Picking a “best” of anything can be subjective, and in the case of the Grammys there have been moments where they’ve gotten the Best Rock Album winner absolutely right, but other times where the choice has gone totally wrong.
In 2025, the Best Rock Album category will add its 30th entry. Some albums have stood the test of time, others were the best of a not particularly strong bunch but there are several instances of the eventual Grammy winners in the Best Rock Album category not exactly aging well.
Over time, the Recording Academy has made moves to strength the voting body for these awards and especially early in the category’s history it’s easy to spot the winners going to well-established veterans more than the album seemingly moving the needle on conversation for the year just past.
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For instance, Foo Fighters hold the record for the most wins in this category with five victories. But they actually find themselves on both sides of this discussion, with arguably their best record getting unbelievably getting passed over while another album won out in a year it probably shouldn’t have.
So with this feature, let’s take a look at the hits and misses of the Best Rock Album category as we prepare to add a 30th Best Rock Album winner to the list.
5 Times Grammys Got Best Rock Album Wrong (+ 5 Times They Nailed It)
In a nearly 30 year history, there’s some spot on picks, but also some pretty wild misses in the Grammy’s Best Rock Album category.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
Best Rock Album Grammy – Who Won and Who Should’ve Won
What’s your take on the past winners?
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
