Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Thinking Out Loud
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Grammy Awards are considered one of the highest honours in the music industry. Song of the Year is a major category that recognises the songwriting, not just the performance. It honours the composers of a single track that stands out during the year. This question asks you to identify which song won the Song of the Year award at the 2016 Grammys.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Song of the Year is often confused with Record of the Year, but it specifically celebrates composition and lyrics. In 2016, Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, written by Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge, won Song of the Year. Other songs like Alright, Blank Space and Girl Crush were nominated in various categories and were popular, but they did not take the Song of the Year trophy that year. Remembering which awards each hit song won helps select the correct option.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the award category as Song of the Year at the 2016 Grammys.
Step 2: Recall that Thinking Out Loud, a romantic ballad by Ed Sheeran, achieved major recognition and specifically won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2016.
Step 3: Scan the options for Thinking Out Loud and confirm that it is listed.
Step 4: Recognise that Alright, Blank Space and Girl Crush, though acclaimed, did not win Song of the Year at that particular ceremony.
Step 5: Conclude that Thinking Out Loud is the only option that matches the award category and the year specified in the question.
Verification / Alternative check:
For verification, you can recall that Girl Crush is associated with Best Country Song at the same Grammys, while Blank Space by Taylor Swift was a very popular single but did not win Song of the Year in 2016. Alright by Kendrick Lamar was also highly acclaimed but did not take this particular award. Official winner lists for the 58th Grammy Awards show Thinking Out Loud under Song of the Year, which confirms that this is the correct answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Alright: This song by Kendrick Lamar received critical acclaim and nominations but did not win Song of the Year at the 2016 Grammys.
Blank Space: A major hit by Taylor Swift, yet it did not secure the Song of the Year trophy at the 2016 ceremony.
Girl Crush: This song is linked to the Best Country Song category, not the overall Song of the Year award, and therefore does not answer the question correctly.
Common Pitfalls:
Many learners confuse Song of the Year with Record of the Year or with genre specific categories like Best Country Song or Best Pop Solo Performance. Another pitfall is relying only on how frequently a song played on radio or streaming platforms instead of remembering the official award lists. To avoid these mistakes, it helps to connect each high profile award with the exact song, performer and year, and to differentiate between songwriting and performance based categories.
Final Answer:
The song that won the Song of the Year honour at the 2016 Grammy Awards is Thinking Out Loud.
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