My granite guy suggested that at first because he wouldn't have to be as careful with the back wall cut, but I don't think people are doing that much anymore. If you look thru the kitchen blog, people who run tile are running it all the way to the countertop. If you are painting the walls instead, a 4" granite backsplash is still OK. But the tile and granite is not a good look.

No, our salesman tried to tell us "everyone" is doing that, it's just a trick to sell more granite.

We didn't do granite backsplash, we chose a completely different material...mosaic travertine stone. The backsplash is a focal point that people look at so adding something that really pops I think is the way to go.....just my opinion. :)

We have granite countertops and did not put in a 4" granite BS even though we've postponed our BS for a year or so. We're going to paint it w/a scrubbable paint until we put in a BS. Personally, I do not like the look of a 4" granite BS + tile--either it should be all granite (or one of those cool designs I've seen) or something else (tile, SS, etc.)

[It's at least a year away and with all the BS threads lately I'm already stressing since I have no idea what to do!]

I didn't do granite 4 inches but a full granite backspash. If I did choose a tile instead, I would have done the whole backsplash in tile and no granite on the wall. It would just depend on the look you want and, of course, your wallet as to what you can afford.

Anyone do granite just behind the cooktop?

Granite is not necessarily the greatest cost. Ceramic tiles can be extremely costly. Granite can also be used to frame ceramic focal points. You need to decide whether your granite is to be the "Star" or one of a few stars or not a star. Proceed from there.
One place to look for photos of kitchens with granite backsplashes and counter tops is a book called Design Master Class. The designers have a definite viewpoint, so you can decide whether you agree or not. Their style is "quiet," meaning not too many stars. Their backsplashes are usually either the same stone as the counter tops or a simple tile. Not everyone subscribes to this view, though.