1992: Eric Clapton over Nirvana
Never too comfortable with anti-authority figures, the Recording Academy greeted the arrival of grunge with a shrug. Nirvana were completely shut out at the '92 Grammys — most ridiculously in the Best Rock Song category, where ''Smells Like Teen Spirit'' (and Pearl Jam's ''Jeremy'' too) lost out to Eric Clapton's ''Layla,'' a track that was not only 20 years old, but was part of slowhand's mega-popular Unplugged album. Since when is r-o-c-k created with strummy acoustic guitars?