It's all about the music ... finally

The Grammys: they're supposed to be all about the music, but in the past, longwinded speeches and not-so-funny hosts have stolen the spotlight away from the actual reason people tune in.

That was not the case at this year's awards show -- with almost 26 performances ranging from predictable (Kelly Clarkson, "Because of You") to slightly political (Bruce Springsteen, "Devils and Dust") to enjoyable collaborations (U2 and Mary J. Blige, "One") -- and with the noticeable absence of a host, the focus definitely stayed on the music.

The Gorillaz and Madonna kicked off the show, performing hip-hop hit "Feel Good, Inc." and dance number "Hung Up" back to back. The Gorillaz's ambitious idea to appear onstage as cartoon holograms fell a little short, with the technology getting in the way of the performance. Don't worry, Madonna's overzealous dancers definitely made up for the lack of enthusiasm from the 3D Gorillaz.

One of the best performances of the night went to not-so-humble Kanye West, who along with Jamie Foxx, led a rousing marching-band rendition of "Gold Digger" that sounded more like a pep rally than a rap performance, complete with dancers and "frat" boys.

Unfortunately, West, who usually tries to be as controversial as possible (see the cover of this month's Rolling Stone), didn't quite attain the shock value reached earlier in the evening, when a "retired" Jay-Z came out to perform "Numb/Encore" with Linkin Park. Not only did the song end up winning the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, but the venerable Paul McCartney came out to lend his voice to a surprisingly good version of "Yesterday."

Although the focus on live performances was refreshing, it slowed the pace of the show, with only two Grammys awarded during the first hour. At least half of the performers ended up taking home one or more of the awards.

U2 was the band of the night, taking home all five awards they were nominated for, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

Kanye West took home three awards, most notably Best Rap Album for "Late Registration." Also taking home Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song, West certainly forgot to check his ego at the door. With his typical arrogance, West accepted his award, claiming he had no idea he would win while brandishing a paper with "THANK YOU LIST" in bold print.

Mariah Carey, nominated for eight awards and one of the most talked-about artists at this year's Grammys, also took home three awards. But if you didn't pay attention to any of the follow-up Grammy news, you would've never known. She received all her awards (Best Female R&B Performance, Best R&B Song and Best Contemporary R&B Album) off-cameral, only appearing to perform the medley "We Belong Together/Fly Like A Bird."

Kelly Clarkson shocked the crowd when she was awarded Best Pop Vocal album for "Breakaway," beating pop heavyweights Sheryl Crow, Gwen Stefani, Fiona Apple and McCartney. Clarkson didn't even seem to believe it herself, although her attempts to choke back her tears were much more successful than when she received the first Grammy of the night for Best Female Vocal Performance.

The show ended with a tribute to New Orleans by an all-star line-up including Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, U2's The Edge and Sam Moore.

Best New Artist went to John Legend, who also won Best Male R&B Performance.

Green Day managed to snag the prestigious Record of the Year award for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," thankfully adding some alternative music to the pop/rock mix of the night.