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The ratings for Sunday night’s Grammys were the highest they've been since 2004. But was this because of well-deserved nominations, or are the Grammys just a song and dance to get publicity for the music industry?
 

We're taking a look at perspectives from CNBC, Headline News, The Chicago Tribune and The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
 

This year’s biggest buzz surrounded three very different divas: Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Swift beat out the other ladies for Album of the Year, but did she deserve to? E! celebrity correspondent Michael Yo thinks so.
 
"I love Taylor Swift because she crosses all genres. She is pop, she's country, she's got so many people loving country music right now. I don't think Beyonce was robbed. A lot of people are saying Lady Gaga was robbed of Album of the Year. But I think Taylor Swift deserves the Album of the Year."
 

But The Chicago Tribune’s Greg Kot disagrees. He thinks Swift’s pitchy performance at the awards show made it all-too-obvious that she wasn’t worthy of the win.
 

"In another one of those Grammy shockers, Taylor Swift won the night's biggest award, album of the year for 'Fearless,' after a nationally televised performance Sunday that pointed out how richly she didn't deserve it."


And Joe Kernen, anchor for the Squawk Box on CNBC says that the Grammys aren’t about artistic integrity — the show is just purely promotion for the music industry.
 

Kernen: "'This is for the music industry, which has had some tough times. They have a category, they have so many categories that everyone wins because it's one big promo for the music industry to try and sell...and it's been hard before the MP3.'

Co-Anchor: 'It's not about recognizing art.'

Kernen:  'No, it's about who they are going to promote on any given year and make stars.'"
 

The Star-Telegram’s Preston Jones says the Grammys weren’t always just smoke and mirrors.


"[T]he Grammy competition has devolved over the past 15 years into a crass popularity contest, one fueled by ratings and buzz rather than recognizing music that will endure for generations."


So does winning a Grammy have meaning anymore? Or is this awards show just a numbers game?

Writer: Tony Ullrich