From jaw-dropping collaborations to soul-stirring solo performances, we're counting down the most unforgettable moments on the Grammy stage since 2000. Get ready for a musical journey that'll make you relive some of the most iconic live performances in recent Grammy history!
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00:00Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most unforgettable
00:12live performances on the Grammy stage since the year 2000.
00:1720.
00:26Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Maya, P!nk, Missy Elliott, and Patti
00:31LaBelle.
00:3244th Annual Grammy Awards.
00:42Moulin Rouge!
00:43Fever swept across America, and the Grammys were no exception.
00:54The all-star collaboration won the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals award, and the track
00:59was already a spectacle before the ceremony.
01:02For the night, they delivered an all-out production.
01:04Inspired by the song's sexy and extravagant music video, these divas brought the whole
01:08show to a standstill.
01:18But the big reveal of special guest and original artist Patti LaBelle ties it all together.
01:23The performance came to a shattering crescendo as the vocalists belted their faces off, bringing
01:29the entire audience to their feet.
01:4419.
01:45The Joke by Brandi Carlile, 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
01:54The 61st annual edition of the awards show boasted appearances by Lady Gaga, Post Malone,
01:59and Cardi B.
02:00However, after Brandi Carlile took the stage, everyone within earshot was changed.
02:16The Joke is her anthem to outcasts everywhere.
02:19It's an understated production, considering the other performances that year, with just
02:23Carlile and her band framed against the darkness, with the lyrics of her song about being taunted
02:28and being outcasts projected behind her in handwritten type.
02:47Four minutes of key changes and some face-melting belting later, the rapturous performance had
02:52easily become the best of the night.
02:5518.
02:56Cardigan, August, Willow by Taylor Swift, 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
03:09It's fitting that this showcase of songs from two pandemic albums begin in intimate close-up.
03:14As the first awards ceremony after we were all stuck engaging with the world through
03:18webcam screens, 2021 was like a welcome return.
03:22Taylor Swift starts her medley, featuring the songs Cardigan and August from Folklore
03:27and Willow from Evermore lying down on a bed of stage grass, delivering right to the camera.
03:40The camera pulls out to reveal an entire world of forests and trees.
03:44Backed by the album's co-producers Aaron Desner and Jack Antonoff, it's a shockingly stripped
03:50down but incredibly powerful presentation.
03:5717.
04:03Praying by Kesha, Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Julia Michaels, Andra Day, and Bebe Rexha,
04:1060th Annual Grammy Awards.
04:17When Kesha dropped her first album in five years, it was after her devastating allegations
04:22against former producer Dr. Luke had gone public.
04:26Praying was a stunning and defiant tour de force.
04:29The song marked a departure from her up-tempo, dance-heavy sound.
04:45A nominee for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 60th Grammy Awards, she performed the
04:50song with a backing chorus that included other pop superstars.
04:54The performance sees them flanking Kesha on either side like her own personal army of
04:58angels as she bares her soul through music.
05:08It's one of those moments that feels so much better than an awards ceremony.
05:2216.
05:26Medley of Hits by Beyonce and Prince, 46th Annual Grammy Awards.
05:37It should be illegal to have this much talent on stage at one time.
05:40Beyonce had recently departed from Destiny's Child and was about to win five awards for
05:45her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love.
05:48She was so big that she got to perform on The Big Night twice.
05:51Her incredible collaboration with Prince opened the show.
06:06The enigmatic rock star may have seemed like an odd pairing for her, but it was a match
06:10made in music heaven.
06:12Starting with Purple Rain and ending with the party anthem Let's Go Crazy, the two tore
06:17up the stage and threw down the gauntlet for everyone who followed them that night.
06:2515.
06:29It's a Man's Man's Man's World by Christina Aguilera, 49th Annual Grammy Awards.
06:49Soul and funk superstar James Brown passed away two months before the 49th Grammy's ceremony.
06:54The Recording Academy tapped Christina Aguilera to honor the man dubbed the Godfather of Soul.
07:00Emerging from the stage floor in a blinding white suit, she attacked this classic tune
07:04with an approach that can only be described as ferocious.
07:20Aguilera started standing at the mic in a shroud of white smoke.
07:24By the end, she was on her knees, wailing and belting and growling the song's chorus
07:29from the floor of the stage like the second coming of James Brown himself.
07:4114.
07:49Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles, 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
08:03As the first performer of the main show, the former One Direction member started his pop
08:06hit on a slower, groovier note than usual.
08:09The arrangement of Watermelon Sugar Harry Styles brought to the Grammys emphasized the
08:14song's jazz and funk inspirations, giving his horn section a chance to shine.
08:24In a Gucci jacket, no shirt and a pair of leather pants, Styles proved himself once
08:29again to be a consummate showman.
08:32Showing off his voice, musicality and wicked dance moves, the performance got the whole
08:36internet talking.
08:47He took home the Grammy for Pop Solo Performance later that night.
08:5713.
09:05It's Not Right, But It's Okay, I Learned From The Best by Whitney Houston, 42nd Annual
09:10Grammy Awards.
09:18Talk about production values.
09:20Whitney Houston's performance at the 2000 Grammys was a five-minute showcase of soulful
09:25and sultry vocals and turn-of-the-century aesthetics.
09:29Featuring some steamy choreography from a troupe of dancers, it's such a specific moment
09:35But one thing that's timeless is Houston's talent.
09:53She tears through her club classic about a cheating lover before launching into the second
09:58song, a Diane Warren-penned ballad.
10:00Even more than the killer voice, Houston just looks so effortlessly cool and rich in
10:05her two costumes.
10:06The whole performance is giving a post-Matrix, Y2K aesthetic that's irresistible.
10:1712.
10:22Butter by BTS, 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
10:35The seven-man K-pop boy band made history in 2020 when they became the first Korean
10:40group to receive a Grammy nomination.
10:42They came back strong at the 2022 ceremony where they were nominated for their single
10:47The catchy dance-pop track gets an espionage-themed performance with a classy James Bond-esque
10:52concept that sees the band members slinking onto the stage from the crowd.
11:08Upbeat, charming, and undeniably smooth, by the time they get to the dance break, the
11:13audience is losing their minds at the sheer level of talent.
11:17The aura scores are off the charts here.
11:2611.
11:30Born This Way by Lady Gaga, 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.
11:40Between this 2011 and your Lady Gaga, you kind of get to do what you want on the Grammys
11:45telecast.
11:46Doing a song that's only been released days before the ceremony, instead of the one that
11:50you're actually nominated for, is a strange choice, but it paid off big time.
12:03Born This Way entered the world with fanfare.
12:06Gaga arrived on stage in a cocoon-like vessel and launched into a high-concept number full
12:11of her usual artistic flourish.
12:15But usual doesn't mean ordinary here.
12:21Surrounded by mannequin heads with writhing dancers, she managed to sing the song, do
12:26the demanding choreo, and still managed to deliver a pristine vocal.
12:3710.
12:40Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish and Finneas, 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
12:55The Happier Than Ever singer and her brother, and collaborator, took advantage of the more
13:00intimate, socially-distant setup of the first few post-COVID ceremonies.
13:04Billie Eilish began the song on a close-up before the chic set around her was revealed.
13:08Then, the room is upside down, flooding with water.
13:12She ends the song on top of an upturned house, with rain showering the stage.
13:17The concept becomes a visual match for the journey of the song, from sweet-sounding,
13:21twisted love song to a primal scream of resentment.
13:38All that would be enough, but the head-banging Eilish is also in rare vocal form here.
13:499.
13:56Fifteen Step by Radiohead, featuring the USC Trojan Marching Band, 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
14:17The alt-rock legends returned to the Grammy stage in 2009 to perform a song from their
14:21nominated album.
14:23Radiohead performed Fifteen Step with three dozen musicians of the University of Southern
14:28California Trojan Marching Band on rises behind them.
14:32Fifteen Step is already one of the band's more upbeat songs, if you can call it that.
14:44Tom Yorke seems to completely bliss out when he performs it, adding the youthful energy
14:53of the band to the mix made the entire moment feel like a jubilant celebration.
14:58The heavy brass and precise percussion is almost entrancing.
15:098.
15:19Rolling in the Deep by Adele, 54th Annual Grammy Awards.
15:32Her sophomore album, 21, was soaring through the charts with ease.
15:36Adele was at the top of the world professionally, but her performance at the 2012 Grammys was
15:41anything but smooth sailing.
15:43She had undergone a highly publicized surgery on her vocal cords.
15:46Her edition of Rolling in the Deep would be her first live performance since recovering.
16:10Talk about pressure.
16:11Those behind-the-scenes stakes only made her appearance even more triumphant as soon as
16:16she started singing a cappella, it was clear nothing had changed.
16:20The audience clapped along as the song built to its first chorus, supporting her all the
16:24way.
16:25She smashed it.
16:27The standing ovation saw some of the industry's best and brightest cheering her on.
16:467.
16:47Stan by Eminem, featuring Elton John, 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.
16:59Few collaborations have made less sense on paper, and few have worked so well in practice.
17:04Eminem's rap single about an obsessive fan sampled the track Thank You by Dido.
17:09Elton John sang the chorus at the Grammys instead.
17:12The duet had some controversial origins because Eminem had been accused of homophobia due
17:17to some of his lyrics.
17:19John enthusiastically embraced the singer and his song.
17:39Their styles blended surprisingly well, making a statement without distracting from the power
17:44of the song.
17:45It also gave Eminem's raw and animated performance style a strangely calm but equally flashy
17:50counterpoint.
17:516.
17:52Across the Universe by Alicia Keys, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Et, Al, 47th Annual Grammy
18:12Awards.
18:26Following the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, a bevy of celebrated musicians
18:31came together in tribute to the over 200,000 people who died in the tragedy.
18:36Bono, Alicia Keys, Billy Joe Armstrong, and Steven Tyler are just a few members of the
18:42impromptu supergroup singing the Beatles hit to inspire donations to the Red Cross.
18:59Slash shreds on the guitar, Steven Tyler is on maracas duty, Stevie Wonder brings the
19:04house down with his harmonica.
19:07And the star power alone is noteworthy.
19:09Clashing styles and genres come together in an explosion of talent for a great cause.
19:195.
19:28You Know I'm No Good, Rehab by Amy Winehouse, 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
19:34She rocked the house from an entire ocean away.
19:44Nominated for her groundbreaking Back to Black album, the English songstress had some trouble
19:49getting visa approval to come to the US.
19:51Instead, the Grammy audience was treated to an intimate show on a nightclub set in London.
20:03Winehouse demonstrated her jazz-inspired freedom with the melody and her love of musical improvisation.
20:10Performing two tracks from the album, the mega-hit Rehab and the slinky You Know I'm
20:14No Good, audiences learned she wasn't interested in recreating tracks as they appear on the
20:19album.
20:22Instead, they got the authentic, unpolished, and completely original vocal stylings of
20:37Amy Winehouse.
20:384.
20:39Love Drought, Sandcastles by Beyoncé, 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
20:52Taking its lead from the iconic visual album the songs appeared on, Beyoncé's abstract
20:57presentation of two tracks from Lemonade is a feast for the eyes and ears.
21:01It's unlike anything ever seen on a Grammy stage.
21:04Jam-packed with visual Easter eggs and cultural references, half of the performance's spoken
21:09word presented against romantic, elegant, and metaphysical scenes.
21:24The audience is already hypnotized by the time she gets to Sandcastles, the heartbreaking
21:28ballad about her husband's infidelity.
21:31That she could convey the message of Lemonade so beautifully in a relatively short chunk
21:36of time on the Grammy stage is an accomplishment in itself.
21:503.
22:01London Calling by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Tony Kanal, Pete Thomas, Dave Grohl,
22:08and Little Steven, 45th Annual Grammy Awards.
22:19Closing out the 2003 edition of the awards, Bruce Springsteen led a group of bonafide
22:24rock stars to pay tribute to a legend of the punk rock movement.
22:42Joe Strummer, co-founder and frontman of The Clash, had passed away months before.
22:47Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, and members of several other rock bands covered
22:52The Clash's 1979 protest song.
23:01They performed the song as if it were written yesterday.
23:04Hearing these titans of rock music holler out its apocalyptic lyrics about nuclear accidents,
23:09devastating wars, and global collapse felt eerily prescient in post-911 America.
23:292.
23:30The Black of the Berry, Alright by Kendrick Lamar, 58th Annual Grammy Awards.
23:42Two years after he and Imagine Dragons burned up the Grammy stage together, Kendrick Lamar
23:47returned to set fire to the night.
23:49As the most nominated artist of the year, fans had high hopes for Lamar's performance,
23:54and he did not disappoint.
24:04From the start, the political themes of his work were front and center.
24:08Lamar and his dancers entered the set in chains, his band began the performance literally behind
24:13bars, the performance was an indictment of racism, and the history of oppression against
24:18African Americans over the past several hundred years.
24:31But the performance is as celebratory as it is incisive, honoring the years of fortitude
24:36and perseverance in the face of pain.
25:001.
25:09Fifty Years of Hip-Hop Tribute by TooManyToName, 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
25:25A tribute to an entire genre of music means someone is going to be left out.
25:30Roots' frontman Questlove originally wanted the 50-year anniversary of the hip-hop genre
25:35to run a half hour, but he was forced down to 14 minutes.
25:49Still the 50 Years of Hip-Hop segment on the 65th Grammy Awards was so jam-packed with
25:54legends that it almost seemed like the list who wasn't there was shorter.
26:03You know it's a worthy tribute when you have no idea who could come out next, but each
26:07new surprise feels exactly right.
26:10Run-D.M.C., Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Missy Elliott, and more came
26:16together on one stage to honor half a century of groundbreaking, boundary-pushing music.
26:33What was the best performance you ever saw on the Grammys?
26:36Sound off in the comments.