This Year’S Grammys Pits Old Vs. New Veterans Will Duke It Out With Newer Kids On The Block

This year’s Grammy nominations offer more than just the usual musical mud fights. They promise a full-fledged generational showdown.

In one corner, you have boomer bearers like Santana and Cher in the big categories, with Santana’s 10 nominations casting a shadow over the whole list. In the other corner, you’ve got the new, teen generation’s fave raves: the Backstreet Boys, TLC and Ricky Martin.

The face-off captures a key split in today’s pop audience: between the classic-rock generation of fans still clinging to their youth through an avid interest in music and their kids, who have swelled into a virtual echo boom, lured into the market by the latest wave of cute boy and girl role models (including two of the Best New Artist contenders: Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears).

The fact that a, shall we say, “creatively questionable” artist like Spears could appear in such an important category as Best New Artist highlights a continuing tussle in Grammy-land. The voters have long wrestled with the Grammys’ deep-seated and cynical will to honor any album that hauls in major cash and an increasing desire to toast works of genuine artistic merit.

In the final analysis, there won’t be any contest between those two forces this year. If Santana doesn’t sweep all the top categories, it will rank as the biggest upset in Grammy history.

Here’s a look at why, plus an analysis of other patterns and quirks in this year’s nominations.

Santana can’t lose

For one thing, Grammy loves a comeback, and Carlos Santana’s “Supernatural” album represents his first major hit in 18 years, with more 4 million copies sold. In fact, it’s the biggest smash of his 30-plus-year career, and his first No. 1 record (for “Smooth”).

The Grammys likewise adore making up for lost time, genuflecting before legends that they earlier snubbed. See the late-in-their-career award bonanzas for Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton.

In 1969, Santana lost the Best New Artist category to Crosby, Stills and Nash. The classic guitarist has won only one Grammy before - in 1988 for best rock instrumental.

Santana’s new album also earns points by bridging the generations, matching the master’s guitar work to vocal contributions from such younger stars as Rob Thomas (of Matchbox 20), Lauryn Hill, Everlast, Wyclef Jean and Dave Matthews.

Which leads to another point in Santana’s favor: His album touches on a different genre in nearly every track, accounting for his placement in categories from Latin to rock. The boom in Latin music likewise helped the star, who has been an inspiration to the whole wave of current Hispanic hopefuls.

If all this weren’t enough, Santana benefits from his connection to another beloved industry insider, Clive Davis (who brainstormed the whole project). The record biz has rallied around the 66-year-old Davis after an attempt by BMG’s big brass to make him retire. A vote for Santana is a vote for Davis, one of the last record company chiefs with a clear and recognizable musical esthetic.

Oh, yeah, one other thing: Santana’s album has the kind of credibility that the Backstreet Boys can’t buy. The guy’s not only a genius but also, by all accounts, a gentle and embraceable soul.

The big surprises

Few outside of jazz circles know the work of Diana Krall, a wonderful and subtle song stylist. Her place in the Album of the Year category shows real taste on the part of the Grammy voters, a rare thing in this often crude crowd. Not that she’ll win.

Another major surprise put blues rocker Susan Tedeschi in the Best New Artist slot. Tedeschi records for an independent label and gets airplay only on tony, alternative-album-oriented radio stations. The fact that she sounds almost exactly like a young Bonnie Raitt no doubt helped her, because Grammy can’t get enough Raitt.

Macy Gray also represents a mild surprise with her placement in the Best New Artist bin. She is critically acclaimed but lacks the exposure of most of her competitors. In general, though, 1999 ranks as one of the least surprising years in Grammy history.

Latin trend honored

Ricky Martin’s placement in the Record and Song slots reflects the trend, as does Santana’s sweep. Latin music also won big this year with the inclusion of two new categories, cleaving salsa and merengue into their own fresh slots.

Rock-rap gets dissed

The rock-rap trend probably did more to hurt rock than help it. Major rock louts like Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock and Korn aren’t likely Grammy poster boys, because the awards favor more-polite types. The only big-time nod came with Kid Rock’s placement in the Best New Artist nook.

But in general, rock got rooked. While guitar music usually takes one token place in the Album of the Year category (with past nods for U2, R.E.M. and Beck), this time there’s not a single guitar band to be found. The most likely rock contender, the arty Nine Inch Nails, should be smarting over that one.

And the losers are …

Whitney Houston has something of a beef with the voters. Her most recent album, “My Love Is Your Love,” gave her a whole new, more contemporary sound. But Grammy took notice only in the genre categories rather than the biggest ones.

Cher also has cause for minor complaint. Her brilliant dance single, “Believe,” got a nod for Record of the Year (based on the production) but not Song of the Year (which goes to the writer). It makes little sense, unless the voters got spooked by the list of about 30 people who collaborated on the song.

Rappers also might whine, because they got no top slots, other than in the guise of R&B group TLC. But the rappers should be used to that treatment by now.

Otherwise, the year’s top artists all got some dibs in, meaning that at least until awards night, most stars should feel happy.