Is the Recording Academy Out of Touch?

Did you know that the five nominees for Album of the Year during this year's Grammy Awards weren't even among the top four selling albums? Nickelback's All the Right Reasons (3.7 million copies during the eligibility period), Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts (3.4 million), High School Musical (3.1 million) and Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough (2.7 million) all outsold this year's nominees, the closest being Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds (2.6 million).

What also seems a tad strange is the snubbing of Mary J. Blige for Album of the Year nomination. Apparently Breakthrough wasn't able to do just that when it came to the Recording Academy despite eight other Grammy nominations, nine Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards and two BET Music Awards. Blige (left) ended up winning three Grammies, including best R&B album.

In a pre-Grammy survey by Harris Interactive, nearly 4 in 10 of the 8-18 year olds surveyed thought Justin Timberlake's album should win this year's top honors, while just 1 in 10 thought the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way -- last night's actual winner -- should receive the nod.

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