Best New Artist a hit-or-miss title

Winners can become music legends or one-year wonders.
By SCOTT MERVIS
SCRIPPS HOWARD
Year in and year out, Best New Artist might be the most fun of any Grammy category, because, by the very nature of newbies, you never know what you're going to get.
The Carpenters beat Elton John, America beat The Eagles, A Taste of Honey beat Elvis Costello and, get this, Maroon 5 beat Kanye West.
Oh, wait. We don't know how that last one is going to turn out yet.
While we wait, let's look back at the Best New Artists who made good on that promise and some who at least had that one shining moment at the podium.
THE BEST
Bobby Darin (1959): The first Best New Artist also won Record of the Year for his No. 1 hit and signature song, "Mack the Knife." Award in hand, the "junior Sinatra" moved on to "Beyond the Sea," folk rock, Vegas and the Rock and Roll of Fame in 1990, 17 years after his death. It was all a long way from "Splish Splash."
The Beatles (1965): How did the Grammys get something so right so early? They had to. If not, the Grammy Association may as well have closed up shop right then. On that night, the Beatles did only go home with two of the nine awards they were nominated for, facing stiff competition from "Mary Poppins," Petula Clark and "The Girl from Ipanema." The pinnacle of Best New Artists, the Beatles went on to rival Jesus in popularity -- John Lennon said that, not me.
Tom Jones (1966): It would have been nice if the Rolling Stones had followed the Beatles, but those bad boys were never even nominated. The Grammy went to the hirsute Welsh dynamo -- over the Byrds and Sonny & amp; Cher -- who, with hits like "It's Not Unusual" and "What's New Pussycat?," collected his fair share of ladies' lingerie.
Crosby, Stills & amp; Nash (1970): Just about every song on the heavenly trio's first record became a classic track, from the stunning "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" to sugary "Marrakesh Express" to the searing "Long Time Gone." Although they only went on to make two more great records together ("Deja Vu," with Neil Young, and "CSN"), they loomed large over a generation. Still, should this have gone to Led Zeppelin?
Sheryl Crow (1995): Something about her makes you think of sunny skies, and there have been few clouds for this singer who keeps the hits coming. Who else could tour with Lilith Fair and then duet with Kid Rock?
Too early to tell: Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Norah Jones.
THE WORST
Starland Vocal Band (1977): Quick! Name two Starland Vocal Band songs. Didn't think you could. There's "Afternoon Delight" and ... not much beyond that. But if you should be asked again (and you probably won't), you can say "Loving You With My Eyes."
A Taste of Honey (1979): The "Saturday Night Fever" that swept the Grammys somehow spread to this forgettable disco group that made boogie into "Boogie Oogie Oogie." The victim in this crime was one Elvis Costello.
Christopher Cross (1981): It wasn't just that the cherub-faced singer went "Sailing" over The Pretenders for Best New Artist; he also knocked off Streisand, Sinatra, Billy Joel and Pink Floyd for Album of the Year and took Record and Song, among others. Geez. With four Top 20 hits, he certainly was the biggest new artist of 1980. But his bland, adult-contemporary sound wasn't much appreciated beyond that year.
Milli Vanilli (1990): It's been referred to as "the biggest disgrace in Grammy history." The dreadlocked dance-pop duo from Germany weren't the first or obviously the last to lip-sync, but at least Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan could have been at the recording of their own album. They were hired later simply for their hair and dance moves, but they still had the nerve to say, "Musically, we are more talented than any Bob Dylan." Grammy voters didn't know they were fakes, of course, and the Grammy was revoked. But getting voted worst band and worst album by the critics at Rolling Stone should have been a clue to give it to the Indigo Girls. Or maybe not.
Hootie and the Blowfish (1996): Do we need to say anything more than sparkly cowboy outfit and "Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch"?