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The Week In Music: Shania Twain's Comeback
GRAMMY-winning country songstress set to debut new TV show on the Oprah Winfrey Network
In case you're wondering what happened to her, Shania Twain says she lost her voice after her divorce from producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange in 2010. What better place to find it again than on "Oprah?" Well, at least Oprah's new OWN: the Oprah Winfrey Network. Twain will be featured in "Why Not? With Shania Twain," a new series detailing her emotional journey back from the bottom. "Shania Twain stopped singing," says Winfrey in the series promo. "She stopped writing music, and virtually just checked out of her life. Now…she's ready to reclaim it all." If that doesn't sound tailor-made for OWN, then we're just not the Oprah fans we thought we were. In the series, which debuts May 8, Twain will travel the country and talk to people about their own trials and tribulations, and, as she says, learn from their experiences. It all stemmed from her becoming "obsessive about my pain, my struggle…and I just had to snap out of it." Given her status as a multiple GRAMMY winner, we're happy to see Shania back and better than ever. Man, we hope she feels like a woman again.
He just got his first real star, but fortunately for singer/songwriter Bryan Adams, he didn't have to buy it at the five-and-dime. The GRAMMY winner who brought us such memorable hits as "Summer Of '69," "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" and "Heaven" will have his name cemented on Hollywood Boulevard forever. On March 21 Adams received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star and there for the induction was fellow Canadian and Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky. As a likely nod to his native Canada, hockey and perhaps as a really early civics lesson for his expected baby with personal assistant Alicia Grimaldi, Adams performed Canada's national anthem prior to Gretzky's final game in 1999. Baby, that's all that we need.
You may know him as the ornery Dr. Gregory House on the TV series "House," but what you may not know is actor Hugh Laurie actually has the blues. Aside from performing with Band From TV — a charity cover band consisting entirely of TV actors, including James Denton, Scott Grimes, Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Laurie, Adrian Pasdar, and Jesse Spencer — Laurie will release a blues album, Let Them Talk, on May 9. Recorded in Los Angeles, the album will reportedly feature appearances by Dr. John, Tom Jones and Irma Thomas, and features Laurie on lead vocals, piano and guitar. The doctor is set to make his musical debut at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in the UK on May 2.
Sammy Hagar, the man who couldn't drive 55, recently released his autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock, detailing his lengthy career fronting bands such as Montrose and Van Halen and his current outfit, Chickenfoot. Peppered between tales of rock and roll debauchery, Hagar details some "far-out" life experiences. Namely, the Red Rocker recounts a dream in which he was contacted by aliens from outer space. "It was real," said Hagar. "They were plugged into me. It was a download situation.... Or, they uploaded something from my brain, like an experiment." In the book, Hagar also describes an alien encounter when he was 4, seeing a spaceship in broad daylight hovering over where his family lived. Has Sammy had "Mas Tequila"? We're not sure what to believe. But if aliens did download information from Sammy's brain, one can only wonder what type of information they would have received plugging into David Lee Roth.
As they say, hindsight is always 20/20. With that thought in mind, Pete Townshend has gone on record implying he'd like a career do-over. "What would I have done differently?" asked Townshend during an interview with The Who: The Ultimate Music Guide. "I would never have joined a band. Even though I am quite a good gang member and a good trooper on the road, I am bad at creative collaboration." Rock music without the Who would mean that Townshend may never have penned classics such as "Baba O'Riley," "My Generation," "Love, Reign O'er Me," and "Behind Blue Eyes." But Townshend feels he would have been better suited (and healthier) as a solo artist. "I'd have made a much more effective solo performer," he said. "I would be less damaged — my knees, ears, right wrist, and shoulder would work more effectively."
In birthday news, social network service Twitter turned 5 on March 21. In a celebratory blog, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone revealed that users now send more than 140 million tweets a day. Interestingly, it seems music artists are getting the most mileage out of Twitter. According to a new report from The New York Times, the top 3 Twitter users are Lady Gaga (8.9 million followers), Justin Bieber (8.3 million) and Britney Spears (7.2 million). And 12 of the 20 most followed people on Twitter are musicians. Artists obviously have a lot to say, even when limited to 140 characters or less.
Proving once again that music has heart, a group of artists have answered the call to assist earthquake- and tsunami-stricken Japan. GRAMMY winners Bon Jovi, Rihanna and U2, and GRAMMY-nominated artists Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj are among the artists committed to appear on a digital-only album to be released by Universal Music Group. The final lineup has yet to be finalized, but the album is targeted for release this month with proceeds to benefit the Japanese Red Cross. In related news, UK rockers including Richard Ashcroft, Liam Gallagher and Paul Weller will play a charity concert on April 3 in London to raise funds for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal. The big question: Will Liam invite brother Noel to participate? And will that cause another tsunami?
Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the sixth week, and Wiz Khalifa's "No Sleep" is tops on the iTunes singles chart.
Any news we've missed? Comment below.
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![Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher of Oasis in September 1994](https://i8.amplience.net/i/naras/oasis-1994-liam-noel-gallagher-GettyImages-1210091629.jpg)
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10 Ways Oasis' 'Definitely Maybe' Shaped The Sound Of '90s Rock
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Oasis' debut album, 'Definitely Maybe,' the band aren't just delivering a new deluxe edition — they're reuniting. As you celebrate the reunion and the reissue, revisit the groundbreaking original release.
In 1994, Oasis offered a reset for British indie rock. While the title of their debut album, Definitely Maybe, may have hinted at uncertainty, the siblings at the heart of the record were never anything less than 100 percent cocksure.
"We were ready to wipe everybody out," the band's most natural raconteur Noel Gallagher later revealed to Mojo. "However loud they were, we were louder. However fast they were, we were faster. However good they were, we would trump it."
It was this unbridled bravura that helped the Manchester-based brothers Noel and Liam (who were renowned just as much for their musical talents as their uncanny ability to pick a fight with each other), as well as bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, guitarist Paul "Bonehead"Arthurs, and drummer Tony McCarroll fulfil such lofty ambitions. Oasis quickly became the U.K.'s biggest guitar band of the ‘90s with a no-nonsense sound which incorporated the spirit of punk, the swagger of Madchester, and the songcraft of Beatlemania.
The rest of the world soon started to take notice, too. The album's "Live Forever" hit No. 2 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, and Definitely Maybe reached platinum status in the States, paving the way for a GRAMMY-nominated mainstream breakthrough with 1995's follow-up (What's The Story) Morning Glory.
Read more: Looking Back In Appreciation: 25 Years Of Oasis' '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?'
Just before Oasis released a 30th anniversary edition of their debut album, they gave fans an even bigger surprise: a reunion tour announcement. The band will perform 14 shows across the UK and Ireland from July 4 through Aug. 17, 2025, including four hometown shows at Manchester's Heaton Park and four shows at London's famed Wembley Stadium.
As you dig into Definitely Maybe's latest re-release — filled with outtakes, B-sides and live performances — revisit the original release and learn why Definitely Maybe is considered such a game-changer.
It Brought Back Showmanship
As its name suggests, the shoegaze scene that defined British indie in the early 1990s desperately struggled with eye contact. Oasis, on the other hand, burst out of the blocks determined to connect with every single member of their audience. In the bold and bolshy form of Liam, they had the most magnetic frontman around.
The younger Gallagher brother wasn't a Mick Jagger-style showman; you'd never catch him bouncing from one end of the stage to the other. In fact, he'd often stay rooted in the same spot for the entire set. But his now-iconic pose — hands behind his back, sporting a duffle coat, sneering into the microphone seemingly placed a few inches too high — was such an ebullient display of swagger it left fans continually transfixed. Just look at their Glastonbury 1994 performance two weeks after releasing their second single for proof.
It Reflected The Working Class
While Britpop progenitors Blur and Suede emerged from the bohemia of London's art college scene, Oasis' roots were in the deprived Manchester suburb of Burnage. Noel spent his early adulthood as a roadie for neighboring indie favorites the Inspiral Carpets, while Liam had once joined his father laboring on building sites. As a result, they were able to reflect the lives of the masses far more effectively and authentically than most of their peers.
Hailed as “one of the greatest social statements of the past 25 years” by manager Alan McGee, "Cigarettes and Alcohol" advocates hedonism as a means of escaping the drudgery of the 9-5. And "Slide Away," written by Noel about ex-girlfriend Louise Jones, proved that Oasis could even talk about feelings in a manner relatable to those who wouldn’t normally touch love songs with a 10-foot pole.
It Wasn't Afraid Of The Obvious
Unlike Blur's Parklife, Pulp's Different Class, or the majority of albums that defined the Britpop era, Definitely Maybe wasn't dripping in post-modernism, irony, or knowing winks. "What you see is what you get" was essentially Oasis' default approach. And while their lyrics were often of the "moon in June" variety (see "What a life it would be/If you could come to mine for tea" on "Digsy's Dinner"), their refreshing simplicity only added to their universal appeal.
The Mancunians also weren't afraid to wear their influences firmly on their parka jackets' sleeves. The Beatles' fingerprints are all over the record as you'd expect from such devout acolytes. But Oasis also brazenly borrow from the New Seekers' Coca-Cola anthem "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" ("Shakermaker") and T-Rex's glam rock classic "Get It On" ("Cigarettes and Alcohol"). "Never be afraid of the obvious," Noel once reasoned. "Because it's all been done before."
It Turned Everything Up To 11
It took three attempts to nail Definitely Maybe's towering Wall of Sound. The band first entered Wales' Monnow Valley Studios with the Kinks producer Dave Batchelor. But he struggled to replicate the energy of their live shows and apart from "Slide Away," all of his contributions were scrapped.
Noel then took on producing duties alongside Mark Coyle, but their overdubbed attempt proved to be unsatisfactory, too. In the end, it was left to engineer Owen Morris to salvage from the sonic wreckage in a studio owned by Johnny Marr. Drawing upon techniques he'd learned from Phil Spector, Tony Visconti, and Bernard Summer, his final mix was so "in your face" that it apparently left the Smiths guitarist appalled.
That was a lone voice of dissent, however, for a dynamic record which on the likes of "Bring It On Down," "Up In The Sky," and "Columbia," proved that sometimes, you just need to turn everything up to 11.
It Had Ambitions Of Grandeur
Brits aren't exactly renowned for their self-aggrandizing. So the Gallagher brothers raised several eyebrows when they immediately began shouting from the rooftops about their quest for world domination. "We don't want to be an indie band from England who've had a couple of hits," Noel told the Observer shortly before Definitely Maybe's release. "We want to go on and be an important band," he added before claiming that people would still be buying the record 20 years on.
It wasn't just in broadsheet interviews where the Gallaghers blew their own trumpets, though. After all, Definitely Maybe opens with "Rock 'n' Roll Star," a clearer statement of intent you'd be hard pressed to find. Luckily, such unwavering confidence was justified. The album sold 86,000 copies in its opening chart-topping week, making it the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history. It also spawned four Top 40 hits in their homeland, helped Oasis win the Best New Artist BRIT, and boasts a worldwide sales tally of 8.5 million.
It Reinvigorated The B-Side
As its various special editions have further highlighted, the Definitely Maybe campaign kickstarted arguably the greatest run of B-sides of the ‘90s. Only Oasis would have the audacity to tackle the Fab Four's psychedelic collage "I Am The Walrus" — fully aware that they'd be inviting tribute act comparisons in the process — and then somehow make it their own.
Best-known in the UK as the theme to slice-of-life sitcom "The Royle Family," "Half The World Away" is a beautifully melancholic acoustic ditty which proved the Mancunians were just as compelling when they dropped all the male bravado. Meanwhile, "Fade Away" channeled the filth and the fury of punk icons Sex Pistols on a bittersweet ode to growing up. All would make the cut for 1998's The Masterplan, the compilation of B-sides which outclassed most of their peers' A-games.
It Single Handedly Saved An Iconic British Label
From Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque to Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Creation Records was responsible for releasing several truly seminal guitar records in the late '80s/early '90s. But thanks to the spiraling costs for My Bloody Valentine's opus Loveless and founder Alan McGee's issues with substance abuse, the label was at the risk of going under until they somehow managed to wrestle a certain Mancunian band from under the noses of all the majors.
Definitely Maybe's domestic sales of 2.4 million proved to be a lifeline for Creation, allowing them to release acclaimed efforts such as Super Furry Animals' Fuzzy Logic, The Boo Radleys' C'mon Kids, and Saint Etienne's Good Humour. It also issued Oasis' follow-ups (What's The Story) Morning Glory and Be Here Now before McGee decided to pull the plug at the turn of the century.
It Converted A Whole New Audience
For better or for worse, Oasis' remarkable ascent coincided with the rise of laddism, a British — and typically white straight male — subculture in which sex, alcohol, and soccer (not necessarily always in that order) were the ultimate priorities. And unsurprisingly, the beer-swilling, Manchester City-supporting Gallagher brothers were soon adopted as its soundtrack.
Oasis, or rather their marketing team, were particularly canny in how they reeled in legions of new fans who previously wouldn't have dreamed of spending their hard-earned cash on an album, placing Definitely Maybe advertisements in publications more focused on sport and clubbing than indie music. Such tactics created a loyal following who, thanks to singalong anthems like "Live Forever" and "Cigarettes and Alcohol," could replicate the atmosphere of the terraces at any gig. It's unlikely that the Britpop movement would have gathered such pace had Oasis not thought outside the box first.
It Made Indie Music Headline News
Oasis' increasingly bitter rivalry with Blur famously graced the BBC's Six O'Clock News on the eve of their historic 1995 chart battle. But the former had already made headlines several times during the Definitely Maybe campaign, and sibling rivalry was often the cause.
Indeed, the Gallaghers quickly became a tabloid editor's dream, particularly during a Stateside tour in which the pair mistook crystal meth for cocaine, Liam hit his brother with a tambourine, and Noel briefly quit the group. Such was the fascination with the pair's fraught relationship that a recording of an argument — "Wibbling Rivalry" — even entered the lower reaches of the UK charts.
Definitely Maybe put indie music on the map in places that previously wouldn't have gone near it. And for the next three years, they dominated both Britain's charts and newspaper columns like no other guitar band since or before.
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![David Bryan, Jon Bon Jovi and Tico Torres attend the UK Premiere of "Thank You and Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story" on April 17, 2024 in London, England](https://i8.amplience.net/i/naras/bon-jovi-members-2024-disney-documentary.jpg)
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10 Facts About Jon Bon Jovi: A Friendship With Springsteen, Philanthropy, Football Fanaticism & More
Ahead of the band's new album 'Forever,' out June 7, and a new Hulu documentary, "Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story," read on for 10 facts about the GRAMMY-winning group and its MusiCares Person Of The Year frontman.
Bon Jovi have officially been in the cultural conversation for five decades — and it looks like we'll never say goodbye.
The band's self-titled debut album was unleashed upon the world in 1984, and lead single "Runaway" made some waves. Yet the New Jersey group didn't truly break through until their third album, the 12 million-selling Slippery When Wet. By the late 1980s, they were arguably the biggest rock band in the world, selling out massive shows in arenas and stadiums.
Since, Bon Jovi releases have consistently topped album charts (six of their studio albums hit No. 1). A big reason for their continued success is that, unlike a majority of their ‘80s peers, frontman Jon Bon Jovi made sure that they adapted to changing times while retaining the spirit of their music — from the anthemic stomp of 1986’s "Bad Medicine" to the Nashville crossover of 2005’s "Who Says You Can’t Go Home." It also doesn’t hurt that the 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year has aged very gracefully; his winning smile and charismatic personality ever crush-worthy.
Their fifth decade rocking the planet has been marked by many other milestones: The release of a four-part Hulu documentary, "Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story"; Bon Jovi's 16th studio album Forever, and fan hopes for the return of original guitarist Richie Sambora who left unexpectedly in 2013. Despite all of these positive notes, there is an ominous cloud hanging over the group as their singer had to undergo vocal surgery following disappointing, consistently off-key performances on the group's 2022 U.S. tour. Even afterward, he remains unsure whether he’ll be able to tour again. But Bon Jovi remains popular and with Sambora expressing interest in a reunion, it's plausible that we could see them back on stage again somehow.
Jon Bon Jovi has also had quite a multifaceted career spun off of his success in music, as shown by the following collection of fascinating facts.
Jon Bon Jovi Sung With Bruce Springsteen When He Was 17
By the time he was in high school, Jon Bongiovi (his original, pre-fame last name) was already fronting his first serious group. The Atlantic City Expressway was a 10-piece with a horn section that performed well-known tunes from Jersey acts like Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
They regularly played The Fast Lane, and one night Bruce Springsteen was in the audience. To Bon Jovi’s surprise, The Boss jumped onstage to join them. The two later became good friends — during his MusiCares performance, Bon Jovi introduced Springsteen as "my mentor, my friend, my brother, my hero."
Jon Recorded Bon Jovi’s First Hit Before The Band Formed
Although "Runaway" was the debut single and lone Top 40 hit from Bon Jovi's first two albums, it was recorded as a professional demo back in 1982.
Bon Jovi got a gig as a gopher at Power Station, the famed studio co-owned by his second cousin Tony Bongiovi where artists like the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, and David Bowie recorded. (He watched even watched Bowie and Freddie Mercury record the vocals for "Under Pressure.")
The future rockstar cut "Runaway" (which was co-written mainly by George Karak) and other demos with session musicians — his friend, guitarist Aldo Nova, Rick Springfield/John Waite guitarist Tim Pierce, Springsteen keyboardist Roy Bittan, bassist Hugh McDonald (a future Bon Jovi member), and Scandal drummer Frankie LaRocca. The song first appeared on a WAPP compilation under his name, but then it was placed on Bon Jovi’s debut album. When the video for "Runway" was created nearly two years later, members of Bon Jovi were miming to other people’s performances.
Although it is a classic, original guitarist Richie Sambora hates it and never wants to play it again.
He Eloped With His High School Sweetheart In April 1989
During the band’s world tour in support of New Jersey, Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley spontaneously eloped in a quickie wedding in Vegas. His bandmates and management were shocked to find this out; the latter probably feared that his ineligible bachelor status would harm their popularity with their ardent female fans. But it simply played more into his more wholesome image that differed from other hard rockers of the time.
In May 2024, Bon Jovi’s son Jake secretly married "Stranger Things" actor Millie Bobby Brown. It was like history repeating itself, except this time family was involved.
Listen: Revisit Jon Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits & Deep Cuts Ahead Of MusiCares' Person Of The Year 2024 Gala
The Bongiovi Family Is Part Of The Bon Jovi Family
Back in the ‘80s, parents often didn’t like their kids’ music. However, Bon Jovi’s parents completely supported his. Mother Carol Bongiovi often chaperoned his early days when he was an underaged kid playing local clubs and bars in New Jersey. Father Jon Sr. was the group’s hair stylist until their third album, Slippery When Wet. He created his son's signature mane.
Jon’s brother Matthew started as a production assistant in the band’s organization, then worked for their management before becoming his brother’s head of security and now his tour manager. His other brother Anthony became the director of a few Bon Jovi concert films and promo clips. He’s also directed concert films for Slayer and the Goo Goo Dolls.
Bon Jovi Is A Regular In Television & Film
After writing songs for the Golden Globe-winning "Young Guns II soundtrack (released as the solo album Blaze Of Glory) and getting a cameo in the Western’s opening, Bon Jovi was bitten by the acting bug. He studied with acclaimed acting coach Harold Guskin in the early ‘90s, then appeared as the romantic interest of Elizabeth Perkins in 1995's Moonlight and Valentino.
In other movies, Bon Jovi played a bartender who’s a recovering alcoholic (Little City), an ex-con turning over a new leaf (Row Your Boat), a failed father figure (Pay It Forward), a suburban dad and pot smoker (Homegrown), and a Navy Lieutenant in WWII (U-571). The band’s revival in 2000 slowed his acting aspirations, but he appeared for 10 episodes of "Ally McBeal," playing her love interest in 2002.
Elsewhere on the silver screen, the singer has also portrayed a vampire hunter (Vampiros: Los Muertos), a duplicitous professor (Cry Wolf), the owner of a women’s hockey team (Pucked), and a rock star willing to cancel a tour for the woman he loves (New Year’s Eve). He hasn’t acted since 2011, but who knows when he might make a guest appearance?
Jon Bon Jovi Once Co-Owned A Football Team
In 2004, Bon Jovi became one of the co-founders and co-majority owner of the Philadelphia Soul, which were part of the Arena Football League (AFL). (Sambora was a minority shareholder.) The team name emerged in a satirical scene from "It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia" during which Danny DeVito’s character tries to buy the team for a paltry sum and twice butchers the singer’s name.
Jon stuck with the team until 2009, a year after they won Arena Bowl XXII, defeating the San Jose SaberCats. He then set his eyes on a bigger prize, the Buffalo Bills, aligning himself with a group of Toronto investors in 2011. One of his biggest competitors? Donald Trump, who ran a smear campaign alleging that the famed singer would move the team to Toronto.
In the end, neither man purchased the team as they were outbid by Terry and Kim Pegula, who still own the Bills today.
Jon & Richie Sambora Wrote Songs For Other Artists
Having cranked out massive hits with songwriter Desmond Child, Bon Jovi and Sambora decided to write or co-write songs for and with other artists.
In 1987, they co-wrote and produced the Top 20 hit "We All Sleep Alone" with Child for Cher, and also co-wrote the Top 40 hit "Notorious" with members of Loverboy. In 1989, the duo paired up again Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean for his solo rocker "Under The Gun" and bequeathed the New Jersey outtake "Does Anybody Really Fall in Love Anymore?" (co-written with Child and Diane Warren) to Cher.
The Bon Jovi/Sambora song "Peace In Our Time" was recorded by Russian rockers Gorky Park. In 1990, Paul Young snagged the New Jersey leftover "Now and Forever," while the duo penned "If You Were in My Shoes" with Young, though neither song was released. In 2009, Bon Jovi and Sambora were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for their contributions to music.
Jon Bon Jovi Once Ran His Own Record Label
For a brief time in 1991, he ran his own record label, Jambco, which was distributed through Bon Jovi’s label PolyGram Records. The only two artists he signed were Aldo Nova and Billy Falcon, a veteran singer/songwriter who became Bon Jovi's songwriting partner in the 2000s. Neither of their albums (Aldo Nova’s Blood On The Bricks and Billy Falcon’s Pretty Blue World) were big sellers, and the label folded quickly when they began losing money.
Still, the experience gave Bon Jovi the chance to learn about the music business. That experience helped after he fired original manager Doc McGhee in 1991 and took over his band’s managerial reins until 2015.
Bon Jovi's Vocal Issues Aren't New
Although Jon Bon Jovi's vocal problems have become a major issue recently, they stem back to the late 1980s. It's doubtful as to whether Jon had proper vocal training for a rock band at the start.
The group did 15-month tours to support both the Slippery When Wet and New Jersey albums. Near the end of the grueling Slippery tour, Bon Jovi was getting steroid injections because his voice was suffering.
While his voice held up into the 2000s, it has become apparent over the last decade that his singing is rougher than it used to be. As shown in the Hulu new documentary, the singer has been struggling to maintain his voice. It’s natural for older rock singers to lose some range — it’s been very rare to hear him sing any of the high notes in "Livin’ On A Prayer" over the last 20 years — but he admitshe is unsure whether he can ever tour again, even with recent surgery.
Bon Jovi Has Been A Philanthropist For Over Three Decades
Back in the 1980s, the upbeat Bon Jovi made it clear that they were not going to be a toned-down political band. But in the ‘90s, he and the band toned down their look, evolved their sound, and offered a more mature outlook on life.
Reflecting this evolved viewpoint, the band started an annual tradition of playing a December concert in New Jersey to raise money for various charitable causes; the concert series began in 1991 and continued with the band or Jon solo through at least 2015. The group have played various charitable concert events over the years including the Twin Towers Relief Benefit, Live 8 in Philadelphia, and The Concert For Sandy Relief.
By the late 2000s, Jon and Dorothea founded the JBJ Soul Kitchen to serve meals at lower costs to people who cannot afford them. COVID-19 related food shortages led the couple to found the JBJ Soul Kitchen Food Bank. Their JBJ Soul Foundation supports affordable housing and has rebuilt and refurbished homes through organizations like Project H.O.M.E., Habitat For Humanity, and Rebuilding Together.
While he may be a superstar, Jon Bon Jovi still believes in helping others. For his considerable efforts, he was honored as the 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year during 2024 GRAMMY Week.
![Rihanna Songbook Hero](https://i8.amplience.net/i/naras/Songbook_Rihanna_Hero_1644x925.jpg)
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Songbook: The Ultimate Guide To Rihanna's Reign, From Her Record-Breaking Hits To Unforgettable Collabs
As the world eagerly awaits Rihanna's musical comeback, GRAMMY.com takes a deep dive into the superstar's catalog and celebrates her evolution from teen idol to beloved icon.
A chance meeting changed Rihanna's life.
The singer was just 15 years old when she met producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing with his wife in Barbados. Rogers recognized Rihanna's potential, and invited her to an audition in his hotel suite.
Shortly after her 16th birthday, Rihanna left her home country for the U.S. to record a demo, which included her breakthrough hit "Pon de Replay." The demo found its way into Jay-Z's hands, and Hov signed the teen artist to Def Jam and the label expedited her 2005 debut album, aptly titled Music of the Sun.
"When I left Barbados, I didn't look back," Rihanna told Entertainment Weekly in 2007. "I wanted to do what I had to do [to succeed], even if it meant moving to America."
Twenty years later, Rihanna is a renowned entertainer-turned-mogul. She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide, garnered over 12 billion Spotify streams, achieved 14 Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers, and won nine GRAMMY Awards. Even her business ventures have been a massive success, as her Fenty Beauty brand is worth $2.8 billion.
Though it's been close to a decade since Rihanna's last studio album, 2016's ANTI, she reminded the world of her reign with her 2023 Super Bowl halftime show — which also marked her first time taking the stage in five years. Performing hit after hit while unveiling a baby bump, her 13-minute set became one of the most-watched halftime shows of all time with over 121 million viewers.
In honor of Rihanna's 36th birthday on Feb. 20, GRAMMY.com is revisiting the monstrous hits, ambitious projects, brow-raising visuals, and iconic collabs that propelled her to international stardom — and why it's all put her in a league of her own.
A New Island Girl In Town
True to her Carribean heritage, Rihanna's dancehall-inspired debut single "Pon de Replay" earned the then 17-year-old Barbados native her first entry on the Hot 100 at an impressive No. 2. Her official introduction to the world also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart; she boasts 33 on the tally, second behind only the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna.
Follow-up single "If It's Lovin' That You Want" stalled at No. 36 on the Hot 100, but still whetted fans' appetite — as did her debut album, Music of the Sun, which is mostly comprised of dance-pop and dancehall tracks with hints of R&B (like "Willing to Wait"). Plus, her reimagining of Dawn Penn's 1994 reggae classic "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" is still so fun to listen to after all these years.
A mere eight months later, Rihanna's sophomore effort, 2006's A Girl Like Me, arrived to an eager audience. Defying the sophomore slump, she celebrated her first No. 1 with the ubiquitous lead single "SOS," which famously samples Soft Cell's 1981 hit, "Tainted Love." While A Girl Like Me is filled with high-energy, danceable tracks (including the nostalgic "Break It Off" with Sean Paul), Rihanna's second single was the melodramatic ballad "Unfaithful."
Penned by then-labelmate Ne-Yo, "Unfaithful" peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100. More importantly, it showed a different side to Rihanna, proving that she could channel deep emotion when the performance calls for it. It also marked Rihanna's first time veering away from her "girl next door" image, as the song's subject matter deals with infidelity.
A Girl Like Me contains many fan favorites, from the laid-back "We Ride" to standouts "Dem Haters" and "Kisses Don't Lie." The latter is a reggae-rock hybrid that sounds like a catalyst for some of Rihanna's edgier tunes like "Breakin' Dishes" from 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad era. Touching ballads"Final Goodbye" and "A Million Miles Away" showcase her voice beautifully, foreshadowing later big-vocal numbers like "Love on the Brain."
An Icon In The Making
Rihanna was a familiar face by 2007, but with the arrival of her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad, she graduated from cookie-cutter pop star to bonafide icon.
Produced by Tricky Stewart, the LP's juggernaut lead single "Umbrella" featuring Jay-Z skyrocketed to No. 1 in 17 countries. Between striking images of Rihanna's silver-painted silhouette in the accompanying video and the now-iconic "ella-ella, eh, eh, eh" hook, "Umbrella" thrust the then 19-year-old into another stratosphere. Her confident delivery also commanded attention in a way fans and critics hadn't heard before.
The transformative era also birthed the gritty "Shut Up and Drive," on which Rihanna channels her inner rock star. The next two singles cracked the top 10: an affectionate duet with Ne-Yo, "Hate That I Love You," which showed off Rihanna's softer side, and the party-starting, Michael Jackson-sampling "Don't Stop the Music," which cemented her place in the digital era.
The melancholy "Rehab" is a clever metaphor for lost love, co-written by Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. Despite being Good Girl Gone Bad's lowest-charting single, Timberlake heralded the song as "the bridge for her to be accepted as an adult in the music industry."
Good Girl Gone Bad remains Rihanna's best-selling album and marks her greatest reinvention as she adopted a more rebellious sound. She also won her first GRAMMY in 2008 (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella") and scored four other nominations, including Record Of The Year. The album's reissue spawned two more No. 1s: "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia," the latter of which acts like a prelude to Rated R, which saw Rihanna exploring darker themes.
Nine months before the release of 2009's Rated R, Rihanna was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown. On the deeply personal album, she translated her pain into art. Through lead single "Russian Roulette" and bitingly catchy anthems "Stupid in Love," "Fire Bomb," "Photographs," "Cold Case Love," and "The Last Song," Rihanna explored her angst and confusion.
But to focus solely on the domestic violence incident undermines Rihanna's artistic vision.
Following three multi-platinum albums in a three-year span, Rihanna's rebranding as a rebel at heart reached its apex. The singer had grown in leaps and bounds while taking musical risks, even penning nine of Rated R's 13 tracks (she had no writing credits on Good Girl Gone Bad).
The road to Rihanna's most badass anthems — including "Bitch Better Have My Money" — can be traced back to Rated R. Case in point: Her bravado is loud and clear on "Hard," "Wait Your Turn," and "G4L." On "Rockstar 101," which features legendary rocker Slash, Rihanna declares her power: "Six inch walker/ Big sh— talker/ I never play the victim/ I'd rather be a stalker."
Badgal RiRi returned to her dancehall roots on her fifth No. 1 "Rude Boy," which offsets the album's harrowing motif. Final single "Te Amo" didn't chart, but garnered a great deal of attention as the Latin-infused Stargate production depicts Rihanna being enticed by a female love interest.
Rated R showcased Rihanna's undeniable star power, and allowed her to shed her good-girl image once and for all.
A Partygoer's Dream
Following the career-pivoting Rated R, 2010's Loud offered a welcome return to the West Indian artist's earlier sound. The album feels like one big celebration of life, as evidenced by Rihanna's fire-engine red hair and No. 1 singles "Only Girl (In the World)" and "What's My Name?" (the latter of which was Rih's first collaboration with Drake).
Best described as "Don't Stop the Music" 2.0, the effervescent "Only Girl" marked her eminent return to the dance floor and took home a GRAMMY for Best Dance Recording in 2011. While "What's My Name?" may not outshine Rih and Drizzy's other collabs — including 2011's "Take Care" or 2016's "Work" — the second she sings, "Hey, boy, I really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me," it's impossible not to whine your waist to the riddim.
Easily one of Rihanna's most overlooked hits, "Cheers (Drink to That)" is built around an unexpected sample of Avril Lavigne's 2002 hit "I'm With You," but it works surprisingly well as a party anthem. That same carefree spirit can be heard in the feminist track "Raining Men," which features Nicki Minaj — their first of two collabs, as they joined forces again for "Fly," the final single off the rapper's iconic Pink Friday album.
A playful ode to sadomasochism and bondage, "S&M" contains some of Rihanna's most provocative lyrics: "Sticks and stones may break my bones/ But chains and whips excite me," she declares on the chorus.
Banned in 11 countries upon its release, the accompanying video features Rihanna tied up in pink rope, dancing with a blowup doll, and donning a Playboy bunny-esque costume as damning newsreels about herself flash across the screen. But Rihanna's love of kink made her an even bigger star: "S&M" produced a remix with Britney Spears and earned Rihanna her 10th No. 1 single. With this feat, she became the youngest artist to attain the most chart-toppers in a five-year span.
On "Man Down," Rihanna's patois is in full effect as she takes listeners through a gripping tale about murdering her abuser. "What started out as a simple altercation/ Turned into a real sticky situation," she laments in the opening verse, amplified by siren noises in the background. There's something so satisfying about Rihanna's Bajan accent as she unfurls "Rum-pum-pum-pum" repeatedly over an intensifying reggae beat that would make Sister Nancy and Bob Marley proud.
Nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2021 GRAMMYs, Loud is Rihanna's second most commercially successful LP — and for good reason. It was especially refreshing to see Rihanna emerge from one of the darkest periods of her life as exuberant as ever.
An Unapologetic Queen
Sonically and thematically, Talk That Talk doesn't break new ground, but Rih's DGAF attitude is front and center with plenty of sexual innuendos: Songs like "S&M" and "Rude Boy" seem pretty tame next to "Cockiness (Love It)," which features longtime friend-turned-boyfriend A$AP Rocky on its remix. "Suck my cockiness/ Lick my persuasion/ Eat my poison/ And swallow your pride down, down," she commands in the tantalizing chorus.
At just over a minute long, "Birthday Cake" leaves nothing to the imagination ("It's not even my birthday, but he wanna lick the icing off"). Rihanna controversially released a full-length version in the form of a remix with Chris Brown.
On an album that mostly sees Rihanna singing about her sexual fantasies, "We All Want Love" pulls back the curtain as it reveals her desire for true love: "And some say love ain't worth the buck/ But I'll give my last dime/ To have what I've only been dreaming about."
Her longing continues in "Where Have You Been," which flaunts Rihanna's versatility, flipping Geoff Mack's 1959 country song "I've Been Everywhere" into an infectious EDM banger. Lead single "We Found Love" is undeniably the biggest hit to stem from the Talk That Talk era, spending 10 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100.
Boosting Calvin Harris' career, "We Found Love" presents one juxtaposition after the other: dark yet gleaming, euphoric yet sobering, fraught yet hopeful. Rihanna relies on more than just evocative lyrics to tell her story; accompanying synthesizers and alarm bells help to paint a picture as well. Met with controversy, its intense visuals portraying a drug-fueled, toxic relationship — and featuringwhat many speculated was a Chris Brown look-alike — earned RiRi a GRAMMY for Best Long Form Music Video in 2013.
Seven years into an already extraordinary career, 2012's Unapologetic became Rihanna's first album to debut at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. Its lead single "Diamonds" resonated in an equally major way, giving Rih her 12th No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Written by Sia, the power ballad kicked off another exciting era for the Barbadian singer, who unleashes an impassioned vocal performance. One of Rihanna's most precious offerings to date, "Diamonds" emerged as a self-love mantra due to its uplifting "Shine bright like a diamond" chant.
Vocally, Rihanna's strength lies in her ability to evoke raw emotion à la "Stay." Featuring Mikky Ekko, the stripped-down, slow-burning piano ballad narrowly missed the top spot on the Hot 100 but gave Rihanna her 24th top 10 hit, surpassing Whitney Houston's record of 23 in 2013.
Her swagger is boisterous in "Phresh Out the Runway," "Jump," and strip club anthem "Pour It Up," but "Nobody's Business" really drives home the album's theme of being unbothered. Her decision to join forces with Chris Brown yet again perplexed fans and critics alike, though the track itself is an irresistible production that features a genius interpolation of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel."
Further down the track list, "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" is as autobiographical as it gets, and further taps into Rihanna's emotionally vulnerable side. "Mr. Jesus, I'd love to be a queen/ But I'm from the left side of an island/ Never thought this many people would even know my name," she pleads in the seven-minute two-parter.
Unapologetic spawned fewer hit singles compared to Rihanna's previous efforts. Its win for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2014 GRAMMYs, however, proved that Rihanna's reign wasn't letting up anytime soon.
While recording her then-forthcoming album, ANTI, Rihanna delivered what is arguably the single most unapologetic moment of her career: "Bitch Better Have My Money." The backstory is almost inconceivable given Rihanna's awe-inspiring billionaire status, but in 2009, Rihanna faced bankruptcy due to her accountants mishandling her funds — and thus "Bitch" was born six years later in 2015.
With lyrics like "Your wife in the backseat of my brand new foreign car" over a cryptic-sounding trap beat and an accompanying video depicting kidnapping and torturing her debtors, "Bitch" is not for the faint-hearted. The one-off single is so quintessentially Rihanna that it notably kicked off her Super Bowl halftime show.
An In-Demand Collaborator
While bestowing hit after hit on her own, Rihanna generously lent her distinct voice to some of her biggest peers. 2008 marks one of the earliest instances of her Midas touch: She flirts with funk in Maroon 5's underappreciated "If I Never See Your Face Again" before hopping on T.I.'s "Live Your Life," which shot straight to No. 1 on the Hot 100.
In 2009, Rihanna joined Jay-Z and Kanye West for the militant "Run This Town," sounding defiant as ever in the intro. She was called upon again for West's horn-laden "All of the Lights," flying solo on the hook followed by a star-studded choir that included Alicia Keys, John Legend, Fergie, and Elton John. Both larger-than-life productions won GRAMMYs for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2010 and 2012, respectively.
In between joining forces with Hov and Ye, Rihanna assisted Eminem in "Love the Way You Lie," which struck a nerve with many for its gut-wrenching lyrics shedding a light on abusive relationships. (Rih recorded an equally moving sequel for her Loud album.) Three years later, the two confronted their inner demons in "The Monster," and their musical chemistry scored a GRAMMY in 2015 for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
Amid smash collabs, Rihanna and Coldplay's intricate "Princess of China" number gets lost in the shuffle, but it speaks to her charm as it's the band's first album (2011's Mylo Xyloto) to feature another artist. Another overlooked jam, her sultry "Can't Remember to Forget You" duet with Shakira sees both stars trade lines about struggling to let go of an undeserving lover.
On paper, a collaboration between Rihanna, Kanye West, and Sir Paul McCartney may seem strange, but the unlikely trio is further proof that opposites attract. Their "FourFiveSeconds" is a pop-folk hybrid with a universal message about carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's yet another example of Rihanna's willingness to push past her comfort zone to create something unique.
A year later, Rihanna got listeners on their feet by way of the Taylor Swift-penned "This Is What You Came For" with Calvin Harris. Understated compared to the duo's previous megahits ("We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been"), Harris' signature DJing style and Rih's ethereal vocals are a perfect match.
In 2017, Rih, DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller dropped the song of the summer with "Wild Thoughts," which heavily borrows from Carlos Santana's 1999 GRAMMY-winning "Maria Maria." It may be DJ Khaled's song, but RiRi owns it from the very moment she utters, "I don't know if you could take it/ Know you wanna see me nakey, nakey, naked." The bop reached No. 2 on the Hot 100.
She spits bars in Kendrick Lamar's "Loyalty" and "Lemon" with N.E.R.D., the latter of which comes close to rivaling your favorite rappers' verses: "You can catch me, Rih, in the new La Ferrar'/ And the truck behind me got arms/ Yeah, longer than LeBron/ Just waitin' for my thumb like The Fonz."
No matter what genre Rihanna touches or what artist she links up with, she brings her full self to each session whilst completely immersing herself into the music — taking on different personas to make the collab well worth it.
An Artist Fully Realized
With 13 No. 1s and twice as many top 10 hits under her belt, Rihanna set out to create timeless music instead of chasing a radio-friendly formula with her 2016 magnum opus, ANTI.
But that shift began with 2015's criminally underrated "American Oxygen." Her most political statement at the time, the goosebump-inducing lyrics detail Rihanna's journey as an immigrant, foreshadowing her then soon-to-be massive Fenty Beauty success. "We sweat for a nickel and a dime/ Turn it into an empire," she sings in the chorus.
Released four years after Unapologetic — her longest gap between albums at the time — ANTI illustrated Rihanna's greater desire for quality over quantity. "I needed the music to match my growth," she told Vogue in 2016 about the making of ANTI. "I didn't want to get caught up with anything the world liked, anything the radio liked, anything that I liked, that I've already heard. I just wanted it to be me."
The black-and-white, red paint-splattered album cover signals a rebirth, featuring a real-life image of Rihanna as a child. ANTI lives up to its name in its first 40 seconds, via opening track "Consideration." The minute she declares, "I got to do things my own way, darling," it's apparent that ANTI is not your average Rihanna album.
Lead single "Work" is the closest to pre-ANTI Rihanna on an album that defies expectations. But the dancehall masterpiece is one of a kind for Rih's refusal to water down the Jamaican patois (different from her native language of Bajan Creole) — proving that she is fully aware of her impact as one of the biggest Caribbean-born artists to make it in the U.S.
Many non-understanding listeners described it as "gibberish" at the time. Yet, the general public didn't seem to mind: About a month after its release, "Work" became Rihanna's 14th and longest-running chart-topper on the Hot 100. Weeks later, ANTI became her second LP to top the Billboard 200 chart. Subsequently, Rihanna held the No. 1 spots on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 simultaneously, her second time achieving such an impressive feat.
Read More: How Rihanna's "Work" Reinvigorated Dancehall
ANTI is full of pleasant surprises that show off her artistry. Rihanna comes out of left field with the Prince-inspired "Kiss It Better," the album's second single, which sees the superstar falling back on addictive sex that "feels like crack" to justify a destructive relationship. "Same Ol' Mistakes" is a cover of psychedelic rock band Tame Impala's "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" — her first time remaking another artist's song for her own album since "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" on Music of the Sun. The Western-themed "Desperado" lends itself particularly well to covers by country artists, while the Dido-sampling "Never Ending" conveys the uncertainty she feels about entering a new relationship.
Elsewhere on ANTI, Rihanna drunk dials an ex ("Higher"), compares smoking weed to her lover ("James Joint"), and chastises a guy for getting emotionally attached after their fling ("Needed Me"). The latter song contains one of Rihanna's most empowering lyrics: "Didn't they tell you that I was a savage?/ F— ya white horse and ya carriage," she asserts in the pre-chorus.
Her voice sounds stronger than ever on "Love on the Brain," a doo-wop ballad resembling Etta James. But Rihanna makes it her own thanks to the bluntness of lines like "It beats me black and blue but it f— me so good."
The deep cuts on ANTI aren't merely fillers, and even rival some of the album's biggest hits. For instance, "Sex with Me" is featured on the deluxe edition as a bonus track, but managed to crack the Hot 100 at No. 83 and reach No. 8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Furthermore, the deluxe edition consists of 16 tracks, half of which topped the Dance Club Songs chart — smashing the record (previously held by Katy Perry's Teenage Dream) for the most No. 1s from a single album.
Accolades aside, ANTI is proof that magic happens when an artist of Rihanna's caliber follows their own instincts in pursuit of creating a body of work — one that can outlast them and continue to inspire generations to come.
Ever since ANTI, Rihanna's devoted fanbase has been begging for a new album, with Rih playfully trolling them with responses like "I lost it" and Instagram captions that read, "Me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it."
Her much-awaited return to music came at the tail end of 2022. The hitmaker twice contributed to the GRAMMY-nominated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack: "Born Again" and "Lift Me Up," the latter of which helped Rihanna score her first Oscar and Golden Globe nominations in 2022 and 2023, respectively. With the glorious "Lift Me Up," she found herself in the top 10 for the first time since 2017's "Wild Thoughts."
While the world is still anticipating her ninth studio album, Rihanna — now a mom of two boys — continues to make her own rules and move at her own pace. But as she's proven time and time again, it's always worth the wait.
The Rihanna Essentials: 15 Singles To Celebrate The Singer's Endless Pop Reign
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Photo: L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
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17 Love Songs That Have Won GRAMMYs: "I Will Always Love You," "Drunk In Love" & More
Over the GRAMMYs' 66-year history, artists from Frank Sinatra to Ed Sheeran have taken home golden gramophones for their heartfelt tunes. Take a look at some of the love songs that have won GRAMMYs.
Editor's Note: This is an update to a story from 2017.
Without heart-bursting, world-shifting love songs, music wouldn't be the same. There are countless classic and chart-topping hits dedicated to love, and several of them have won GRAMMYs.
We're not looking at tunes that merely deal with shades of love or dwell in heartbreak. We're talking out-and-out, no-holds-barred musical expressions of affection — the kind of love that leaves you wobbly at the knees.
No matter how you're celebrating Valentine's Day (or not), take a look at 18 odes to that feel-good, mushy-gushy love that have taken home golden gramophones over the years.
Frank Sinatra, "Strangers In The Night"
Record Of The Year / Best Vocal Performance, Male, 1967
Ol' Blue Eyes offers but a glimmer of hope for the single crowd on Valentine's Day, gently ruminating about exchanging glances with a stranger and sharing love before the night is through.
Willie Nelson, "Always On My Mind"
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, 1983
In this cover, Nelson sings to the woman in his life, lamenting over those small things he should have said and done, but never took the time. Don't find yourself in the same position this Valentine's Day.
Lionel Richie, "Truly"
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, 1983
"Truly" embodies true dedication to a loved one, and it's delivered with sincerity from the king of '80s romantic pop — who gave life to the timeless love-song classics "Endless Love," "Still" and "Three Times A Lady."
Roy Orbison, "Oh, Pretty Woman"
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, 1991
Orbison captures the essence of encountering a lovely woman for the first time, and offers helpful one-liners such as "No one could look as good as you" and "I couldn't help but see … you look as lovely as can be." Single men, take notes.
Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You"
Record Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, 1994
Houston passionately delivers a message of love, remembrance and forgiveness on her version of this song, which was written by country sweetheart Dolly Parton and first nominated for a GRAMMY in 1982.
Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic)"
Record Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, 1999
This omnipresent theme song from the 1997 film Titanic was propelled to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 as the story of Jack and Rose (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and GRAMMY winner Kate Winslet) swept the country.
Shania Twain, "You're Still The One"
Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Song, 1999
Co-written with producer and then-husband Mutt Lange, Twain speaks of beating the odds with love and perseverance in lyrics such as, "I'm so glad we made it/Look how far we've come my baby," offering a fresh coat of optimism for couples of all ages.
Usher & Alicia Keys, "My Boo"
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, 2005
"There's always that one person that will always have your heart," sings Usher in this duet with Keys, taking the listener back to that special first love. The chemistry between the longtime friends makes this ode to “My Boo” even more heartfelt, and the love was still palpable even 20 years later when they performed it on the Super Bowl halftime show stage.
Bruno Mars, "Just The Way You Are"
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, 2011
Dating advice from Bruno Mars: If you think someone is beautiful, you should tell them every day. Whether or not it got Mars a date for Valentine's Day, it did get him a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona, "Fool For You"
Best Traditional R&B Performance, 2012
It's a far cry from his previous GRAMMY-winning song, "F*** You," but "Fool For You" had us yearning for "that deep, that burning/ That amazing unconditional, inseparable love."
Justin Timberlake, "Pusher Love Girl"
Best R&B Song, 2014
Timberlake is so high on the love drug he's "on the ceiling, baby." Timberlake co-wrote the track with James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon and Timbaland, and it's featured on his 2013 album The 20/20 Experience, which flew high to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Beyoncé & Jay-Z, "Drunk In Love"
Best R&B Performance / Best R&B Song, 2015
While "Drunk In Love" wasn't the first love song that won Beyoncé and Jay-Z a GRAMMY — they won two GRAMMYs for "Crazy In Love" in 2004 — it is certainly the sexiest. This quintessential 2010s bop from one of music's most formidable couples captures why their alliance set the world's hearts aflame (and so did their steamy GRAMMYs performance of it).
Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"
Song Of The Year / Best Pop Solo Performance, 2016
Along with his abundant talent, Sheeran's boy-next-door charm is what rocketed him to the top of the pop ranks. And with swooning lyrics and a waltzing melody, "Thinking Out Loud" is proof that he's a modern-day monarch of the love song.
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, "Shallow"
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance / Best Song Written For Visual Media, 2019
A Star is Born's cachet has gone up and down with its various remakes, but the 2018 iteration was a smash hit. Not only is that thanks to moving performances from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, but particularly thanks to their impassioned, belt-along duet "Shallow."
H.E.R. & Daniel Caesar, "Best Part"
Best R&B Performance, 2019
"If life is a movie/ Know you're the best part." Who among us besotted hasn't felt their emotions so widescreen, so thunderous? Clearly, H.E.R. and Daniel Caesar have — and they poured that feeling into the GRAMMY-winning ballad "Best Part."
Kacey Musgraves, "Butterflies"
Best Country Solo Performance, 2019
As Musgraves' Album Of The Year-winning LP Golden Hour shows, the country-pop star can zoom in or out at will, capturing numberless truths about the human experience. With its starry-eyed lyrics and swirling production, "Butterflies" perfectly encapsulates the flutter in your stomach that love can often spark.
Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber, "10,000 Hours"
Best Country Duo/Group Performance, 2021
When country hook-meisters Dan + Shay teamed up with pop phenom Justin Bieber, their love song powers were unstoppable. With more than 1 billion Spotify streams alone, "10,000 Hours" has become far more than an ode to just their respective wives; it's an anthem for any lover.