Which group won the first Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990?

Living Colour won the first Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990 with “Cult of Personality.”

The New York rock group’s politically charged song appeared on its 1988 debut album, Vivid. Vernon Reid’s guitar work, Corey Glover’s vocals, and the track’s references to political leaders gave it a distinctive identity within late-1980s hard rock.

The Grammy category was presented for the first time at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards, recognizing recordings released during the previous eligibility period. Living Colour’s win placed an interracial band with a highly individual sound at the center of the expanding Grammy rock field.

“Cult of Personality” is often confused with winners in the separate Best Metal Performance category. Metallica won that category’s first award in 1990 for “One.” The two categories were created to distinguish related but different parts of heavy rock music.