36 Grammy Jokes: The 2011 “The Suburbs & Gaga’s Egg” Edition

In 2011, the 53rd Grammy Awards were the ultimate “Hipster Revenge.” While the world expected a coronation for Eminem or Lady Gaga, the Academy decided to take a trip to the outskirts of town with Arcade Fire, leaving millions of viewers asking: “Who is Arcade Fire and why do they have so many instruments?”

The 2011 Red Carpet Top 10: “Incubation, Velvet & Meat Jokes”

1. Gaga’s Egg: Why did Lady Gaga arrive in a giant egg? Because she was “birthing” a new era, and apparently, the Staples Center doesn’t have a maternity ward for pop stars.
2. The Arcade Fire Shock: Why did The Suburbs win Album of the Year? Because the Grammy voters wanted to feel cool and “indie” for one night, even if they couldn’t name more than one song.
3. Eminem’s Frustration: Why did Recovery lose the big prize? Because the Academy has a long-standing tradition of telling Eminem “great job, now here’s a smaller trophy so you don’t get too comfortable.”
4. CeeLo’s Muppets: Why did he perform “Forget You” (the clean version) dressed like a peacock with Muppets? Because in 2011, that was the most logical way to express heartbreak.
5. Katy Perry’s Grandmothers: Why was she on a swing? To remind us that “Teenage Dream” was a candy-coated masterpiece, even if her dress looked like it was made of actual sugar.
6. The Aretha Tribute: Why was the opening so loud? Because you don’t just “whisper” a tribute to the Queen of Soul; you bring every diva in the building and hope the roof stays on.
7. Justin Bieber’s Hair: Why was he there? To represent the “Bieber Fever” era and to prove that you can lose Best New Artist and still own the entire internet by the time you reach the parking lot.
8. Esperanza Spalding’s Upset: Why did she beat Justin Bieber for Best New Artist? Because she plays the upright bass like a goddess, and the Academy wanted to show they still know what jazz is.
9. Rihanna and Drake’s Chemistry: Why was “What’s My Name?” the talk of the night? Because the stage was so hot the fire marshal almost shut it down.
10. Mick Jagger’s Energy: Why was he there? To show the 20-somethings that he can still out-dance, out-sing, and out-strut everyone in the building while wearing a green suit.

The Full 2011 Grammy Jokes Archive

11. Album of the Year: Why The Suburbs? Because it was the first time “Indie Rock” moved into a gated community.
12. Record of the Year: Why “Need You Now”? Because Lady Antebellum (now The Lady A) wrote the official anthem for 2:00 AM “I miss you” phone calls.
13. Song of the Year: Why “Need You Now”? Because the Academy was also feeling lonely and needed to give out a trophy.
14. Best New Artist: Why Esperanza Spalding? To give Twitter its first major “Grammy Meltdown” before the term was even invented.
15. Best Rock Album: Why The Resistance? Because Muse proved that space-rock and conspiracy theories are a winning combination.
16. Best Rock Song: Why “Angry World”? Because Neil Young is the only person who can make “Angry” sound like a classic.
17. Best Alternative Music Album: Why Brothers? Because The Black Keys proved that you only need a drum kit and a guitar to sound like an entire army.
18. Best Hard Rock Performance: Why “New Fang” by Them Crooked Vultures? Because when Dave Grohl and Josh Homme team up, the Grammys just hand over the keys.
19. Best Metal Performance: Why “El Dorado” by Iron Maiden? Because the “Eddie” mascot finally got a formal invitation to the gala.
20. Best R&B Album: Why Wake Up!? Because John Legend and The Roots reminded us that soul music is the best alarm clock.
21. Best Female R&B Vocal: Why “Bittersweet”? Because Fantasia’s voice can make you feel every single emotion in under four minutes.
22. Best Male R&B Vocal: Why “There Goes My Baby”? Because Usher is still the king of the smooth glide.
23. Best Contemporary R&B Album: Why Raymond v. Raymond? Because Usher’s internal struggle was the world’s gain.
24. Best Rap Album: Why Recovery? Because Eminem’s comeback was so loud it woke up the voters in the back row.
25. Best Rap Solo Performance: Why “Not Afraid”? Because Eminem proved that being sober is the new “Hardcore.”
26. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Why “On to the Next One”? Because Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz were already living in 2012.
27. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Why “Empire State of Mind”? Because it’s the only song that can make someone from Kansas feel like they grew up in Brooklyn.
28. Best Rap Song: Why “Empire State of Mind”? Because New York has the best PR department in the world.
29. Best Female Pop Vocal: Why “Bad Romance”? Because Lady Gaga made us all want to be caught in a “Bad Romance” (as long as we have the outfits).
30. Best Male Pop Vocal: Why “Just the Way You Are”? Because Bruno Mars officially became the man every girl wanted to date and every guy wanted to sing like.
31. Best Pop Vocal Album: Why The Fame Monster? Because Lady Gaga isn’t a star, she’s a celestial event.
32. Best Dance Recording: Why “Only Girl (In the World)”? Because Rihanna made the dance floor feel like her personal kingdom.
33. Best Country Album: Why Need You Now? Because heartbreak is the biggest export of Nashville.
34. Best Female Country Vocal: Why “The House That Built Me”? Because Miranda Lambert made everyone call their parents and apologize for being teenagers.
35. Best Comedy Album: Why Stark Raving Black by Lewis Black? Because he’s still the only one who can scream for an hour and make it art.
36. The 2011 Final Grammy Vibe: Why was it a game-changer? Because it was the night the “Egg” (Gaga) met the “Suburbs” (Arcade Fire), proving that in 2011, the Grammys were ready to be weird, indie, and totally unpredictable.