Editor's Note: This article was originally published on Feb. 8, 2018 and was updated on Feb. 12, 2025 to reflect current stats and wins; Taylor Weatherby also contributed.

Black artists have been making history at the GRAMMYs since the awards were first presented on May 4, 1959, when Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie each took home two awards. African-American creators have continued to set records and celebrate monumental firsts through the 2025 GRAMMYs, when Beyoncé became the first Black artist to win the golden gramophone for Best Country Album.

Of course, that's not Beyoncé's only GRAMMY record. And she's joined by a host of other Black superstars that have had a historic moment on the GRAMMY stage, from Michael Jackson's huge night in 1983 to Lauryn Hill's big win in 1998.

To help celebrate Black History Month, take a look at 15 Black artists who have set GRAMMY records.

The 5th Dimension

Los Angeles soul group the 5th Dimension had two big GRAMMY nights in 1968 and 1970, scooping up six awards between the two. And with those six wins, they became the first group or duo to win twice for Record Of The Year: "Up, Up And Away" in 1968, and "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" in 1970.

Babyface

In 1993, Babyface shared his first Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical win with L.A. Reid, and the pair tied for the win with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. But just three years later, he won on his own — and proceeded to win the award solo for three years straight.

With that, Babyface became a four-time winner in the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical Category, making him the only producer to do so to date.

Thom Bell

The 1974 GRAMMYs marked the first year that the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical Category was awarded. Thom Bell was the inaugural winner, making him the first producer to win Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

Beyoncé

Perhaps Beyoncé's biggest story of the 2025 GRAMMYs was her first win for Album Of The Year, but she actually made history with another one of her three wins. COWBOY CARTER was also crowned Best Country Album, making Beyoncé the first Black artist to win in the Category.

The "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" singer's three wins at the 2025 GRAMMYs brought her total to 35, which extends her lead as the artist with the most GRAMMYs. She actually broke the record at the 2023 GRAMMYs, when she won four golden gramophones to bring her total to 32.

Beyoncé broke another record prior to the 2025 GRAMMYs, as her 11 nominations brought her total to 99 — making her the artist with the most GRAMMY nominations, too.

Interestingly, Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, are the only couple where both individuals have received 20 or more GRAMMYs. As of press time, Jay-Z has won 25.

Long before setting her latest records, Beyoncé had another historic GRAMMY night in 2010. She became the first woman to win six GRAMMYs in one night thanks to I Am… Sasha Fierce; her awards included Song Of The Year for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)."

Ray Charles

During his remarkable lifetime, Ray Charles was a 12-time GRAMMY winner. And even after his passing in 2004 at the age of 73, he not only managed to posthumously add more to that count, but he also made GRAMMY history in doing so.

Charles' beloved final album, 2004's posthumously released Genius Loves Company, won five golden gramophones at the 2005 GRAMMYs, including Album Of The Year. As of press time, it holds the record as the most posthumous GRAMMYs in one night.

Elizabeth Cotten

Blues and folk pioneer Elizabeth Cotten won her first GRAMMY at 90 years old, which also made her the oldest female artist to win a GRAMMY. She was 90 years and 52 days old when she won Best Ethnic Or Traditional Folk Recording for Elizabeth Cotten Live! at the 1985 GRAMMYs (which beats Betty White's record by 26 days, as the late comedian's 2011 win for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) came when she was 90 years and 26 days old).

Ella Fitzgerald

At the very first GRAMMYs in 1959, Ella Fitzgerald was nominated for Album Of The Year for Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book. Not only was she the only woman in the Category, but the nomination made her the first woman to ever receive an Album Of The Year nomination.

Eight years later, Fitzgerald also became the first woman to receive a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roberta Flack

At the 1973 GRAMMYs, Roberta Flack won Record Of The Year for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." She won the Category the following year as well for "Killing Me Softly With His Song," making her the first artist to win back-to-back awards for Record Of The Year.

Aretha Franklin

From 1968-2011, Aretha Franklin accrued an impressive 18 GRAMMY wins and 44 nominations. Among her wins is a unique record: most consecutive awards in any Category.

Franklin won Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for eight consecutive years, from 1968 to 1975; the streak kicked off with her classic hit "Respect."

Lauryn Hill

To this day, Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is revered as one of hip-hop's most iconic albums — and the 1999 GRAMMYs was proof of its significance.

At the ceremony, Hill had five wins, becoming the first woman to win five GRAMMYs in one night. One of those golden gramophones was for Album Of The Year, which made Hill the first rapper to win Album Of The Year. (One year prior, she also became the first woman to win in the Best Rap Album Category, when her group, the Fugees, won for The Score.)

Michael Jackson

At the 1984 GRAMMYs, the King of Pop became the first artist to win eight GRAMMYs in one night, thanks to his blockbuster album Thriller. The album helped Michael Jackson take home Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year for "Beat It," as well as Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical alongside Quincy Jones. His other Thriller wins were in the Pop, Rock and R&B Fields, and he even took home a golden gramophone for Best Recording For Children for his reading of "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial."

With 12 nominations in total that year, Jackson also became the first artist to amass that many nods in one night.

Quincy Jones

While Quincy Jones wasn't the first winner of Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, he became the first to win it two and three times. His first win came in 1982; his second (which he won alongside Michael Jackson) was in 1984; and his third win was in 1991.

Hazel Monét

The 2024 GRAMMYs marked a milestone night for Victoria Monét, who won three GRAMMYs including Best New Artist. But it was also a history-making occasion for her daughter, Hazel, who earned a GRAMMY nomination for featuring on her mom's song "Hollywood," which was up for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Receiving the nomination at just 2 years old, Hazel is the youngest GRAMMY nominee ever.

Pinetop Perkins

Twenty-eight years after his first nomination, Pinetop Perkins won his first GRAMMY at the 2008 GRAMMYs — and became the oldest GRAMMY winner in the process. He won Best Traditional Blues Album, for Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas, at 95 years and 218 days old.

But even more remarkably, three years later, he topped his own record. Winning again in the Best Traditional Blues Album Category (this time for Joined At The Hip), this time, he was 97 years and 221 days old — making him the oldest living artist to win a GRAMMY at that time. (At the 2025 GRAMMYs, Jimmy Carter posthumously won at 100, making him the oldest winner.)

Stevie Wonder

Though Taylor Swift holds the record for the most Album Of The Year wins, Stevie Wonder is the only artist in GRAMMY history to win Album Of The Year with three consecutive studio albums. He achieved this extraordinary three-peat with Innervisions in 1974, Fulfillingness' First Finale in 1975, and Songs In The Key Of Life in 1977.

Innervisions also helped Wonder become the first artist to win Album Of The Year with an entirely self-produced album.

Editor’s Note: Updated Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, to reflect the results of the 2026 Grammys.

1989 was a year of many highlights, from the debut of "The Simpsons" and "Seinfeld" to the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the Game Boy. It was also the first year hip-hop artists won Grammy Awards, an honor that went to D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince for "Parents Just Don't Understand."

Hip-hop and the GRAMMYs have come a long way in the ensuing decades. While Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff broke barriers with their win for Best Rap Performance, the duo boycotted the show because the rap Category was not televised. The boycott proved successful, as the genre Categories began to be televised during the following year, in 1990, and every year since then.  

Read more: Who Are The Top GRAMMY Awards Winners Of All Time? Who Has The Most GRAMMYs?

Now, the Recording Academy celebrates the sounds of hip-hop and acknowledges the genre’s indelible impact; few genres have disrupted and defined music on such a global scale. Hip-hop rappers, producers, and songwriters have significantly shaped the musical landscape, garnering a bevy of Grammy Awards along the way. And although many artists have taken home Grammy Awards since ‘89, there are a few artists in the game who reign supreme. 

Read on for 10 rappers who have won the most Grammy Awards

Kendrick Lamar

27 wins, 66 nominations

Kendrick Lamar’s wins represent a return of “conscious” rap that tackles topics such as race and politics while embracing the art of authentic storytelling. As such, his 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly gave way to many social justice anthems such as “Alright” and “Wesley’s Theory”; the release also took home the award for Best Rap Album at the 58th GRAMMY Awards.

Further reading: Kendrick Lamar's GRAMMY Timeline: From His First Win And Performances To "Not Like Us"

Additionally, Lamar’s most successful album, DAMN — which features hits like “DNA" and “Humble" — won five GRAMMYs Awards. At the 2025 Grammys, the rapper's hit single “Not Like Us” swept its Categories. Among Lamar's wins that night were Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Music Video. At the 2026 Grammys, he won the Grammy for Record Of The Year for “luther,” Best Rap Album for GNX, Best Rap Song for “tv off,” Best Melodic Rap Performance for “luther,” and Best Rap Performance “Chains & Whips” (his collaboration with Clipse), breaking the record for the rapper with the most Grammy wins.

Learn more: Kendrick Lamar Sweeps The 2025 GRAMMYs With Song Of The Year Win

Kendrick Lamar’s influence extends to broader cultural events, such as his groundbreaking 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. The show set a record for viewership and became one of the most-watched halftime shows since the Super Bowl’s inception, surpassing 130 million views. 

Jay-Z

25 wins, 89 nominations

Rapper and business mogul Jay-Z not only holds the record of having the most GRAMMYs of any hip-hop artist, he is also among the most nominated artists of any genre in GRAMMY history.

The rapper’s GRAMMY wins include Best Rap Album, which he won in 1998 for his album Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life. The album, which was nominated for two additional GRAMMYs, was his highest selling and included songs such as “Hard Knock Life” and “Can I Get A…” featuring Ja Rule and Amil. 

Learn more: Songbook: How Jay-Z Created The 'Blueprint' For Rap's Greatest Of All Time

In 2006, Jay-Z made his musical debut at the GRAMMYs when he performed “Numb/Encore” with Linkin Park and “Yesterday’ with Paul McCartney. From solo hits to collabs with some of the most legendary artists in music, Jay-Z has dominated the GRAMMYs and shows no signs of slowing down. 

Read more: 8 Ways Jay-Z's 'The Black Album' Changed The Hip-Hop Game

His influence was further acknowledged In 2024, when he was bestowed with the prestigious Dr. Dre GRAMMY Global Impact Award. In June 2025, his debut album Reasonable Doubt was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. Not only has he been instrumental in East Coast hip-hop, he has had a hand in shaping fashion and other societal pillars on a global scale, opening doors for artists to go beyond music and branch off into other ventures. 

Kanye West

24 wins, 76 nominations

Kanye West has the second most GRAMMYs of any hip-hop artist, with 24 awards and 76 nominations. His GRAMMY accolades in multiple fields and Categories highlight his versatility as an artist: such as Jesus is King (Best Contemporary Christian Music Album) and The College DropOut (Best Rap Album), the latter of which was his first GRAMMY win in 2004. His awards also reflect his work as a producer; his GRAMMY wins in this arena include Best R&B Song for Alicia Keys’ hit “You Don’t Know My Name,” which West also co-wrote.

West also took home a golden gramophone Best Rap Solo Performance for the hit song "Gold Digger" with Jamie Foxx. At 2008 GRAMMYs, he performed his hit “Stronger” alongside Daft Punk, complete with illuminated, futuristic visuals. In all, Kanye has pushed boundaries with music and art, sampling songs and turning performances into experiences.

Eminem

15 wins, 47 nominations

Eminem’s influence in the industry is evident not only by his chart-topping hits, but also by the number of golden gramophones he has secured. The Detroit rapper, who has effortlessly merged lyrical skill with shock, is both among the best-selling artists of all time and the rapper with the most GRAMMY awards.

Further reading: Songbook: A Deep Dive Into Eminem's Inimitable Career

He is also the only rapper who has won the award for Best Rap Album for three consecutive LPs. Eminem won his first GRAMMYs for The Slim Shady LP; these awards include Best Rap Solo Performance ("My Name Is"), as well as the award for Best Rap Album. 2000's The Marshall Mathers LP, which features "The Real Slim Shady" and "Forget About Dre," won three GRAMMY Awards/ The album also features Eminem's hit song "Stan," which the artist performed at the GRAMMYs as a duet with Elton John.

Read more: 4 Reasons Why Eminem's 'The Slim Shady LP' Is One Of The Most Influential Rap Records

Pharrell Williams

13 wins, 39 nominations

Pharrell Williams' versatility as a rapper, producer, pop artist and songwriter has garnered 13 GRAMMY wins. His awards showcase different facets of his artistry, from his days as a member of the group the Neptunes, to his work as a solo artist and producer.

From Beyoncé to Britney Spears, he has worked with a range of artists and has thrice taken home the golden gramophone for Producer Of The Year, Non Classical. Highlighting his production work, Pharrell's first GRAMMY was for producing Justin Timberlake’s 2003 album  Justified. His collaboration with Daft Punk spawned the popular hit "Get Lucky," which won GRAMMYs Awards for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. 

As an artist and producer, Pharrell is able to blend pop and hip-hop effortlessly. Pharrell’s "Happy," from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, took home two GRAMMY Awards (as well as an Oscar nomination) and became one of the best-selling singles of the 2010s. Though Pharrell’s ingenuity has opened doors for him to work with an array of artists, he still holds hip-hop in high regard. In recent years, his work on Kendrick Lamar’s albums has spawned several GRAMMYs and nominations–including a win for Kendrick’s song "Alright" off of his album To Pimp a Butterfly. 

Learn more: 4 Ways Pharrell Williams Has Made An Impact: Supporting The Music Industry, Amplifying Social Issues & More

Andre "3000" Benjamin

9 wins, 28 nominations

Andre 3000’s innovative sound and style has pushed creative boundaries in music and netted multiple GRAMMY Awards. Andre 3000's wins and nominations–in both rap and R&B–reflect his work as a solo artist and as part of the group OutKast. His wins include Best Rap Album for Stankonia, as well as Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the hit song "Hey Ya," off of the Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album. Additionally, Andre 3000 has also won a GRAMMY for Best R&B Performance for his feature on Anderson .Paak’s song "Come Home."

His versatility as an artist is evident on his recent instrumental jazz album, New Blue Sun, which earned him three nominations at the 2025 GRAMMYs. Additionally, this album showcases a departure from some of the sounds Andre 3000 is known for, and shows audiences that he is unafraid to challenge musical conventions. 

Read more: André 3000 On 'New Blue Sun,' Finding Inspiration In Visual Art & His New Musical Journey

Anderson .Paak 

9 wins, 14 nominations

Although Anderson .Paak is best known for his contributions to R&B, he has netted GRAMMYs for his work as a rapper. He won his first GRAMMY for "Bubblin," a song which took home Best Rap Performance at the 2019 GRAMMYs. At the 2021 GRAMMY Awards, he won Best Melodic Rap Performance for his single "Lockdown." Additionally, he has also secured multiple GRAMMY wins as part of the R&B duo Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars.

The group’s best-selling album, An Evening With Silk Sonic, features the hit song "Leave the Door Open" and brings together R&B and funk. The melodious genre mix ultimately earned the group GRAMMYs for Best R&B Performance and Record Of The Year. 

As a solo artist, Anderson .Paak has also carved out a distinctive and celebrated career, earning multiple GRAMMYs for his genre-bending albums that showcase his unique blend of singing and rapping. 

Lauryn Hill

8 wins, 19 nominations 

Lauryn Hill has established a benchmark for female artists in hip-hop, setting an exceptionally high bar that many artists still aspire to reach. 

Her seminal 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, achieved widespread critical acclaim before becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. Additionally, it is the first hip-hop album to win a GRAMMY for Album Of The Year. The album ultimately launched Lauryn Hill’s career into the stratosphere; she became the first female rapper with a diamond-certified album. It is also the only solo album Lauryn has put forward to date. In 2024, the album was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. 

Read more: Revisiting 'The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill': Why The Multiple GRAMMY-Winning Record Is Still Everything 25 Years Later

Although Lauryn Hill’s artistry and lyrical depth has garnered her GRAMMYs as a solo artist, her success also stems from her contributions as a songwriter and vocalist for the hip-hop group the Fugees. The group’s second album, The Score, earned two GRAMMYs and includes the hit song "Killing Me Softly," which is a rendition of Roberta Flack’s original.Additionally, at the 42nd GRAMMY Awards, Lauryn Hill also won a GRAMMY for her work on Santana’s influential album Supernatural, which was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame this year. 

Dr. Dre

7 wins, 26 nominations

Dr. Dre was and remains a highly influential figure in West Coast hip-hop, who has achieved significant success as a rapper, producer and founding member of the group N.W.A.

Throughout his extensive career, Dr. Dre has earned seven GRAMMYs, including the first win for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical by a hip-hop producer and artist. 

His acclaimed solo album, The Chronic garnered Dr. Dre his first GRAMMY for his single "Let Me Ride" (Best Rap Solo Performance). His best-selling album 2001, was also GRAMMY nominated and features popular tracks like "Still D.R.E." and "The Next Episode" with Snoop Dogg. Beyond his solo achievements, he has been instrumental in launching the careers of artists such as Eminem and producing classic albums for both Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent.

In 2023, Dr. Dre was honored with having the distinguished GRAMMY Global Impact Award carry his namesake. Since the award’s inception, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys have received this accolade.

OutKast

6 wins, 16 nominations 

OutKast’s creative approach to hip-hop has helped them win six GRAMMYs and secure 16 nominations. The duo of Andre "3000" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton, have pushed genre boundaries blending rap, jazz, and pop while staying true to their Southern roots. In 2001, OutKast won their first GRAMMY Awards, one being Best Rap Album for Stankonia.

Their 2004 win for their innovative double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was a defining moment for Southern rap; it notably became the second hip-hop album to receive the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album. The album, which was certified diamond, features multiple chart-topping hits such as "The Way You Move" featuring Sleepy Brown and "Hey Ya."

Read more: 10 Reasons Why Outkast's 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below' Is One Of Rap's Most Influential Double Albums

Honorable Mentions

There are many hip-hop artists who have received extensive nominations but have yet to receive a GRAMMY Award — notwithstanding their important contributions to the genre. Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott and Rick Ross each have numerous nominations but no golden gramophone. Snoop leads this pack with a total of 16 nominations, followed by Busta and Minaj (each with a dozen), Scott (10), and Ross (nine). Post Malone stands out, however, with 18 career nominations and no wins.

See the full list of winners and nominees from the 2026 Grammys.

Watch highlights and exclusive Grammys content from the 2026 Grammys all year long.

The Recording Academy has announced the performers for its annual In Memoriam tribute for the 2026 Grammys. Reba McEntire will be joined by Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson to pay tribute to those we've recently lost in the creative community and honor some of the musical icons who have passed away recently.

Ms. Lauryn Hill will also perform in honor of D'Angelo and Roberta Flack.

Post Malone, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, and Slash will also perform a special tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.

In Memoriam: See the full list of the music legends we've lost.

The full performers lineup at the 2026 Grammys includes:

• Current Best New Artist Grammy nominees Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, SOMBR, and The Marías, who are performing in a special Best New Artist segment

• Bruno Mars, who is currently nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 2026 Grammys

• Clipse and Pharrell Williams, who are currently nominated at the 2026 Grammys for their work on the former's Let God Sort Em Out

• Justin Bieber, who is currently nominated for four Grammy Awards at the 2026 Grammys

• Lady Gaga, who is currently nominated for seven Grammy Awards at the 2026 Grammys

• Ms. Lauryn Hill will perform in honor of D'Angelo and Roberta Flack in the annual In Memoriam tribute at the 2026 Grammys

• Post Malone, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, and Slash will perform a special tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in the annual In Memoriam segment at the 2026 Grammys

• Reba McEntire joined by Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson, who will pay tribute to those we've recently lost in the annual In Memoriam tribute at the 2026 Grammys

• ROSÉ, who is currently nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 2026 Grammys

• Sabrina Carpenter, who is currently nominated for six Grammy Awards at the 2026 Grammys

• Tyler, The Creator, who is currently nominated for six Grammy Awards

See the full list of performers and hosts at the 2026 Grammys to date (updating in real time).

The 2026 Grammys, hosted by Trevor Noah, will broadcast live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+^.

Hours ahead of the live telecast, the 2026 Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony, where the majority of the Grammy Awards of the day are awarded, will stream live from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.grammy.com.

Learn more about how to watch the 2026 Grammys.

The Grammy Awards are the only peer-recognized accolade in music and are voted on by the Recording Academy's voting membership body of music makers who represent all genres and creative disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, producers, mixers, and engineers.

Fulwell Entertainment is producing the 2026 Grammy Awards for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor, Jesse Collins, and Trevor Noah are executive producers.

^Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the episodes airs.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2023 but was updated in 2025 with the addition of four songs.

If the holiday of trick or treating, pumpkin carving and decorating the yard with skeletons is your favorite of the year, then you'll no doubt already have a playlist stacked with creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky bangers ready to fire up on Oct. 31. But if you want to add a bit of prestige to your supernatural soundtrack, there's another list of Halloween-friendly songs to check out — one that highlights another celebrated annual occasion.

Along with giving GRAMMY gold to the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Slayer and Vampire Weekend, the Recording Academy has embraced the odd musical spooktacular in several forms. It granted Halloween obsessive Frank Zappa Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Jazz from Hell in 1988; the year after, it handed Robert Cray Band Best Contemporary Blues Recording for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. In fact, two of the GRAMMYs' most decorated albums are eerily titled: Michael Jackson's Thriller and Santana's Supernatural, which respectively won seven and nine golden gramophones.

The Recording Academy has also dished out goodies (of the statuette, rather than the sweet, variety) to the likes of Mavis Staples' "See That My Grave Is Clean," Chick Corea's "Three Ghouls," Mastodon's "A Sultan's Curse," and TLC's "Creep." And it's given GRAMMY nominations to several more ominously named releases, including Frank Sinatra's "Witchcraft," AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," Jeff Beck and Joss Stone's version of the spooky classic "I Put a Spell On You," and Olivia Rodrigo's "vampire."

In celebration of Halloween, check out 14 other works — whether creepy-sounding or creepily titled — that have left Music's Biggest Night completely bewitched.

Stevie Wonder — "Superstition"

Best Rhythm & Blues Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance Male, 1974 GRAMMYS

It seems unlikely that Stevie Wonder walked under a ladder, crossed a black cat, or "broke the lookin' glass" while recording "Superstition" — the squelchy Moog-funk classic kickstarted his remarkable run of 25 GRAMMY Awards when it won both Best Rhythm & Blues Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance Male in 1974.

Taken from what many consider to be his magnum opus, 1972's Talking Book, "Superstition" also gave Wonder his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in over a decade. And the soul legend further leaned into its supernatural theme in 2013 when he appeared as a witch doctor in a Bud Light Super Bowl commercial soundtracked by the ominous chart-topper.

Mike Oldfield — "Tubular Bells"

Best Instrumental Composition, 1975 GRAMMYS

Considering how perfectly Mike Oldfield's prog-rock epic Tubular Bells complements all-time classic horror flick The Exorcist, it's remarkable to think that it was recorded before director William Friedkin came calling. Oldfield, then aged only 19, used a variety of obscure instruments across its two mammoth pieces. Yet, it's the brilliantly creepy Steinway piano riffs that open Part One that are still most likely to bring anyone who experienced the movie's hysteria in a cold sweat.

Oldfield was rewarded for helping to scar a generation of moviegoers for life when a condensed version of his eerie masterpiece picked up the Best Instrumental Composition GRAMMY in 1975.

The Charlie Daniels Band — "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"

Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group, 1980 GRAMMYS

The Charlie Daniels Band certainly proved their storytelling credentials in 1979 when they put their own Southern country-fied spin on the old "deal with the devil" fable. Backed by some fast and furious fiddles, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" tells the tale of a young musician named Johnny who bumps into Beelzebub himself during a jam session in the Peach State. Experiencing a downturn in soul-stealing, the latter then bets he can win a fiddle-off, offering an instrument in gold form against Johnny's spiritual essence.

Luckily, the less demonic party proves he's the "best that's ever been" in a compelling tale that GRAMMY voters declared worthy of a prize, Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group, in 1980.

Michael Jackson — "Thriller"

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, 1984 GRAMMYS

The 1984 GRAMMYs undeniably belonged to Michael Jackson. The King of Pop picked up a whopping 11 nominations for his first blockbuster album, Thriller, and then converted seven of them into wins, including Album Of The Year. (He also took home Best Recording for Children for his narration on audiobook E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.)

Remarkably, the title track's iconic John Landis-directed (and thrillingly horrific) video didn't feature at all; its making of, however, did win Best Music Film the following year. But the song itself did pip fellow superstars Prince, Billy Joel and Lionel Richie to the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance crown. Jackson would also win a GRAMMY 12 years later for another Halloween-esque anthem, his Janet Jackson duet "Scream."

Duran Duran — "Hungry Like the Wolf"

Best Music Video, Short Form, 1984 GRAMMYS

Produced by Colin Thurston, the man behind another early '80s Halloween-friendly classic, (Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy"), "Hungry Like the Wolf" cemented Duran Duran's status as MTV icons. Alongside their much raunchier earlier clip for "Girls on Film," its jungle-themed promo was also responsible for giving the Second British Invasion pin-ups the inaugural GRAMMY Award for Best Music Video, Short Form; it featured on the Duran Duran compilation that was crowned Best Video Album, too. Frontman Simon Le Bon had been inspired to write their U.S. breakthrough hit by Little Red Riding Hood, giving the new wave classic its sinister, and appropriately predatory, edge.

Ray Parker Jr. — "Ghostbusters"

Best Pop Instrumental Performance, 1985 GRAMMYS

Ray Parker Jr. not only topped the Hot 100 for four weeks with his ode to New York's finest parapsychologists, he also picked up a GRAMMY. Just don't expect to hear "who you gonna call?" in the winning version — it was in the Best Pop Instrumental Performance where "Ghostbusters" reigned supreme.

The fact that Parker Jr. wrote, performed, and produced the entire thing meant he still took home the trophy. However, Huey Lewis no doubt felt he should have been the one making the acceptance speech. The blue-eyed soul man settled out of court after claiming the spooky movie theme had borrowed its bassline from "I Want a New Drug," a track Ghostbusters' director Ivan Reitman admitted had been played in film footage intended to inspire Parker Jr.

TLC — "Creep"

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, 1996 GRAMMYS

Although nothing to do with the 2004 London underground slasher or 2014's same-named found-footage horror, TLC's "Creep" still has a strong connection to the scariest date on the calendar: it was released on Halloween in 1994. Furthermore, its themes of infidelity left Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes so spooked that she initially planned to gag herself for its iconic satin pajama video in protest.

Redefining its titular term, the four-week chart-topper finds the husky-voiced T-Boz freely admitting to straying from an unaffectionate relationship, proving that the playa anthem wasn't solely the reserve of their male counterparts. It's a bold feminist act that helped power parent album CrazySexyCool to diamond status and was deservedly rewarded with Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal at the 1996 GRAMMYS (where CrazySexyCool was also crowned Best R&B Album).

Ralph Stanley — "O Death"

Best Male Country Vocal Performance, 2002 GRAMMYS

Traditional Appalachian folk song "O Death" had previously been recorded by the likes of gospel vocalist Bessie Jones, folklorist Mike Seeger and Californian rockers Camper Van Beethoven, just to name a few. Yet it was Ralph Stanley's 2002 version where GRAMMY voters first acknowledged its eerie a cappella charms.

Invited to record the morbid number for the Coen brothers' period satire O Brother, Where Art Thou, the bluegrass veteran won Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 2002 ceremony, also picking up a second GRAMMY alongside the likes of Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, and Emmylou Harris when the soundtrack was crowned Album Of The Year.

Skrillex — "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"

Best Dance Recording, 2012 GRAMMYS

David Bowie fans may well feel aggrieved that his post-punk classic "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" was entirely ignored by GRAMMY voters, while the bro-step banger it inspired was showered with awards. The title track from EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites added Best Dance Recording to Skrillex's 2012 haul: the asymmetrically haired producer also walked away with Best Dance/Electronica Album and Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his work on Benny Benassi's "Cinema." Packed with speaker-blasting beats, distorted basslines, and aggressive synths, Skrillex's wall of noise is enough to scare anyone off their pumpkin pie.

Eminem feat. Rihanna — "The Monster"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, 2015 GRAMMYS

Who says lightning can't strike twice? Just four years after picking up five GRAMMY nominations for their transatlantic chart-topper "Love the Way You Lie," unlikely dream team Eminem and Rihanna once again joined forces for another hip-pop masterclass. Unlike their previous collab, however, "The Monster" didn't go home empty-handed, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2015 ceremony. The boogeyman hiding under the bed here, of course, isn't a Frankenstein-esque creation, but the mix of paranoia, self-doubt and OCD that leads the Real Slim Shady into thinking he needs a straitjacket.

Jason Isbell — "If We Were Vampires"

Best Americana Roots Song, 2018 GRAMMYS

While the Twilight franchise may have failed to add a GRAMMY to its trophy cabinet, it did pick up several nominations. But four years after the Team Edward vs Team Jacob saga wrapped up, folk hero Jason Isbell proved mythical bloodsuckers weren't a barrier to awards success.

Emerging victorious in the Best Americana Roots Song Category, "If We Were Vampires" is a little less emo than the various Twilight soundtracks. Still, as a love song dedicated to wife Amanda Shires — and the quiet acceptance that the Grim Reaper will inevitably end their story — it's certainly no less emotional.

Esperanza Spalding — "12 Little Spells"

Best Jazz Vocal Album (12 Little Spells), 2020 GRAMMYS

Gleefully playing the witch doctor, prolific singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding individually released every song (and an accompanying video) from her seventh album across 11 days before serving up its cauldron of genre-hopping sounds in full. Designed to celebrate the healing powers of art, each referred to a specific part of the body ranging from the abdominal portal to the thoracic spine. The title track's typically esoteric ode to the latter ("Casual ribs house an expanded mind/ Left and right hemispheres in balance") is arguably the most spellbinding part of an alternative human biology lesson that enchanted GRAMMY voters enough to win Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2020.

SZA feat. Phoebe Bridgers — "Ghost in the Machine"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, 2024 GRAMMYS

Despite its ghoulish title, artificial intelligence appears to be the object of terror in what many, including the GRAMMY voters who awarded it Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2024, regard as the highlight of SZA's sophomore. But while the progressive R&B star expresses a world-weary disillusionment with how machines are taking over her livelihood ("Robot got future, I don't/ Robot get sleep but I don't power down"), her musical partner-in-crime Phoebe Bridgers seems more haunted by the breakup — one that's left her standing alone in an airport bar. The result is a tale of two halves that lives up to SZA's "super alternative and strange" claims.

Laufey — "Haunted"

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Bewitched), 2024 GRAMMYS

Sadly not a tribute to the classic '60s sitcom starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Bewitched is instead a self-described "love album" that helped Laufey surpass Björk and Sigur Ros as Iceland's most streamed artist. The singer/songwriter also picked up a Best Traditional Pop GRAMMY in 2024 for her second LP, an immaculate collection of jazz, pop and classical that bridged the gap between Gen-Z and the Great American Songbook. And "Haunted," a poetic lament to unrequited love ("Rose perfume, low-lit room/ I'll pretend you'll stay forever") soundtracked by shuffling bossa nova beats and sultry strings, casts its most potent musical spell.

Mariah Carey, Alanis Morissette, 2Pac and the Smashing Pumpkins all had No. 1 albums in 1995. Despite such hallowed competition, four movie soundtracks also topped the Billboard 200 chart that year. Two were family-friendly Disney behemoths: Pocahontas and The Lion King, the latter still powering from the previous year. The other chart-topping soundtracks, for the Michelle Pfeiffer vehicle Dangerous Minds and the stoner comedy Friday, were no one's idea of kids' entertainment.

Beyond those No. 1 spots, 1995 marked a fascinating midpoint in a soundtrack-heavy decade. According to a New York Times report, a new release CD that year typically cost anywhere between $13-$19. At that price, a soundtrack needed major star power or an undeniable concept.

For movie studios and musicians alike, the format was rich with opportunity. However, there was no certain formula for success. Some soundtracks were guided by a single producer, while others drew on a grab bag of then-current songs. Several featured one clear hit that eclipsed the soundtrack, or occasionally the movie itself. For all their differing approaches, the soundtracks of 1995 epitomized the energy and audacity of the decade, while also establishing tropes for the next 30 years.

The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992) set the bar high for the decade. With a 20-week reign at No. 1, it remains the biggest-selling soundtrack of all time. Whitney Houston performed six songs on the album, including the titanic power ballad, "I Will Always Love You." (At the 1994 GRAMMYs, the track won the GRAMMY for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, while the soundtrack itself earned the Album Of The Year award.)

While The Bodyguard magnified their commercial potential, movie soundtracks like Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994) framed the medium as an artistic showpiece. Throughout the '90s, Tarantino and fellow indie auteurs Paul Thomas Anderson, Richard Linklater and Spike Lee made music a key character in their films. (The latter continues the trend on his latest movie, Da 5 Bloods, alongside six-time GRAMMY-winning composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard.) Both instincts, for commercial returns and artistic validation, were well-represented in 1995.

Batman Forever (1995) epitomized the big-budget, mass-appeal mid-'90s soundtrack. Spanning PJ Harvey to Method Man, the 14-track set employed some tried-and-true tactics. First, only five songs on the track list appear in the movie itself, ushering in a rash of "Music From And Inspired By" soundtracks. Second, its featured artists largely contributed songs you couldn't find on other albums: According to Entertainment Weekly in 1995, U2 landed a reported $500,000 advance for "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," an offcut from the band's Zooropa album sessions.

Most significantly, Batman Forever backed a surprise smash in Seal's "Kiss From A Rose." Originally released as a single in 1994, the ballad blew up as the movie's "love theme." In its music video, Seal croons in the light of the Bat-Signal, intercut with not-very-romantic scenes from the film. Outshining U2, "Kiss From A Rose" reached No. 1 in 1995; one year later, the song won for Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 38th GRAMMY Awards.

Both Bad Boys and Dangerous Minds had their "Kiss From A Rose" equivalent in 1995. Diana King's reggae-fusion jam "Shy Guy" proved the breakout star of Bad Boys, transcending an R&B- and hip-hop-heavy soundtrack. Meanwhile, Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise," featuring singer L.V., the key track on Dangerous Minds, became the top-selling single of 1995; it won the rapper his first, and only, GRAMMY for Best Rap Solo Performance the next year.  

Other soundtracks from 1995 endure as perfect documents of their time and place. Clueless compiled a cast from '90s rock radio to accompany the adventures of Alicia Silverstone's Cher Horowitz and her high school clique: Counting Crows, Smoking Popes, Cracker and The Muffs. Coolio, the everywhere man of 1995, contributed "Rollin' With My Homies."  

From the same city, but a world outside Cher's Beverly Hills bubble, came the Ice Cube- and Chris Tucker-starring Friday. Its soundtrack took a whistle-stop tour of West Coast hip-hop and G-funk via Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Tha Alkaholiks and Mack 10. True to the era, the music video for Dr. Dre's "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" is half stoner comedy, half cheesy action movie.  

Waiting To Exhale, the 1995 drama directed by Forest Whitaker, boasted a soundtrack with a clear author. Babyface, the R&B superproducer with 11 GRAMMY wins for his work with the likes of Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton, produced the set in full. Following Babyface's co-producer role on The Bodyguard soundtrack three years prior, Waiting To Exhale featured two new songs from the movie's star, Whitney Houston.

Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" led a track list that also featured Aretha Franklin, TLC, Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige and then-newcomer Brandy. A powerful showcase of Black women across generations, the soundtrack has prevailed as a standalone work, going on to receive multiple nominations, including Album Of The Year, at the 1997 GRAMMYs. In a crowded year for soundtracks, which also included Dinosaur Jr. founder Lou Barlow's work on Larry Clark's contentious Kids, Waiting To Exhale demonstrated the power of a singular vision.

For the most part, the soundtracks of 1995 tried a bit of everything. The previous year, The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack went all-in on covers, including Nine Inch Nails overhauling Joy Division's "Dead Souls." That trend continued into 1995, from Tori Amos covering R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" for Higher Learning to Evan Dando's update of Big Star's "The Ballad Of El Goodo" in Empire Records to Tom Jones gamely taking on Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way"' for The Jerky Boys movie. (Is there a more '90s sentence than that?)

Elsewhere, the Mortal Kombat soundtrack blended metal and industrial rock (Fear Factory, Gravity) with dance music (Utah Saints, Orbital). For every Dead Presidents, which zeroed in on '70s funk and soul, there was a Tank Girl, which threw together Bush, Björk, Veruca Salt and Ice-T to match the movie's manic tone. 

Continuing from their '90s winning streak, grown-up soundtracks have proven surprisingly resilient. In an echo of Babyface's role on Waiting To Exhale, Kendrick Lamar oversaw production on 2018's chart-topping, multi-GRAMMY-nominated Black Panther: The Album, uniting an A-list cast under his creative direction. On the same front, Beyonce executive-produced and curated The Lion King: The Gift, the soundtrack album for the 2019 remake of the Disney classic, which spotlighted African and Afrobeats artists. In 2016, Taylor Swift and One Direction's Zayn recorded "I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)," pitching for the movie tie-in bump enjoyed in 1995 by Seal and Coolio. (The millennial stars stopped short of including scenes from the movie in their music video.) 

Like Batman Forever back in the day, the DC Universe continues to put stock in soundtracks. Both *Suicide Squad *(2016) and its follow-up, Birds Of Prey (2020), are packed tight with to-the-minute pop, R&B and hip-hop. Each soundtrack reads like a who's who of the musical zeitgeist. In 1995, Mazzy Star, Brandy and U2 grouped up behind Batman. In 2016, Twenty One Pilots, Skrillex and Rick Ross powered the Suicide Squad. In 2020, everyone from Doja Cat to Halsey to YouTube star Maisie Peters form Team Harley Quinn. 

As 1995 taught us time and time again, nothing traps a year in amber quite like a movie soundtrack.