I think maybe it's more of a backlash against classic artists doing cover albums of oldies (Hello Rod Stewart)
But I agree the Grammy's are a joke! Didn't the Beatles wait to get their first Grammy for "Let it Be"?
This is from the B104 Rock Report
http://b104fm.com/music-2/the-rock-report-2/CLASSIC ARTISTS SECURE KEY GRAMMY NOMS
Plenty of classic artists held their own when the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were announced this week — with Paul McCartney, Elton John, Neil Young, Eric Clapton and the Doors‘ Robby Krieger all in the running for various awards. Jeff Beck was clearly a favorite with Academy voters, scoring noms in such categories as Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, Best Rock Album, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, and Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Beck’s former Yardbirds bandmate Jimmy Page feels that Beck’s influence cannot be underestimated: ["He's been instrumental in pioneering a whole blueprints that was totally unique to him for everyone else to learn from. I mean, no one's ever equaled what Jeff's done, but he's -- he really shifted the whole sound and face of the electric guitar music, y'know?"] SOUNDCUE (:16 OC: . . . guitar music y’know)
* Paul McCartney’s live rendition of the Beatles‘ 1968 White Album classic “Helter Skelter” faces stiff competition from new songs by Eric Clapton, Neil Young, and Robert Plant in the Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance category.
* McCartney’s current live show is by far the hardest rocking set he’s played since Wings’ lone North American tour back in 1976. Rusty Anderson, who’s been McCartney’s lead guitarist since 2001, recalled how the band finally got McCartney to finally add “Helter Skelter” to the setlist: ["I was working on Paul for 'Helter Skelter' since the first time we played the Super Bowl, before we even went on tour (in 2002). I said 'Hey, y'know what would be a really rad song to play, Paul?' He said 'what?' I said 'Helter Skelter,' and he goes (imitates McCartney) 'Oh, yeah' (laughs). It took him a while to warm up to it. And we kept prodding him and prodding him and he put it in the set -- but we still hadn't rehearsed it. We said, 'Paul are we gonna rehearse 'Helter Skelter?' And finally we did it. .. and I remember playing it at rehearsal and some of the pre-show dancers started coming out and dancing and rocking to it and all of a sudden he started realizing how great it is."] SOUNDCUE (:34 OC: . . . great it is)
* The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards airs on CBS on February 13th at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Classic artist nominations went to:
* Best Pop Instrumental Album
Singularity — Robby Krieger
* Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
“Imagine” — Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare
“If It Wasn’t For Bad” — Elton John & Leon Russell
* Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time — Barry Manilow
Let It Be Me: Mathis In Nashville — Johnny Mathis
Fly Me To The Moon…The Great American Songbook: Volume V — Rod Stewart
Love Is The Answer — Barbra Streisand
* Best Rock Song
“Angry World” — Neil Young
* Best Rock Album
Emotion & Commotion — Jeff Beck
Backspacer — Pearl Jam
Mojo — Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Le Noise — Neil Young
* Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
“Run Back To Your Side” — Eric Clapton
“Crossroads” — John Mayer
“Helter Skelter” — Paul McCartney
“Silver Rider” — Robert Plant
“Angry World” — Neil Young
* Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
“I Put A Spell On You” — Jeff Beck & Joss Stone
* Best Hard Rock Performance
“A Looking In View” — Alice In Chains
“Let Me Hear You Scream” — Ozzy Osbourne
“Black Rain” — Soundgarden
“Between The Lines” — Stone Temple Pilots
“New Fang” — Them Crooked Vultures
* Best Rock Instrumental Performance
“Hammerhead” — Jeff Beck
“Black Mud” — The Black Keys
“Do The Murray” — Los Lobos
“Kundalini Bonfire” — Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
“The Deathless Horsie” — Dweezil Zappa
* Best Americana Album
The List — Rosanne Cash
Tin Can Trust — Los Lobos
Country Music — Willie Nelson
Band Of Joy — Robert Plant
You Are Not Alone — Mavis Staples
* Best Traditional Blues Album
Memphis Blues — Cyndi Lauper
Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites — Jimmie Vaughan
* Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
“Down In New Orleans” (From The Princess And The Frog) — Randy Newman
“Kiss Like Your Kiss” (From True Blood) — Lucinda Williams
“This City” (From Treme) — Steve Earle
* Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
Toy Story 3 — Randy Newman
* Best Album Notes
Big Star‘s Keep An Eye On The Sky — Robert Gordon, album notes writer
* Best Historical Album
The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings)
Jeff Jones, compilation producer; Paul Hicks, Sean Magee, Guy Massey, Sam Okel & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers
Buddy Holly – Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings And More
Andy McKaie, compilation producer; Erick Labson, mastering engineer
* Best Short Form Music Video
Ain’t No Grave / The Johnny Cash Project — Chris Milk, video director; Jennifer Heath, Aaron Koblin & Rick Rubin.
* Best Long Form Music Video
When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors — Tom Dicillo, video director; John Beug, Jeff Jampol, Peter Jankowski & Dick Wolf, video producers.