Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song
Encyclopedia
The Grammy Award
for Best Contemporary Song was awarded between 1960 and 1971. The award had several minor name changes:
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Contemporary Song was awarded between 1960 and 1971. The award had several minor name changes:
- In 1960 the award was known as Best Performance by a "Top 40" Artist
- In 1961 it was awarded as Best Performance by a Pop Single Artist
- From 1962 to 1965 it was awarded as Best Rock & Roll Recording
- In 1966 it was awarded as Contemporary (R&R) Single
- In 1967 it was awarded as Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording
- In 1968 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Single
- From 1970 to 1971 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Song
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
1970s
- Grammy Awards of 1971Grammy Awards of 1971The 13th Grammy Awards were held on 16 March 1971, and was the first time the ceremonies were broadcast on television by ABC. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1970...
- Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
(songwriter) for "Bridge over Troubled WaterBridge over Troubled Water (song)"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the title song of Simon & Garfunkel's album of the same name. The single was released on January 26, 1970, though it also appears on the live album Live 1969, released in 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at...
" performed by Simon & Garfunkel
- Paul Simon
- Grammy Awards of 1970Grammy Awards of 1970The 12th Grammy Awards were held on March 11, 1970. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1969.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Bones Howe & The 5th Dimension for "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In"*Album of the Year...
- Joe SouthJoe SouthJoe South is a multi-talented American singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Career:...
for "Games People Play"
- Joe South
1960s
- Grammy Awards of 1969Grammy Awards of 1969The 11th Grammy Awards were held on March 12, 1969. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1968.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Paul Simon & Roy Halee & Simon & Garfunkel for "Mrs...
- none
- Grammy Awards of 1968Grammy Awards of 1968The 10th Grammy Awards were held February 29, 1968. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1967.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Johnny Rivers & Marc Gordon & The 5th Dimension for "Up, Up and Away"*Album of the Year...
- Johnny RiversJohnny RiversJohnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. His styles include folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll songs and some original material...
& Marc Gordon (producers) & The 5th Dimension for "Up, Up and AwayUp, Up and Away (song)"Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by The 5th Dimension, that became a major pop hit, reaching #7 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #18 in Canada...
"
- Johnny Rivers
- Grammy Awards of 1967Grammy Awards of 1967The 9th Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1967. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1966. The 9th Grammy Awards is notable for not presenting the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
- New Vaudeville Band for "Winchester CathedralWinchester Cathedral (song)"Winchester Cathedral" is a song released in late 1966 by Fontana Records, whereupon it shot to the No. 1 spot in Canada on the RPM 100 national singles charts and shortly thereafter in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was released by The New Vaudeville Band, a novelty group established...
"
- New Vaudeville Band for "Winchester Cathedral
- Grammy Awards of 1966Grammy Awards of 1966The 8th Grammy Awards were held March 15, 1966. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1965.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
- Roger MillerRoger MillerRoger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
for "King of the RoadKing of the Road (song)"King of the Road" is a 1964 song written and originally recorded by country singer Roger Miller.The lyrics tell of a hobo who despite being poor revels in his freedom, describing himself humorously as the "king of the road"...
"
- Roger Miller
- Grammy Awards of 1965Grammy Awards of 1965The 7th Grammy Awards were held in 1965. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1964.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz for "The Girl from Ipanema"*Album of the Year...
- Petula ClarkPetula ClarkPetula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
for "DowntownDowntown (Petula Clark song)"Downtown" is a pop song composed by Tony Hatch which, as recorded by Petula Clark, became an international hit – No. 1 in the US and No. 2 in the UK – at the end of 1964.-Original recording:...
"
- Petula Clark
- Grammy Awards of 1964Grammy Awards of 1964The 6th Grammy Awards were held on May 12, 1964. They recognized accomplishments by musicians for the year 1963.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Henry Mancini for "Days of Wine and Roses"*Album of the Year...
- April StevensApril StevensApril Stevens is an American singer.She has recorded since she was 15 years old. Her most popular solo recording was her RCA Victor recording of "I'm in Love Again" . Accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Henri René, Stevens' recording peaked at No...
& Nino TempoNino TempoNino Tempo is an American musician, singer, and actor.A musical prodigy, Nino Tempo learned to play the clarinet and the tenor saxophone as a child. He was a talent show winner at four years of age and appeared on television with Benny Goodman at seven...
for "Deep PurpleDeep Purple (song)"Deep Purple" was the biggest hit written by pianist Peter DeRose, who broadcast, 1923 to 1939, with May Singhi as "The Sweethearts of the Air" on the NBC radio network. "Deep Purple" was published in 1933 as a piano composition. The following year, Paul Whiteman had it scored for his suave "big...
"
- April Stevens
- Grammy Awards of 1963Grammy Awards of 1963The 5th Grammy Awards were held on May 15, 1963. They recognized accomplishments by musicians for the year 1962.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Tony Bennett for "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"*Album of the Year...
- Bent Fabric for "Alley Cat"
- Grammy Awards of 1962Grammy Awards of 1962The 4th Grammy Awards were held May 29, 1962. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1961.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Henry Mancini for "Moon River"*Album of the Year...
- Chubby CheckerChubby CheckerChubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter. He is widely known for popularizing the twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...
for "Let's Twist AgainLet's Twist Again"Let's Twist Again" is a song written by Kal Mann and Dave Appell, and released as a single by Chubby Checker. One of the biggest hit singles of 1961, it reached number two in the UK and number eight on the U.S. Billboard pop chart. It refers to the Twist dance craze and his 1960 and 1961...
"
- Chubby Checker
- Grammy Awards of 1961Grammy Awards of 1961The third Grammy Awards were held on April 13, 1961. They recognized musical accomplishments by the performers for the year 1960. Bob Newhart and Henry Mancini each won three awards.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
- Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
for "Georgia on My MindGeorgia on My Mind"Georgia on My Mind" is a song written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell . It is the official state song of the U.S. state of Georgia. Gorrell wrote the lyrics for Hoagy's sister, Georgia Carmichael. However, the lyrics of the song are ambiguous enough to refer either to the state or...
"
- Ray Charles
- Grammy Awards of 1960Grammy Awards of 1960The second Grammy Awards were held on November 29, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for that particular year. Duke Ellington won three awards.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Bobby Darin for "Mack the Knife"*Album of the Year...
- Nat "King" ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
for "Midnight Flyer"
- Nat "King" Cole