The 20 biggest music stars dissed for a best new artist Grammy nomination

Venerable British rockers the Rolling Stones didn't receive their first Grammy nomination until 1979, when "Some Girls" was nominated for album of the year (it lost to the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack). The band has won three Grammys in its career. 

"Piano Man" marked Billy Joel's chart breakthough in 1974, when a best new artist nomination would seem obvious. His following two albums, "Streetlife Serenade" (1974) and "Turnstiles" (1976), spawned classics including "The Entertainer" and "New York State of Mind." Yet it wasn't until the 1979 ceremony that Joel received his first Grammy nominations – and wins – in song and record of the year for "Just the Way You Are."

Bruce Springsteen's breakthrough came in 1975 with his "Born to Run" album, but he had already been touted a year prior as the "future of rock 'n' roll" by then-music critic Jon Landau, who would eventually become Springsteen's manager. Grammy voters wouldn't acknowlege him until the 23rd annual ceremony in 1981 with a nod for best male rock vocal performance.

Though Fleetwood Mac's legendary "Rumours" album won album of the year in 1978, the band was ignored at the 1976 show, a year after its self-titled album – the first featuring Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham – landed with major hits "Rhiannon" and "Say You Love Me." It can be assumed that since Fleetwood Mac existed since 1968, Grammy voters didn't consider them newcomers, despite their newfound massive success. 

In 1984, Michael Jackson became the first artist to win eight Grammy Awards in one night. But his stratospheric triumphs – as a solo artist and previously with the Jackson 5 – never netted him a best new artist acknowledgement. His first nomination came in 1979 for his "Ease on Down the Road" duet with Diana Ross in the best R&B vocal performance by a duo or group category. 

Prince released "I Wanna Be Your Lover" in 1979 – a ripe time to be christened a best new artist contender. Still, the enigmatic multihyphenate wasn't considered for a Grammy until 1984, when his smash "1999" landed in the best male pop vocal performance category (he lost to Michael Jackson's "Thriller"). 

Because Whitney Houston had previously duetted with Jermaine Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass, she couldn’t compete for best new artist in 1986. But her self-titled debut album and breakthrough smashes "Saving All My Love for You" and "You Give Good Love" received Grammy love (the former won best female pop vocal peformance). 

Though they've since won 22 Grammys, U2 were dutifully ignored by the Recording Academy upon their U.S. arrival in 1983 ("New Year's Day") and 1984 ("Pride [In the Name of Love]"). It's possible since they broke through in their native Ireland and the U.K. in 1980 and 1981 that Grammy voters didn't consider them "new." Score another round for the convoluted rules. 

Not only was the biggest band of the '80s shunned as potential best new artists, but the New Jersey rockers wouldn't be nominated for a Grammy until 1997 for best long form music video ("Live From London") and wouldn't win until 2007 in the non-Jovi-esque category of best country collaboration with vocals (a pairing with Jennifer Nettles on "Who Says You Can't Go Home"). 

Garth Brooks was an immediate star in 1989, comandeering the country charts with hits such as "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "The Dance." But he didn't make the best new artist cut in 1990, when the category was won by ... Milli Vanilli. (The duo was subsequently defrocked over the revelation that they didn't sing any vocals on their debut album "Girl You Know It's True.")

We can accept that perhaps Grammy voters didn't consider Beyoncé a new artist when she released her 2003 solo album, "Dangerously In Love," complete with the megahit "Crazy in Love." But to also ignore her previous group, Destiny's Child, their debut year ("No, No, No" arrived in 1997 and their eponymous album in 1998) seems like a woeful miscalculation.  

Though his debut, "The Silm Shady LP," won best rap album and single "My Name Is" best rap solo performance at the 2000 ceremony, Eminem was denied a run at the newcomer's award. But he would soon establish himself as an unlikely Grammy darling with 44 nominations and 15 wins.