Kanye West, Chris Brown Win Big At American Music Awards

Chris Brown was the big winner at last night's American Music Awards, taking home three pointy trophies including Artist of the Year. Kanye West was also victorious, winning Favorite Male Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for Graduation. For someone who always complains when he doesn't win an award, West is making it a tradition of giving away the awards he actually does win, with West telling the crowd, "And I want to give this award to [Lil] Wayne, for this year. If it was last year, this would have been my award." West also ranted during another acceptance speech "We're going to push this music to the point where it was like in the '60s, in the '70s, where you talk about Led Zeppelin and Hendrix and the Beatles. We will be the new Beatles, the new Hendrix," and capped his big night with a performance of 808s & Heartbreak's "Heartless."

The show also featured performances by Rihanna, Coldplay, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé (who reprised her SNL "Single Ladies" routine), Ne-Yo, the Pussycat Dolls, New Kids on the Block, Annie Lennox, who was given the Award of Merit by an earnest Justin Timberlake. Daughtry beat out Coldplay and the Eagles for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Rihanna won for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Alicia Keys took home the Favorite Pop/Rock Album prize for As I Am. As one would guess with awards being handed out to "Favorites," all winners were decided by online votes. For photos of star on the red carpet at the show, click here for Us Weekly's gallery.

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• 2008 Grammys Live Blog

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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