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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Rock Duo or Group.

32 ceremonies, 1980–2011. 21 different winners. The longest run belongs to U2, with 2 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
The Black Keys in 2011 for Tighten Up.
Who has won the most?
U2, 7 wins (1988, 1989, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006).
  1. Tighten UpThe Black Keys
  2. Use SomebodyKings of Leon
  3. Sex on FireKings of Leon
  4. Icky ThumpThe White Stripes
  5. Dani CaliforniaRed Hot Chili Peppers
  6. Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your OwnU2
Years explored
1980–2011
Different winners
21
Category leader
U2 · 7
About this record

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was first awarded in 1980, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

It was awarded for the last time in 2011.

The 2012 restructuring dropped the distinction between solo and duo/group rock performances.

From 2012 the Grammys awarded Best Rock Performance instead.

2000–2011

12 ceremonies

19802011

01 / The reigns

U2 set the longest run.

The timeline turns the 2000–2011 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

  1. 01
    U24 wins
  2. 02
    Kings of Leon2 wins
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by label; hover for details.
Santana featuring Everlast'00
U2'01–'02×2
Coldplay'03
Warren Zevon featuring Bruce Springsteen'04
U2'05–'06×2
Red Hot Chili Peppers'07
The White Stripes'08
Kings of Leon'09–'10×2
The Black Keys'11

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Universal leads the recorded label credits with 4 wins, 2000–2011. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Universal4 wins
Warner4 wins
Sony3 wins
Artemis1 win
Wins by label
  1. Universal433%
  2. Warner433%
  3. Sony325%
  4. Artemis18%

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2011.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Foo Fighters
    3 noms
  2. 02
    Green Day
    3 noms
  3. 03
    Aerosmith
    2 noms
  4. 04
    Creed
    2 noms
  5. 05
    Franz Ferdinand
    2 noms
  6. 06
    Radiohead
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Coldplay
    5L · 1W
  2. 02
    Foo Fighters
    3L · 0W
  3. 03
    Green Day
    3L · 0W
  4. 04
    U2
    3L · 4W
  5. 05
    Aerosmith
    2L · 0W
  6. 06
    Creed
    2L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2000–2011. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2011The Black Keys (Tighten Up)
beat 4 others
  • Arcade Fire (Ready to Start)
  • Jeff Beck featuring Joss Stone (I Put a Spell on You)
  • Kings of Leon (Radioactive)
  • Muse (Resistance)
Nonesuch
2010Kings of Leon (Use Somebody)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood (Can't Find My Way Home)
  • Coldplay (Life in Technicolor II)
  • Green Day (21 Guns)
  • U2 (I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight)
RCA
2009Kings of Leon (Sex on Fire)
beat 4 others
  • AC/DC (Rock 'n' Roll Train)
  • Coldplay (Violet Hill)
  • Eagles (Long Road Out of Eden)
  • Radiohead (House of Cards)
RCA
2008The White Stripes (Icky Thump)
beat 4 others
  • Daughtry (It's Not Over)
  • Green Day (Working Class Hero)
  • Nickelback (If Everyone Cared)
  • U2 (Instant Karma!)
Warner Bros./XL
2007Red Hot Chili Peppers (Dani California)
beat 4 others
  • Coldplay (Talk)
  • The Fray (How to Save a Life)
  • The Raconteurs (Steady, As She Goes)
  • U2 with Green Day (The Saints Are Coming)
Warner Bros.
2006U2 (Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Coldplay (Speed of Sound)
  • Foo Fighters (Best of You)
  • Franz Ferdinand (Do You Want To)
  • The Killers (All These Things That I've Done)
Island/Interscope
2005U2 (Vertigo)
beat 4 others
  • Elvis Costello and the Imposters (Monkey to Man)
  • Franz Ferdinand (Take Me Out)
  • Green Day (American Idiot)
  • The Killers (Somebody Told Me)
Island/Interscope
2004Warren Zevon featuring Bruce Springsteen (Disorder in the House)
beat 4 others
  • Foo Fighters (Times Like These)
  • Radiohead (There There)
  • Train (Calling All Angels)
  • The White Stripes (Seven Nation Army)
Artemis
2003Coldplay (In My Place)
beat 6 others
  • Aerosmith (Girls of Summer)
  • Creed (My Sacrifice)
  • Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott (Hero)
  • 3 Doors Down (When I'm Gone)
  • Tonic (Take Me As I Am)
  • U2 (Walk On)
Parlophone/Capitol
2002U2 (Elevation)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Aerosmith (Jaded)
  • Coldplay (Yellow)
  • Dave Matthews Band (The Space Between)
  • Train (Drops of Jupiter)
Island/Interscope
2001U2 (Beautiful Day)
beat 4 others
  • Bon Jovi (It's My Life)
  • Creed (With Arms Wide Open)
  • Foo Fighters (Learn to Fly)
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers (Californication)
Island/Interscope
2000Santana featuring Everlast (Put Your Lights On)
beat 4 others
  • Garbage (Special)
  • Goo Goo Dolls (Black Balloon)
  • Hole (Malibu)
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers (Scar Tissue)
Arista