Music From psychedelic pianos to helmet history, Grammy burning questions answered Jan. 27, 2014 at 4:27 AM ET 
 
 With all the red carpet preening, heavily bleeped performances and outlandish headgear (we're looking at you, Pharrell), Sunday night's Grammys left us with more than a few unanswered questions. Here's what we discovered. 
 
 Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images 
 
 What was up with the psychedelic piano Paul McCartney played? 
 
 Yes, Beatles fans, you may have recognized the rainbow-painted upright piano the Cute Beatle was playing. According to a tweet from the official Grammy account, it was the very piano used during the Beatles' 1967 "Magical Mystery Tour" era. We found out a little more: The piano is McCartney's own, and usually resides in his music room in London. It was painted by notable British artist Dudley Edwards, who lived with McCartney for six months in 1967 and also lived with Ringo Starr for a time. McCartney wrote "Getting Better" on the colorful piano, and once said, "Of course the way in which it was painted added to the fun of it all." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Were the weddings performed during the show legal? 
 
 Probably? After Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performed "Same Love" and before Madonna sang a slowed-down version of her 1980s hit, "Open Your Heart," more than 30 couples — gay and straight both — stood in front of the stage while Queen Latifah asked them to share rings and then shouted that "by the power vested in me by the state of California," they were now married. Queen Latifah was indeed deputized by Los Angeles County and will sign the marriage certificates for each couple, the New York Times reported. Not all of the marriages were between same-sex couples (Ryan Lewis' sister Laura and her groom were among the couples), and same-sex marriages are legal in California, but any same-sex couples from out of state would have local laws to deal with in their home states. 
 
 
 
 Matt Sayles / AP 
 
 What was up with Daft Punk's helmets? Pharrell Williams' hat? Madonna's grill? 
 
 Start with big winners Daft Punk. The French duo used to hide their identity with bags and Halloween masks, according to Rolling Stone, but the helmets play to the idea that they're robots. "We're not models — it would not be enjoyable for humanity to see our features," musician Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo said, "but the robots are exciting to people." The duo switched from black helmets to white ones later in the show, but a report that they'd don authentic "Star Wars" stormtrooper helmets never came to pass. 
 
 Pharrell Williams' giant hat had Grammy-watchers buzzing, and kept Internet meme-makers busy. Fashionistas correctly identified the hat as a Vivienne Westwood vintage creation from the early 1980s. Similar hats cost about $140 and are still available from London shop Worlds End if you must have one of your own. 
 
 Christopher Polk / Getty Images 
 
 Madonna's mouth bling was another hot topic. She's worn the gold grills before, and not just for fancy events — the Material Girl was snapped wearing them last week when she flew into New York's JFK Airport. Son David, 8, said on E! that his mom promised to get him a set for his next birthday. 
 
 
 
 Did Stephen Colbert take home a Grammy? 
 
 You know it, Colbert Nation. The late-night host beat out legends Carol Burnett, David Sedaris, Billy Crystal and Pete Seeger in the spoken-word category for "America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't." Unfortunately, the award was given out before the telecast, so no witty speech from Colbert was seen. He also won in 2010 for "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All," an album based on his TV special. 
 
 
 
 Crystal took it well, giving a shout out to the winner on Twitter: 
 
 What's the difference between all the confusing categories? 
 
 Record, album and song of the year often confuse Grammy-watchers. 
 
 The record of the year award (won by Daft Punk's "Get Lucky") is a prize for the actual recording of a single song, and goes to the artist, the producer, the recording engineer and/or mixer for that one song. 
 
 Song of the year (which went to Lorde's "Royals") is about the composition of the song and goes to the songwriter who composed the lyrics and/or melodies to the song. 
 
 Album of the year (won by Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories") is presented to the artist, producer, recording engineer and mastering engineer for the winning album. 
 
 
 
 To further confuse matters, albums released between Oct. 1, 2012 and Sept. 30, 2013 were eligible, meaning even though Taylor Swift's "Red" was released in 2012, it was up for a 2014 award. 
 
 And speaking of Taylor Swift's 'Red,' did she think it won album of the year? 
 
 It sure looks that way. "Red" and the actual winner, Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories," both start with the same letter, and it appears from Swift's immediate reaction that she thought her album was about to be called — she opened her mouth and appeared shocked, and the people sitting with her reacted as if Swift had won. But the reaction was momentary. 
 
 Where was Miley Cyrus? 
 
 As one of the most talked-about names in music — who couldn't stop making headlines with her awards performances in 2013 — it was a surprise to some that Cyrus had no place in Sunday's show. She did perform at executive Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy Awards gala on Saturday (and photobombed a picture Lorde was taking with Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow), but Cyrus was a no-show on Sunday. And her absence did not go unnoticed: 
 
 
 
 But she wasn't contending for a prize anyway. Cyrus' album, "Bangerz," came out too late to make the Grammy cut-off, and her wildly popular singles "Wrecking Ball" and "We Can't Stop," which made the deadline, weren't nominated. 
 
 Did the show cut off its own finale? 
 
 Yes. That wasn't your DVR shutting down early. The Grammys closed out with a rocking performance by a varied ensemble consisting of Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails, and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. But the three-and-a-half hour show was running long, and their number got cut off. 
 
 ||||| Well, they both start with the letter 'R.' 
 
 Taylor Swift was up for Album of the Year with her record "Red," and when the winner was announced, it sure looked like Taylor and her team thought she had pulled off yet another Grammys triumph. 
 
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 Except she didn't. 
 
 The winner was Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories." Another "R" album. 
 
 One watcher created a slo-mo video of the moment, so you can judge for yourself. 
 
 At least Swift didn't storm the stage and demand the award for herself, as Kanye West did to her a few years back, when he claimed Swift's award for pal Beyonce. 
 
 MORE: Who was left out of the 'In Memoriam' segment? ||||| Get Stuff We Love Subscribe to our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE 
 
 You can always count on Madonna to make a style statement. 
 
 The singer, 55, arrived to the Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday in an unconventional (yet conservative) ensemble: a fitted tuxedo to match her 8-year-old son, David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie. The duo both donned Ralph Lauren suits, ties and top hats. Madonna even added gold grills and a cane. 
 
 Like mother, like son? Madonna and son David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie pose on the red carpet. Jason Merritt / Today 
 
 Madonna flashes her mouth bling. DANNY MOLOSHOK / Today 
 
 It seems like the Material Girl is pretty lax when it comes to her son's personal style. As the two discussed their outfits on E!, David said he had big plans for his style evolution: 
 
 "She said she'd get me grills this birthday," the youngest of Madonna's brood exclaimed to Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet. In perfect mom fashion, the singer basically shushed him, explaining that'll it'll first take a trip to the dentist to "get a mold, OK, quiet." ||||| Beyonce and Jay-Z perform during the 56th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, CA 
 
 Jay Z and Beyoncé, music’s hottest power couple, kicked off the 56th GRAMMY Awards with their steamiest performance yet. 
 
 GRAMMYs: News, Winners, Photos & More 
 
 Lights shined down on a wet-haired, Chromat-wearing Bey’ as she straddled a chair to "Drunk In Love." Her husband, Jay Z, joined her for his collaborative rhymes, making it their first televised performance of the hit from her Internet-smashing self-titled album. No one could miss the smile that Jay sported while performing alongside his wife -- or his hand as it slid down to pat her shaking derriere. 
 
 Beyoncé Scores Sixth No. 1 On R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart 
 
 The couple, who top Billboard’s Power 100 list, are nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Part II (On The Run)," featured on Jay Z’s 2013 album, "Magna Carta Holy Grail." Jay’ Z is competitng against himself in the same category -- another "Magna Carta" hit, "Holy Grail," featuring Justin Timberlake, is also up for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. 
 
 Beyoncé's self-titled album continues to reign the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, staying put at No. 1 for a sixth consecutive week, marking it the longest No. 1 run in her 10-year solo chart career. ||||| share tweet pin email 
 
 Pharrell was nominated for seven awards in five different categories going into Sunday night's 56th Annual Grammy Awards, but as soon as he hit the red carpet, one thing was certain — his hat was the big winner of the night. 
 
 The rapper-producer's towering brown chapeau stole the show before it even got underway. 
 
 The hat practically had its own fan club, and before long, it had its own Twitter account ... or two. 
 
 
 
 
 

– Opted not to sit through 210 minutes of Grammy action? No worries. Here's your cheatsheet to seven people, moments, and sartorial choices worth knowing about: Taylor Swift didn't win, but she maybe thought she did. Her Red was up for Album of the Year, and as they named the winner—not Red, but the also-starts-with-R Random Access Memories from Daft Punk—she momentarily appeared to have that "I won" look on her face, reports Fox News. More than 30 couples got married on-air, and the weddings seem to be legal. Queen Latifah officiated over the same-sex and straight marriages, and the New York Times has this: Latifah "was recently deputized by Los Angeles County to perform the weddings and will sign the marriage certificates for each couple." Katy Perry wore four dresses, and most of them were weird. One was a Valentino gown featuring a billowy skirt covered in musical notes; another placed a sort of crucifix across her chest (that was what she wore when she got burned at the stake). Tons of photos here. But Pharrell Williams' weird hat stole the show. Today reports that the "towering chapeau" is a Vivienne Westwood from the early '80s. What it was compared to on Twitter: Smokey the Bear's hat, something out of Harry Potter, and the Seinfeld "urban sombrero." And, yes, the hat already has its own Twitter account. (Runner-up fashion accessory: Madonna's grill.) Everyone thought Ozzy Osbourne was possibly wasted. Because he totally flubbed his introduction of Ringo Starr, with basically no one able to understand him (even his bandmates were laughing). He later admitted to screwing it up, but when asked what he meant to say, "his answer was yet again incoherent," reports the Los Angeles Daily News. If you missed the Grammys, you didn't miss Miley, but you did miss Beyonce. Miley's "Wrecking Ball" wasn't nominated, and she apparently "had no place" in the show, reports Today. No worries: Beyonce took the scandalous crown from Miley with her risque performance of "Drunk in Love," which she performed in a thong bodysuit that gave hubby Jay-Z the chance to pat her derriere. Show producers will ship a piano a pretty long distance if you're famous enough. Paul McCartney played a piano that usually sits in his London music room ... and has been used by him (and, briefly, Ringo) since 1967, when it was painted with a psychedelic design.