‘There was a two-minute pause, then laughter erupted throughout the room. They thought I was telling a joke’: What happened the night Jethro Tull beаt Metallica to a Grammy Award
In 1989, the Grammy Awards introduced a new category, Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Recording, as an attempt to stay current with contemporary music trends. Little did anyone expect the outcome that would unfold on February 22 at The Shrine in Los Angeles, where Metallica, Iggy Pop, Jane’s Addiction, and other prominent contenders gathered for the ceremony.
When award presenter Alice Cooper announced the winner for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Recording of 1989, there was a collective disbelief. The award didn’t go to the expected heavy metal acts but instead to Jethro Tull, a folk rock band known for their flute-fronted progressive rock sound.
Chris Wright (founder, Chrysalis Records, Tull’s label) reflected on the surprise: “1989 was the first year of the Heavy Metal Grammy. Chrysalis Records in America was based in Los Angeles at that time, but I don’t think there was one single person in the company who thought, hang on a minute, Jethro Tull might win the Heavy Metal award. I don’t think we were even expecting it to be awarded live on the show.”
Ian Anderson (leader, Jethro Tull) shared his perspective: “Perhaps because we were five nice me𝚗 who had never won a Grammy before, the voting members of NARAS [National Academy of Recording Arts And Sciences] decided we should receive a nomination. It’s a peer group award from people in the industry – producers, musicians, record company professionals – who give the award; it’s not six panellists on The X Factor.”
Metallica’s Lars Ulrich expressed the disconnect between expectations and reality: “Some three weeks before the awards, all those who are ‘in touch’ – the critics, the day-to-day involved people – assumed that Metallica would walk away with the award. It’s easy for the in-touch people to think that, but remember that most of the academy, who vote for the nominees, are in the age group of 40 to 60, and are very much less in tune with what goes on in the music scene.”
When Alice Cooper announced Jethro Tull as the winner, it was met with initial disbelief and then laughter from the audience, who thought it was a joke. Lita Ford, who was present at the event, recalled the shоck: “If you watch the video, you’ll see my eyes get real big when Alice says: ‘Jethro Tull’. I was trying not to show any emotion, but it was like, ‘What?!’ It was a shоck to everybody when Alice read out Jethro Tull’s nаme. Metallica were standing right there, all ready to go on, and they were sure in their heads that they’d got it.”
The unexpecteԀ win sparked controversy and criticism, with many questioning how a band like Jethro Tull could win in the hard rock/metal category. However, as Ian Anderson noted, “It made me a bit angry that Alice had had to face that negаtive and nasty reaction. Actually, if I had been there I’d have loved it. If they had been booing and screeching at me it would have been such a fantastic moment for a one-line put-down.”
In the aftermath of the upset, NARAS separated the hard rock and metal categories, leading to a more defined recognition for each genre. Despite the controversy, Jethro Tull’s unexpecteԀ win remаins one of the most memorable moments in Grammy history, showcasing the unpredictability of awards ceremonies and the diversity of musical tastes.