Grammy officials announced on Wednesday, November 21 that this year's musical works would be inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. Twenty-seven recordings from legendary musicians will be added to the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles including works from Paul McCartney, Whitney Houston, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, and Billy Joel.
McCartney and Wing's 1973 album "Band on the Run" gets the hall of fame nod for its role in reviving McCartney's career following The Beatles' split in 1970. Houston's self-titled debut in 1985 is also in the list of inductees and serves as another great achievement and honor for the singer after her untimely death back in February this year.
Other music icons who will enter the hall of fame are Bob Dylan for his song "The Times They Are A-Changing", Elton John for his 1970 self-titled second album, Billy Joel for the 1973 hit "The Piano Man", Frank Sinatra for 1980's song "Theme from New York, New York", and Australian hard-rock band AC/DC for their 1980 top-selling album "Back in Black".
Musical recordings that are eligible for the hall of fame are songs and albums coming from all genres and are at least 25 years old. The Recording Academy also chooses songs that either show "qualitative or historical significance".
This year's entries totaled 933 works, which cover genres from rock to jazz to musical theater, while the inductees for 2013 see a range of classic American songs.
Grammy Hall of Fame Inductees:
- "Act Naturally", Buck Owens (country single, 1963)
- "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens," Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (R&B single, 1946)
- "Allons a Layfayette (Lafayette)", Joe Falcon (folk single, 1928)
- "Back in Black", AC/DC (rock album, 1980)
- "Band on the Run", Paul McCartney & Wings (rock album, 1973)
- "Bonaparte's Retreat", W.H. Stepp (country single, 1937)
- "Crosscurrents", Lennie Tristano Sextet (jazz album, 1949)
- "El Dia Que Me Quieras", Carols Gardel (Latin single, 1935)
- "Elton John", Elton John (pop album, 1970)
- "Foggy Mountain Banjo", Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys (country album, 1961)
- "Here's Little Richard", Little Richard (rock album, 1957)
- "Hit the Road Jack", Ray Charles (R&B single, 1961)
- "Hound Dog", Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton (blues single, 1953)
- "I Got You (I Feel Good)", James Brown (R&B single, 1965)
- "John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman" (jazz album, 1963)
- "Lost in the Stars", original Broadway cast (musical show album, 1949)
- "Mingus Ah Um", Charles Mingus (jazz album, 1959)
- "My Black Mama (Parts 1 and 2)", Son House (blues single, 1930)
- "Near You", Francis Craig and His Orchestra (pop single, 1947)
- "On Broadway", The Drifters (R&B single, 1963)
- "Piano Man", Billy Joel (pop single, 1973)
- "Stealin' Stealin'", Memphis Jug Band (blues single, 1928)
- "That N - - - - - 's Crazy", Richard Pryor (comedy album, 1974)
- "Theme from New York, New York", Frank Sinatra (traditional pop single, 1980)
- "The Times They Are A-Changin", Bob Dylan (folk track, 1964)
- "The Titanic", Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman (country single, 1924)
- "Whitney Houston", Whitney Houston (pop album, 1985)
