It`s that time again, music fans. Here`s your chance, just for fun, to compare your skills of prediction with Friday`s ace Grammy forecaster, Jan DeKnock, who has picked the probable winners in the 22 major categories listed here. We`re not offering any prizes, but consider yourself a winner if you make more correct picks than DeKnock, who in the last five years has a 9-1 record for two top awards-album of the year and best new artist-and has posted overall results of 31-19 on her pop/rock/new artist choices. So circle your picks and then sit back on Wednesday night and see how you-and she-did in this year`s races. Nominations were made by the 6,000 voting members of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences for the eligibility year Oct. 1, 1988 through Sept. 30, 1989.
RECORD OF THE YEAR: ”The End of the Innocence,” Don Henley; ”The Living Years,” Mike + the Mechanics; ”She Drives Me Crazy,” Fine Young Cannibals; ”We Didn`t Start the Fire,” Billy Joel; ”Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler. Our pick: ”Wind Beneath My Wings.”
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: ”The End of the Innocence,” Don Henley; ”Full Moon Fever,” Tom Petty; ”Nick of Time,” Bonnie Raitt; ”The Raw and the Cooked,” Fine Young Cannibals; ”Traveling Wilburys Volume One,” Traveling Wilburys. Our pick: ”Traveling Wilburys.”
SONG OF THE YEAR (award goes to writer): ”Don`t Know Much,” Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Tom Snow; ”The End of the Innocence,” Don Henley, Bruce Hornsby; ”The Living Years,” Mike Rutherford, Brian A. Robertson; ”We Didn`t Start the Fire,” Billy Joel; ”Wind Beneath My Wings,” Larry Henley, Jeff Silbar. Our pick: ”Wind Beneath My Wings.”
BEST NEW ARTIST: Neneh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Milli Vanilli, Soul II Soul, Tone Loc. Our pick: Milli Vanilli.
BEST POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE: ”Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind” (album), Linda Ronstadt; ”Don`t Wanna Lose You” (single), Gloria Estefan; ”Nick of Time” (single), Bonnie Raitt; ”Straight Up” (single), Paula Abdul; ”Wind Beneath My Wings” (single), Bette Midler. Our pick: Linda Ronstadt.
BEST POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE, MALE: ”Batman” soundtrack (album), Prince;
”How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” (single), Michael Bolton; ”Right Here Waiting” (single), Richard Marx; ”We Didn`t Start the Fire” (single), Billy Joel; ”You Got It” (single), Roy Orbison. Our pick: Roy Orbison.
BEST POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL: ”Don`t Know Much” (single), Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville; ”If You Don`t Know Me By Now” (single), Simply Red; ”Love Shack” (single), B-52`s; ”She Drives Me Crazy” (single), Fine Young Cannibals; ”The Living Years” (single), Mike
+ the Mechanics. Our pick: Ronstadt & Neville.
BEST ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE: ”Brave & Crazy” (album), Melissa Etheridge; ”Foreign Affair” (album), Tina Turner; ”I Drove All Night”
(single), Cyndi Lauper; ”Let`s Stay Together” (single), Pat Benatar;
”Nick of Time” (album), Bonnie Raitt. Our pick: Bonnie Raitt.
BEST ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE, MALE: ”The End of the Innocence” (album), Don Henley; ”Free Fallin` ” (album), Tom Petty; ”Freedom” (album), Neil Young; ”New York” (album), Lou Reed; ”When the Night Comes” (single), Joe Cocker. Our pick: Don Henley.
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL: ”Glamour Boys”
(single), Living Colour; ”Mixed Emotions” (single), Rolling Stones;
”Rattle and Hum” (album), U2; ”Traveling Wilburys Volume One” (album), Traveling Wilburys; ”When Love Comes to Town” (single), U2 with B.B. King. Our pick: Traveling Wilburys.
BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE, VOCAL OR INSTRUMENTAL: ”Cult of Personality” (single), Living Colour; ”Dr. Feelgood” (single), Motley Crue; ”G N` R Lies” (album), Guns N` Roses; ”Love in an Elevator” (single), Aerosmith; ”Once Bitten, Twice Shy” (single), Great White. Our pick: Living Colour.
BEST METAL PERFORMANCE, VOCAL OR INSTRUMENTAL: ”Beast From the East”
(album), Dokken; ”I Don`t Believe in Love” (single), Queensryche; ”One”
(single), Metallica; ”The Real Thing” (album), Faith No More; ”Ultramega O.K.” (album), Soundgarden. Our pick: Metallica.
BEST R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE: ”Dreamin` ” (single), Vanessa Williams; ”Giving You the Best That I Got” (album), Anita Baker; ”Good to Be Back” (album), Natalie Cole; ”Miss You Much” (single), Janet Jackson;
”Through the Storm” (album), Aretha Franklin. Our pick: Anita Baker.
BEST R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE, MALE: ”Batdance” (single), Prince; ”Every Little Step” (single), Bobby Brown; ”Heart`s Solution” (album), Al Jarreau; ”She Won`t Talk to Me” (single), Luther Vandross; ”We`ve Saved the Best for Last” (single), Smokey Robinson. Our pick: Bobby Brown.
BEST R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL: ”Back to Life” (single), Soul II Soul; ”Celebrate New Life” (single), BeBe & CeCe Winans; ”Gimme Your Love” (single), Aretha Franklin & James Brown; ”It Isn`t, It Wasn`t, It Ain`t Never Gonna Be” (single), Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston; ”We Sing Praises” (album track), Deniece Williams & Natalie Cole. Our pick: Soul II Soul.
BEST R&B SONG (writer): ”Every Little Step,” L.A. Reid, Babyface; ”If You Don`t Know Me By Now,” Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff; ”Miss You Much,” James Harris III, Terry Lewis; ”Superwoman,” L.A. Reid, Babyface, Daryl Simmons;
”When A Man Loves a Woman,” Calvin Lewis, Andrew Wright. Our pick: ”Miss You Much.”
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE: ”Bust a Move,” Young M.C.; ”Fight the Power,”
Public Enemy; ”Funky Cold Medina,” Tone Loc; ”I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson,” D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince; ”Me Myself and I,” De La Soul. Our pick: ”Funky Cold Medina.”
BEST COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE: ”Absolute Torch and Twang”
(album), k.d. lang; ”Bluebird” (album), Emmylou Harris; ”I Don`t Want to Spoil the Party” (single), Rosanne Cash; ”Why`s You Come In Here Looking Like That” (single), Dolly Parton; ”Willow in the Wind” (album), Kathy Mattea. Our pick: Kathy Mattea.
BEST COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE, MALE: ”After All This Time” (single), Rodney Crowell; ”I`m No Stranger to the Rain” (single), Keith Whitley;
”It`s Just a Matter of Time” (single), Randy Travis; ”Killin` Time”
(album), Clint Black; ”Lyle Lovett & His Large Band” (album), Lyle Lovett. Our pick: Clint Black.
BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL: ”Big Dreams in a Small Town” (single), Restless Heart; ”Honky Tonk Heart” (single), Highway 101; ”She Don`t Love Nobody” (single), Desert Rose Band; ”Will the Circle Be Unbroken Vol. Two” (album), the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; ”Young Love”
(single), the Judds. Our pick: The Judds.
BEST COUNTRY VOCAL COLLABORATION: ”Act Naturally,” Buck Owens & Ringo Starr; ”Sin City,” Dwight Yoakam & k.d. lang; ”There`s a Tear in My Beer,” Hank Williams Jr. & Hank Williams Sr.; ”Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, Ricky Skaggs, Levon Helm & Emmylou Harris; ”You Ain`t Goin` Nowhere,” Chris Hillman & Roger McGuinn. Our pick: Williams Jr. & Williams Sr.
BEST COUNTRY SONG (writer): ”After All This Time,” Rodney Crowell; ”A Better Man,” Clint Black, Hayden Nicholas; ”Luck in My Eyes,” k.d. lang, Ben Mink; ”She Don`t Love Nobody,” John Hiatt; ”There`s a Tear in My Beer,” Hank Williams Sr. Our pick: ”A Better Man.”
