Beyoncé’s self-titled album changed the fabric of the music industry.
Year: 2015, at the 57th Grammy Awards
What beat it: “Morning Phase” by Beck
When “Beyoncé” unexpectedly arrived on a Thursday night in 2013, it was the definition of game-changing. The concept of a surprise drop or a “visual album” didn’t really exist before. Now, everyone wants the magic Beyoncé created that night.
At a time when immersive listening experiences had all but disappeared — streaming had begun to take over, and iPod playlists encouraged fans to bounce from song to song without much thought — Beyoncé offered a collection of 14 songs that were so intentional, so unique, so undeniably flawless that we had no choice but to wrap them around our collective consciousness like a blanket.
Each track on “Beyoncé” was its own moment, but they were inextricably connected, weaving a stronger fabric together. Enter: Beyoncé the storyteller, the big-picture visionary.
And “Morning Phase” is, well, fine.
Beck’s win for album of the year read as an overdue apology; the Recording Academy failed to reward his best work from previous decades, like 1996’s “Odelay” and 2008’s “Modern Guilt.” Obviously, it was too late. Giving him the award in 2015, the year of “Beyoncé,” was just laughably out of touch.
