While the late Ray Charles took top honors at the Grammys Sunday night — his album “Genius Loves Company” won record of the year and album of the year awards — for many Northwestern students the awards show might as well not have been on.

Weinberg freshman James Hassel watched the beginning of the program, but quickly tuned out. The live performances were unimpressive, he said, adding, “Most people I know aren’t watching.”

Jeffrey GoodSmith, a Weinberg freshman who chose not to tune in for show, said he thought the Grammys would benefit from a better balance of mainstream and lesser-known acts.

Charles’ posthumous victory may have surprised Kanye West’s fans, who expected him to carry away the award for best album. West led nominations with 10 nods.

He may not have won those honors, but he surely set a new standard for humility by rising above an apostolate gospel choir while donning angel wings, to punctuate a dramatic performance of his single “Jesus Walks.”

When accepting the award for best rap album minutes later, West trumpeted his moment of triumph. “Everybody wanted to know what I’d do if I didn’t win,” he said. “I guess we’ll never know.”

In true Grammys fashion, the night featured a series of generation- and genre-hopping performances.

The night reached its peak with a “We Are the World”-style rendition of John Lennon’s “Across the Universe,” performed by a cadre of artists including Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong, Stevie Wonder, Tim McGraw, Guns N’ Roses’ guitarist Slash, Bono, and, with a twist of irony, Brian Wilson. Wilson suffered a mental breakdown during the late ’60s, supposedly because of his all-consuming rivalry with the Beatles.

Record of the year honors went to Norah Jones and the late Ray Charles for their collaborative effort, “Here We Go Again.”

“How many millions of people has he made smile and will continue through his records,” Jones said.

Reach Jordan Weissmann at [email protected].