Memo to Grammys: Go West

The credibility of this year’s Grammy Awards could come down to a single name: Kanye West.

If the 26-year-old rapper isn’t a finalist in the album, record and new artist categories when nominations are announced Tuesday, we’re in for another round of complaints about the Grammys being out of touch.

It could happen.

Even in a year in which Grammy favorites U2 and Eminem released albums after the eligibility period, West isn’t guaranteed an album-of-the-year nomination for his excellent “The College Dropout.” The normally conservative voters could go for such safe, proven names as Ray Charles, Prince, Brian Wilson, Norah Jones and Alicia Keys.

The opposition is even more formidable for record of the year because U2 and Eminem are eligible, along with such wild cards as Beyonce and Modest Mouse. Still, chances are we’ll be hearing West’s name repeatedly on Tuesday.

Here’s a closer look at the Grammys’ top categories, focusing on who deserves to be nominated:

Album of the year

Kanye West’s “The College Dropout” (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam). The 13,000 recording academy members who vote in the Grammys love mainstream bestsellers the way politicians love polls -- which means West should be high on their radar. “Dropout” has sold more than 2.5 million copies, making it the year’s fifth-biggest seller.

Ranking with the greatest hip-hop debuts ever, this CD showcases West’s rare mix of musical instincts -- the sensitive introspection of a singer-songwriter and the dynamic beats of gangsta rap.

Usher’s “Confessions” (LaFace/Arista). Nearing the 7-million mark, this is the year’s runaway bestseller, and the only thing that can keep it from getting a nomination is underestimating Usher. Until now, the sexy R&B;’s singer’s music has been pretty lightweight, but the highlights of “Confessions” show a dramatic maturity, both in his singing and themes about the complexities of romance.

Loretta Lynn’s “Van Lear Rose” (Interscope). Country music had a strong year with albums by Kenny Chesney, new “Redneck Woman” arrival Gretchen Wilson, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and the duo of Big & Rich topping the million mark. This CD didn’t generate half that amount, which means it’s a longshot to be nominated. But the Jack White-produced exercise, which used rock energy to reexamine the spirit of country music, was the class of the field.

And then: While those are the three most worthy candidates, we need two more nominees. The choices would be drawn from a wide array of CDs that also fell below the million sales mark, most notably Franz Ferdinand’s invigorating “Franz Ferdinand” (Epic), Jill Scott’s stylish “Beautifully Human” (Hidden Beach/Epic), Brian Wilson’s elegant “Smile” (Nonesuch), Snow Patrol’s eloquent “Final Straw” (A&M;) and PJ Harvey’s brooding “Uh Huh Her” (Island).

Record of the year

Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam). There’s a heartfelt commentary that makes this track rank with Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message” and Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” as one of the most notable rap singles ever. West also produced one of the year’s other key singles, Twista’s silky, seductive “Slow Jamz.”

Usher’s “Yeah!” (LaFace/Arista). The raucous tale of dance floor seduction was this year’s version of OutKast’s “Hey Ya!,” a record-of-the-year nominee last year. Usher’s ballad, “Confessions Part II,” also is a strong possibility here.

U2’s “Vertigo” (Interscope). U2’s “Beautiful Day” and “Walk On” won back-to-back Grammys in this category and this is equally dynamic.

Eminem’s “Just Lose It” (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope). This playful look at celebrity voyeurism isn’t as essential as “Lose Yourself,” which was nominated last year, but fun.

Ray Charles and Norah Jones’ “Here We Go Again” (Hear/Concord). This country-tinged ballad is the standout track from Charles’ posthumous duets package, “Genius Loves Company.”

Best new artist

The field: There are appealing options, including Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand, Damien Rice, Nellie McKay and the Libertines, but the essential name is, once more, Kanye West.

Robert Hilburn, pop music critic of The Times, can be reached at Robert.hilburn@latimes.com