Aside from the Orwellian Reaganscape darkening the horizon, 1984 was a personal watershed for me -- a parent actually showed an interest in music that I listened to (well, sort of).

The 51st annual Grammy Awards feature an amazing roster of performers, including U2, Radiohead, Coldplay, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Paul McCartney, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, and many more. (Watch the show Sunday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. on CBS.) And, it turns out, the Recording Academy is also giving out a few shiny awards.