. U2 “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” (2005)
84. U2 “Walk On” (2001)
85. Tony Bennett “The Shadow of Your Smile (Love Theme from ‘The Sandpiper’)” (1965)
86. Ferrante & Teicher “Theme from ‘Exodus’” (1960)
87. Joe South “Games People Play” (1968)
88. Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass “A Taste of Honey” (1965)
89. John Mayer “Daughters” (2004)
90. Roger Miller “Little Green Apples” (1968)
91. Carole King “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971)
92. Luther Vandross “Dance with My Father” (2003)
93. Robert Plant with Alison Krauss “Please Read the Letter” (2007)
94. Ray Charles with Norah Jones “Here We Go Again” (2004)

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Resources and Related Links:

• Grammy.com
• Wikipedia.org: Grammy Winners for Song of the Year
• Wikipedia.org: Grammy Winners for Record of the Year

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Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” won Grammys for Record and Song of the Year

First posted 12/11/2019; updated 1/26/2020.

Bad Guy Billie Eilish

Writer(s): Billie Eilish O’Connell/Finneas O’Connell (see lyrics here) Released: March 29, 2019 First Charted: April 13, 2019 Peak: 11 US, 6 A40, 34 AA, 12 MR, 2 UK, 11 CN, 12 AU (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 1.2 UK, 11.26 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 819.0 video, 1006.0 streaming

Awards:

Review: The song most likely to be identified with 2019 for years to come is Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” The song logged a whopping 19 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the biggest song in that chart’s history. Of course, all songs must eventually fall and “Old Town Road” finally succumbed to Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.” While the song only spent a solitary week atop the chart, it set a record of its own – the longest run at #2 (nine weeks) before sliding into the pinnacle position. SF At only 17 years old when the song hit its peak, Billie also secured another significant chart accomplishment. Born in 2001, she became the first artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 who was born in the 21st century. Just a few months earlier, in April 2019, she’d become the first artist born in the 21st century to top the Billboard album chart with When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, from which “Bad Guy” was lifted CNN as the fifth single. By year’s end, her youth also secured her another major accomplishment when she became the youngest artist in history to land Grammy nominations in the Big Four categories (Best Album, Best Song, Best Record, and Best New Artist). HP Two of those nominations – Record and Song of the Year – came for “Bad Guy.” The song – which has been called pop-trap and nu-goth pop – is a minimalist production built on a synth bass and kick drum. WK Billie didn’t have any expectations for it, considering the chorus has no hook. She told Billboard that she and her brother Finneas (who produced her album and co-wrote the song) tried “to write something else over that but we couldn’t do it because nothing else worked.” SF Vanity Fair said the song “treads the line between her slightly deranged aesthetic and a whiff of familiarity that keeps it squarely pop” VF Lyrically, the song mocks how people – including herself – try to present themselves as rule breakers. SF She sarcastically taunts her lover for being a bad guy, boasting with tongue firmly in cheek that she’s tougher than he is. As she said, “You will never catch a bad bitch telling everyone she’s a bad bitch.” SF The song earned Billie comparisons to Fiona Apple, Lorde, and Amy Winehouse. WK Sam Prance of Pop Buzz called it “the perfect anthem for anyone…who likes to get in touch with their dark side.” PB Resources and Related Links: Billie Eilish’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry CNN CNN.com (4/10/2019). “This 17-year-old is the first artist born in the 2000s to have a No. 1 album.” By Kendall Trammell. HP Huffpost.com (11/20/2019). “Billie Eilish Becomes Youngest Person Ever Nominated in All 4 Top Grammy Categories” by Kimberley Richards PB PopBuzz.com (4/3/2019). “Billie Eilish sings about seducing your dad in NSFW ‘bad guy’ lyrics.” By Sam Prance. SF Songfacts VF Vanity Fair (7/2/2019). “9 Songs From 2019 That Might Predict the Future of Pop.” By DJ Louie XIV. WK Wikipedia