Sheryl Crow’s selection for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 2023 class comes nearly 28 years after she won a Grammy as best new artist. She is just the fifth artist to take both of these honors.
The Grammys and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once seemed to be operating in different worlds, with the Grammys, in their early years, favoring traditional pop and jazz, and the Rock Hall long favoring guitar-based rock. But both organizations have moved to the middle in recent years.
For many years, just three artists had achieved both of these feats – a Grammy win for best new artist and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — but in the last two years, two more artists have joined the list.
With the Rock Hall becoming more open to a wider range of sounds, it’s not hard to picture several more past best new artist Grammy winners one day being inducted. Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Cyndi Lauper (who was nominated this year but didn’t get in) and Mariah Carey would all seem to have at least a reasonable chance, and in some cases, a very good chance of making the Rock Hall.
Artists first become eligible for the Rock Hall 25 years after releasing their first record. So over time the artists who won best new artist after 1998 will also become eligible for the Rock Hall. Over the next 10 years that could bring in Lauryn Hill, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, John Legend, Carrie Underwood and Amy Winehouse.
While we wait to see which of them make it, here are the five artists who both won a Grammy for best new artist and are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Grammy years shown are the years of the ceremonies at which the awards were presented.
Best New Artist: 1959
Rock Hall: 1990
Notes: Darin was just 23 when he became the first Grammy winner for best new artist. His sleek “Mack the Knife” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks and won the Grammy for record of the year. Darin, whose other hits ranged from the suave “Beyond the Sea” to the folk-shaded ballad “If I Were a Carpenter,” died of heart failure in 1973 at age 37.
Best New Artist: 1965
Rock Hall: 1988
Notes: The Grammys were still coming to terms with rock and roll in 1965, but The Beatles had made such an explosive impact there could have been no other choice for best new artist. The Fab Four had two other Big Four nominations that year — “I Want to Hold Your Hand” for record of the year and “A Hard Day’s Night” for song of the year. The Beatles, of course, grew with virtually every release. They are the only act in Grammy history to receive album of the year nominations in five consecutive years. They won in 1968 for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and probably should have won a couple more for Revolver and Abbey Road. All four Beatles are also represented in the Rock Hall with their solo careers.
Best New Artist: 1970
Rock Hall: 1997
Notes: In addition to CSN winning best new artist, Crosby, Stills & Nash was up for album of the year. They were nominated again in that category the following year with Déjà vu, this time joined by Neil Young. All three members of CSN are double inductees in the Rock Hall. Crosby is also in with The Byrds, Stills with Buffalo Springfield and Nash with The Hollies.
Best New Artist: 1972
Rock Hall: 2022
Notes: Simon was the first woman to receive both of these honors. Simon won best new artist on the strength of her haunting ballad “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” a top 10 hit on the Hot 100 in 1971. She reached her zenith in 1973 when her single “You’re So Vain” topped the Hot 100 (and received record and song of the year nods) and her album No Secrets topped the Billboard 200.
Best New Artist: 1995
Rock Hall: 2023
Notes: Crow is the second woman to receive both of these honors. In the year she won for best new artist, she also won record of the year for her frisky smash “All I Wanna Do.” That song was also nominated for song of the year. While “All I Wanna Do” was poppy, Crow has also had hits that showed her rock and country leanings.
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