In 2000, who won the Song of the Year Grammy for "Smooth"?

In 2000, Santana featuring Rob Thomas won the Song of the Year Grammy for “Smooth.” The song paired Carlos Santana’s instantly recognizable guitar with lead vocals from Rob Thomas, then the frontman of Matchbox Twenty.

“Smooth” was written by Rob Thomas and Itaal Shur and first became a major hit after Santana recorded it for Supernatural. Because Song of the Year honors songwriting, the award is formally connected to the songwriters, while Grammy listings commonly identify the winning recording as Santana Featuring Rob Thomas. That distinction explains why both the performers and writers may appear in award references.

The song was part of an extraordinary Grammy night for Santana. At the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, Supernatural won Album of the Year, while “Smooth” also won Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Song of the Year is often confused with Record of the Year: the former recognizes composition, while the latter recognizes the recorded performance and production.