Classic Rock Band Shares Regrets With Shock Grammy Win Over Metallica

Jethro Tull controversially beat Metallica for Best Metal Performance in the late '80s.

By Stephen Andrew

Metallica received two nominations for the 2024 Grammys, nearly 35 years after their first nomination for the 1988 album ...And Justice for All. Notably, the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental Grammy went to British rockers Jethro Tull for the category's inaugural year, which was quite a controversial moment, since even they were surprised, not considering themselves "heavy metal." Now, ex-Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre has opened up about the infamous incident, sharing both his regrets and non-regrets about what happened. 

"No. Well, the record company didn't think we'd get it," Barre told VRP Rocks, via Blabbermouth. "And they said that we stood no chance. And they said, 'Don't go.' I mean, I really wanted to go. Even as a loser, I wanted to be there. So I have to say it was their mistake and their lack of confidence in the band. But, yeah, what a shame, 'cause at the biggest moment possibly ever in my career and maybe Ian's [Anderson, Jethro Tull's leader] and the others', it was lost forever and it didn't come across well that we weren't there. It just looked really bad."

Barre continued: "But despite that, I'm proud of it, and it's a big, big deal. It's a big deal for me because essentially it was me, Ian, and Dave Pegg that wrote, arranged and recorded that album. So I feel a big, big part of it. And yeah, dare I say I deserve it. I don't have a problem with it. Because to me it doesn't just represent one album; it represents years and years of a band putting something into the system. And I think that year, whoever it was, recognized that we needed a little bit of a nod. And it was a good album to choose."

Metallica has since gone on to win a total of nine Grammys in multiple categories such as Best Metal Performance and Best Hard Rock Performance. In 1990, when the band won Best Metal Performance for their 1991 self-titled album — dubbed The Black Album — the band joked that they need to thank Jethro Tull for not putting out a new album that year. Metallica's last Grammy win was in 2009. They took home the trophy for Best Metal Performance for the song "My Apocalypse," as well as Best Recording Package for the 2008 album Death Magnetic. Ironically, Jethro Tull's win over Metallica was the band's only Grammy nomination.

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