Steely Dan won the Album of the Year Grammy in 2001 for "Two Against Nature." The award recognized the duo's first studio album in 20 years, released in February 2000 after a long recording process that reunited Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.
The album blended Steely Dan's polished rock, jazz-pop, and sophisticated studio arrangements. It was a major comeback: although Becker and Fagen had continued working separately, the group had not released a new studio album since 1980's "Gaucho." "Two Against Nature" eventually earned four Grammys, including Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Cousin Dupree."
The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards took place on February 21, 2001, honoring music released during 2000. A common mix-up is confusing Album of the Year with Record of the Year: Album of the Year honored the entire "Two Against Nature" album, while Record of the Year went to U2 for "Beautiful Day."