The VMAs are always a good source for entertainment! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times artists blew our minds while performing at the MTV Video Music Awards.
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00:00Welcome to MissMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the times
00:09artists blew our minds while performing at the MTV Video Music Awards.
00:13Number 20. Rihanna, Medley
00:22In 2016, Rihanna received the Video Vanguard Award, presented for outstanding
00:27contributions and profound impact within the industry. Members of the Rihanna Navy
00:39were treated to not just one, but several renditions during the ceremony. Suitable for
00:44an artist with as many hits as RiRi, and with the songs performed spanning her various eras,
00:49including Rude Boy, Work, Pour It Up, and Don't Stop The Music, there's a decent
00:53chance you got to hear your favorite. Rihanna delivered again at the 2023 Super Bowl, but
01:05the lack of material between the two performances can't help but make us feel disappointed
01:09as stans. Please, Rihanna, don't stop the music.
01:18Number 19. Britney Spears, Oops, I Did It Again
01:21At the turn of the millennium, Britney Spears was the epitome of a teen pop superstar. This
01:26incredible performance not only marked a turning point into a more grown-up stage of her career,
01:30but also elevated her sex symbol status. Before performing her own hit song in a sparkly,
01:44skin-toned, and very eye-catching outfit, Spears opened with a rendition of
01:48Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. With this show, she signaled that she was more
01:57than just a passing fad. Her career was just getting started, and she would continue to
02:01show just what a force she was. In other words, oops, she'd do it again.
02:06Number 18. Bon Jovi, Living on a Prayer, Wanted, Dead or Alive
02:15Bon Jovi traded in their hard rock stylings for a stripped-down acoustic performance of
02:20two of their best-known tracks. Band members Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were on point
02:33as they strummed alongside each other during a performance that plays another significant role
02:38in MTV history. It is widely believed to have inspired the channel's well-known Unplugged
02:43series, which, as the title suggests, featured artists performing acoustic versions of their
02:48songs. It's fitting, then, that the band itself was the first performance when the series was
02:59revived in 2007. Number 17. Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, Chromatica Medley
03:11If you've ever been to a Lady Gaga concert, you know she puts on an extravagant show.
03:15So it's a treat whenever we get a taste of that at home, be it with her 2017 Super Bowl
03:27halftime show or this VMAs performance where she brought fellow pop legend Ariana Grande along for
03:33a ride. What's even better is that this show arrived right when we sorely needed it, during
03:44the peak of COVID-19, providing perfect pandemic-era entertainment. And, of course, Gaga's
03:49electric face mask brought us a hint of the fashionable eccentricity she's infamous for.
03:54Number 16. Justin Timberlake with NSYNC, NSYNC Medley
04:03The recipient of the 2013 Video Vanguard Award, Justin Timberlake has reached true superstar
04:09status with a remarkably successful solo music career, not to mention his forays into acting.
04:22But his origins are of course during the golden era of the boy band, when he and his group NSYNC
04:27were on top of the world. At the ceremony, Timberlake blessed fans and viewers with a
04:3115-minute set that brought the house down with many of his biggest songs.
04:42But the highlight by far was when he was joined on stage by his former NSYNC band members
04:46in a reunion that had us yearning for the days when Frosted Tips was still in.
04:52Number 15. Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Missy Elliott
05:01Like A Virgin, Hollywood
05:03Madonna's performance of Like A Virgin at the very first VMAs in 1984 was so iconic
05:09that Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera paid tribute to it in 2003, wedding gowns included.
05:23The performance from the two pop princesses was already sure to be legendary,
05:27before the queen herself popped out of a cake and joined them on stage.
05:37And if that wasn't conversation-causing enough, how about the moment when Madonna
05:41kissed her two fellow performers, or her brides, on the lips? Add Missy,
05:46Miss Demeanor, Elliott to the mix and you truly have a once-in-a-lifetime wedding.
05:50No objections from us.
05:58Number 14. Taylor Swift, You Belong With Me
06:01There's no doubt that Taylor Swift was a household name even in 2009,
06:05with hits like You Belong With Me and Love Story inescapable on the radio.
06:10But somehow, since then, Swift has inexplicably managed to get so much bigger that it's difficult
06:23to remember her roots as a country star. This performance marks a significant moment in the
06:27early years of the Taylor Swift craze before we all knew the heights that she would reach.
06:32Of course, the ceremony marked another memorable event involving Swift and a certain rapper,
06:43but we won't talk about that. If you didn't manage to snag tickets to the era's tour,
06:47we recommend giving this one a watch as a consolation prize.
06:50At the very least, it'll cost you a lot less.
06:57Number 13. Prince, Get Off
07:00When people discuss artists that they wish they could have seen when they were alive
07:03and in their prime, Prince is a name that's often brought up.
07:12So for fans who got a chance to see Prince give a seven-minute performance of Get Off
07:17live at the 91 VMAs, we're certain it's a memory they'll bring up for the rest of their lives.
07:22We're also sure the experience was made all the more memorable by the
07:32unexpected moment when he turned around and bared his rear end to the audience
07:37before continuing to perform. Not many can say they were mooned by Prince himself,
07:41so we certainly can't say for sure that we wouldn't brag about it.
07:45Number 12. Madonna, Vogue
07:53Madonna is one of the most influential figures to ever grace the music industry.
07:57Not only can her impact be felt in the music trends of today,
08:00but she left her mark in various other ways as well.
08:10Case in point, you likely know Madonna's song, Vogue, given that it's one of the
08:14most notable pop songs ever released, making a mark on the culture of both music and fashion.
08:19But did you know it played a part in the popularization of Voguing, a style of
08:23performance that gained prominence in the LGBTQIA plus dance clubs in the 80s?
08:35The Queen of Pop paid homage at the 1990 VMAs in memorable fashion,
08:40with an 18th-century Marie Antoinette-inspired aesthetic.
08:43And who could forget that pantsless dancer?
08:50Number 11. Beyoncé, Lemonade
08:52Beyoncé is an artist who always knows how to create a moment,
09:02whether it's with her album releases, her tours,
09:04or this 16-minute tribute to the Lemonade album that had everyone talking.
09:09Could we have tolerated a shorter performance for an album so full of bangers?
09:13As dedicated members of the Beyhive, we're glad we didn't need to,
09:17and got to see performances of so many of our favorites, including Formation and Hold Up.
09:28As we watched, we couldn't help but ask ourselves one question, though.
09:32How did Jay-Z almost let this woman get away from him?
09:39Number 10. Eminem, The Real Slim Shady, The Way I Am
09:48Would The Real Slim Shady please stand up?
09:57You might think this is a question we'd be asking during this VMAs performance,
10:01where the rapper brought 100 lookalikes to tag along with him. But no. After marching his clones
10:07from outside Radio City to inside the venue, Eminem left little doubt in anyone that there's
10:12only one Real Slim Shady, and it's obvious who it is. With that settled, Em brought it home with
10:23an encore performance of The Way I Am. We couldn't help but lose ourselves in both the music and the
10:28moment. Number 9. Missy Elliott, Medley
10:37There's a reason we were freaking out at Missy Elliott's incredible VMAs performance,
10:41and it's not just because she told us to get our freak on.
10:50Missy, Mr. Meaner Elliott isn't just one of the greatest female MCs to ever grace the mic,
10:55but one of the best to ever do it, period. So we had good reason to be excited.
11:07The recipient of the 2019 Video Vanguard Award celebrated her career in typically unexpected
11:13fashion, including a giant CGI UFO that abducted an audience member. Alison Stoner, who had
11:19originally appeared in Elliott's Work It video 17 years earlier, also returned to delight fans with
11:25their dancing performance. Number 8. Kanye West, Runaway
11:34Say what you will about Kanye West, at his peak, the man was capable of delivering a
11:38performance that few others could rival. Even still in 2010, he had a lot to prove.
11:49His interruption of Taylor Swift at the previous year's show still stands today as one of the
11:59biggest awards show controversies of all time. A lot of the world didn't care for West during
12:04this period, even more so than usual. The rapper ensured all eyes were on him, as he donned a
12:09bright red suit and went on to give a performance that more than delivered.
12:19Number 7. Kendrick Lamar, DNA, Humble Talk about a damn fine performance.
12:32In 2017, Kendrick Lamar brought his DNA to the VMAs for a performance where not only was the
12:39music fire, but there was also literally a swordsman caught ablaze on stage, not to mention
12:44the ninjas climbing a wall of flames. There was a message behind the fiery theatrics though,
12:48as Lamar used his platform to speak up against police brutality.
12:56King Kendrick won big that night with six wins, including video of the year.
13:00In our humble opinion, we'd love to see him bring the heat to the VMAs again.
13:05Number 6. Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke, We Can't Stop, Blurred Lines
13:10After Miley Cyrus emerged from a gigantic robot bear, this duet just got stranger.
13:15Some might even say uncomfortably so.
13:24Cyrus' suggestive dancing with both a foam finger and an at-the-time-married and notably older
13:30is one reason this is a performance that's memorable and how much we'd like to erase
13:34from our brains. But, in the end, your opinion on this performance may depend on how you feel
13:39about the mass popularization of twerking.
13:46If you're all for it, great news, this is twerking's big moment.
13:50If you're against it, you're probably not the biggest fan.
14:00Number 5. Beyoncé, Love on Top
14:06Beyoncé came out on top again at the 2011 VMAs,
14:09classing up the joint in a faux tuxedo and bow tie to slay another performance.
14:21Amidst pregnancy rumors, eyebrows were raised while she belted out lyrics like,
14:25I want you to feel the love that's growing inside of me.
14:28But the most talked about moments came at the end when Queen Bey
14:32unbuttoned her shirt to show her belly and confirmed that she was in fact expecting.
14:37Kind of makes your cousin's staged photoshoot for Instagram
14:40look rather quaint in comparison, doesn't it?
14:47Number 4. Lady Gaga, Paparazzi
14:50It's no wonder the paparazzi is always showing up when Lady Gaga is in front of the camera.
14:55Incredible things tend to happen.
15:02Especially during this era, both Gaga's Little Monsters and the general public
15:06had come to expect the unexpected from the artist.
15:09But that didn't stop our jaws from dropping when Gaga, dressed all in white,
15:13smeared fake blood all over herself as she was strung from the ceiling.
15:17As the lights faded to black, while camera shutters could be heard in the background,
15:21audiences everywhere couldn't help but try to decipher the statement
15:25Gaga was making about the nature of celebrity.
15:36There's a good reason she has an album titled The Fame Monster.
15:40Number 3. Madonna, The Fame Monster
15:43Not only is Madonna the queen of pop, but she's also the reigning queen of the VMAs.
15:54After all, at the inaugural ceremony, she set the foundation for what was to come.
15:59Everything we've come to expect from an unforgettable VMAs performance is here.
16:13An eye-catching outfit, Madonna showed up in a flowing white wedding dress and a boy toy belt.
16:20An oversized centerpiece? The singer emerging from a giant cake?
16:24Prior to this performance, Madonna was a star.
16:27After it, she was an icon, one who would always have our eyes on her.
16:32Number 2. Britney Spears, I'm a Slave for You
16:36Over the years, many artists have used the VMAs to make a unique fashion statement,
16:41from wedding gowns to LED masks.
16:48In 2001, Britney Spears turned heads the previous year with her sparkly ensemble,
16:53so she had a lot to live up to.
16:55When Britney strutted on stage with an albino Burmese python draped around her shoulders,
17:00audiences were shocked. But Britney appeared completely unfazed,
17:05going on to give wedding guests a look like a real woman.
17:12Number 1. Britney Spears, I'm a Slave for You
17:16Britney Spears, a.k.a. Britney, was a popular singer and a fashion icon.
17:20But Britney appeared completely unfazed,
17:24going on to give one of the most unforgettably sizzling performances in VMA history.
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17:49Number 1. Michael Jackson, Medley
17:52At the end of the day, the VMAs are a celebration of everything that's iconic about popular music.
17:59And there may be no more iconic figure in pop music than Michael Jackson.
18:08The King of Pop delivers everything he's so famous for with this legendary performance,
18:13moonwalking and crotch-grabbing included.
18:15Doing justice to his career in just 15 minutes is a Herculean task.
18:20But MJ makes the most of it, with multiple on-stage costume changes,
18:30and even a special appearance from Slash shredding on the guitar.
18:34If you'll excuse the pun, we consider it the most thrilling VMA performance of all time.
18:40Did we include the performance that made your jaw drop? Let us know in the comments.
18:56Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms Mojo,
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