2010 Grammy Album of the Year Nominees

So it's time again to anticipate what I may be listening to in 20-30 years (or 60, if I don't pick up the pace on this mission thing).   Last year I felt neutral about the nominees, knowing that none were included on the mission yet and knowing little about any of them from my own experience.  This year, however, we've got two already-listed artists.  Also in the running are two singers I'm familiar with thanks to some friends, one of them a Grammy loser from last year, and an artist/band/something I've never heard of.  Who will win? The author's favorite? The redemption-seeking tough guy? The second-chancer? The dark horse? Katy Perry?  Let's look at what we (meaning, what I) know about them...

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Hell yes.  Bought the album (paid money!) the weekend it came out, saw them when they came to Portland, told everyone who didn't go how great it was, bought a magazine because they were on the cover, got the tattoo, promised them my first-born, learned French, got a job as a butler.  Arcade Fire is my choice.  I want to see their albums go 3-for-3 on mission-inclusion.  Hell yes.
Having said that, is it a realistic hope?  Perhaps not.  As much as I would love the world to be such that this was the album of the year (as well as the Album Of The Year), what I've heard about this album in the media doesn't leave me inclined to call it a sure thing, or even a strong possibility.  I think this nomination may be more of a congratulatory acknowledgment of a job well done, where "it's an honor just to be nominated" is the best you'll get.  And I don't think the band will be broken-hearted if they lose.  Sure they have stated that they enjoy selling records, but I'm not convinced that's their goal in all this.

Eminem - Recovery
First three major-label albums on the list thanks to 1001-book and the Rolling-Stone-500.  Two most recent albums (2004 and 2009) not listed, including not being in most recent 1001-book revisions, hmm... I've heard a lot of praise for this year's album, though, especially compared to the lukewarm reception last year's album received.  I'd be a little surprised if this won, simply because I've been able to go all year without learning a single song title or hook from it.  Cultural osmosis has so far been a feature of all the Grammy Album wins since I hit puberty (Herbie Hancock excluded).

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
Never heard of it.  No idea, no opinion, no guessing... although having heard nothing about it kind of says something...

Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
Isn't this an EP? Anyway, I watch Glee and I have friends under 20, so I've heard a few of these songs. I don't dislike them, but I don't see Lady Gaga fitting in on the list of AOTY winners just yet. It seems a bit too new, too youth-oriented. I'll refer again to Herbie Hancock, who beat Kanye West, Foo Fighters and Amy Winehouse.  Then again, there are no real oldsters on the list, and the earliest debut album from these nominees is just 14 years ago, so it's a young-ish winner no matter what.  I wonder if Lady Gaga is nominated for youth-credibility reasons.  Youth-cred/"record sales" seems to explain quite a few of the nominees in the last decade (at least: only in the only decade in have I been a cultural participant).  I don't think, however, that any of the winners are lacking in appeal to a wide range of ages and tastes.

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
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Comet's Choice: Arcade Fire

Comet's Guess: Eminem