Photo Credit: The Grammy Museum
The Los Angeles GRAMMY Museum has opened two new exhibits: “Tower of Song: Iconic Songwriters & Recordings” and “Sublime: Straight From Long Beach.”
“Tower of Song: Iconic Songwriters & Recordings”
Presented by City National Bank, the ongoing exhibit features crown-jewel artifacts from award-winning songwriters and musicians, alongside immersive elements like musician commentary.
It spotlights significant musical influences of the past 50 years, showcasing rare items connected to GRAMMY Hall of Fame (GHOF) recordings and Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) inductees.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame has recognized influential songwriters since 1969, with the GRAMMY Hall of Fame debuting shortly after in 1973 and honoring more than 1,100 songs since.
The exhibit also includes an original film featuring renowned songwriters discussing their creative processes, as well as an interactive digital experience centered on the exhibit’s overarching question: What makes a Hall of Fame song truly great?
Highlights include SHOF inductee Neil Diamond’s handwritten lyrics for “Song Sung Blue,” Kurt Cobain’s Mosrite Gospel electric guitar used on Nirvana’s GHOF-inducted album “Nevermind,” and SHOF inductee Prince’s glasses worn in the film Purple Rain, along with a lace shirt from his Purple Rain tour, among other items.
The exhibit is located on the museum’s fourth-floor gallery.
“Sublime: Straight From Long Beach”
The museum’s latest temporary exhibit explores the legacy of influential Long Beach trio Sublime. The band is known for blending reggae, punk, ska and alternative rock into their recognizable sound that helped define the 1990s. Sublime found breakout success with its self-titled third album, selling more than 9 million copies despite limited live performances.
Artifacts featured in the exhibit include handwritten lyrics to Sublime hits such as “Wrong Way” and “Garden Grove,” early flyers, promotional materials, media, and instruments and equipment used by the original lineup.
The exhibit is located on the third-floor gallery and will remain on display through Sept. 7, 2026.
The GRAMMY Museum houses numerous other ongoing exhibits. “Shining Like a National Guitar” showcases vintage guitars, mandolins and ukuleles featuring the 1920s trend of aluminum resonators. “Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy” features clothing from throughout his career, drawing added interest in light of the star’s recent biopic.”
Core exhibits include displays of original GRAMMYs red-carpet outfits, the iconic gramophone-shaped trophies and their physical evolution over time, and a breakdown of how the Recording Academy selects annual nominees and winners.
The museum also features more dynamic exhibits, including a digital touch table exploring connections between hundreds of musicians, songs and music scenes; a hands-on music-making “playground;” and an experience that immerses visitors in memorable GRAMMY performances while tracing the evolution of recorded sound.
Some temporary exhibits are on their way out as new ones usher in. “TAEMIN: Performer. Artist. Icon.,” a display showcasing two of the artist’s stage outfits and other artifacts, will close on June 22. “RetroBlakesberg: The Music Never Stopped,” which explores 30 years of Jay Blakesberg’s renowned music photography, is set to close in summer 2026, with no specific date announced.
More information about the GRAMMY Museum, including operating hours and ticketing, is available on its website.
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