A few weeks ago, I posted my 'Best Albums of 2010' here on Get Frank. Arcade Fire's The Suburbs topped my list for best album of the year; it seems the folks at the Grammys agreed with my judgement. In one of the greater upsets in Grammy history, the Montreal based indie establishment that is Arcade Fire, beat Lady GaGa and Eminem and took out the 'Album of the Year' award. So what did frontman Win Butler say when he reached the podium to accept the award on behalf of the band, and the entire indie world? Did he give a heartfelt acceptance speech thanking his mother, and his legions of dedicated fans? Or did he make an ode to the indie genre and to the changing tides in the music industry that allowed for such an upset to happen? No. The Texan instead said, "What the Hell." But that's an expected response from the only guy at the awards on an independent label. A guy who many had filed away under 'passing trend' and promptly forgotten about. But in a stunning victory of David and Goliath magnitude, Arcade Fire reigned supreme.

But what does this mean for indie music? The reality is, indie artists are looking pretty mainstream lately - with many crashing into the Billboard 200 chart. We’ve seen it often in the past few years: Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, the Decemberists, and the Black Keys (who won the Grammy for best alternative album this year) all debuted in the Billboard top 10. What does indie mean anymore, if so-called 'indie' artists are on Universal and Sony's roster? Perhaps Arcade Fire - the poster-child of indie bands - winning a Grammy is a sign that the indie movement is indeed over. Now that major record labels (iTunes included) are marketing artists as “indie,” in an attempt to latch on to the burgeoning movement, the term really does seem meaningless. 

But thats beside the point. What matters is that the Grammys awarded 'Album of the Year' to the most-deserving nominee. Yes Eminem and Lady GaGa and Katy Perry all put out excellent records in 2010 - but The Suburbs truly was leaps and bounds ahead of them all. 

So let's hear a big congratulations to Win and the gang! They deserve it.

Here is the full list of winners of the 53rd Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: Arcade Fire The Suburbs

Record of the Year: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”

Song of the Year: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”

New Artist: Esperanza Spalding

Female Pop Vocal Performance: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Male Pop Vocal Performance: Bruno Mars, “Just The Way You Are”

Pop Vocal Album: Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster

Alternative Album: The Black Keys, Brothers

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Michael Buble, Crazy Love

Rock Song: Neil Young, “Angry World’

Rock Album: Muse, The Resistance

Rock Performance: The Black Keys, “Tighten Up”

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Paul McCartney, “Helter Skelter”

Hard Rock Performance: Them Crooked Vultures, “New Fang”

Metal Performance: Iron Maiden, “El Dorado”

R&B Album: John Legend & The Roots, Wake up!

Contemporary R&B Album: Usher, Raymond V Raymond

R&B Song: John Legend & The Roots, “Shine”

R&B Performance: Sade, “Soldier Of Love”

Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: John Legend & The Root, “Hang On In There”

Urban/Alternative Performance: Cee Lo Green, “(Forget) You”

Rap Album: Eminem, Recovery

Rap Solo Performance: Eminem, “Not Afraid”

Rap Performance By A Duo or Group: Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz, “On To The Next One”

Rap Song: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”

Rap/Sung Collaboration: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State Of Mind”

Dance Recording: Rihanna, “Only Girl (In The World)”

Electronic Dance Album: La Roux, La Roux

Musical Show Album: Green Day, American Idiot

Country Album: Lady Antebellum, Need You Now

Country Performance by a Duo or Group: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”

Country Song: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”