Best MTV VMAs Performances
So many performances, so little time. The one thing the VMAs have always been known for are epic performances. Some of today's greatest stars made their marks during an opening performance or musical number and in turn, made music history.At the 2001 Video Music Awards, Britney Spears gave another memorable performance when she took the stage to sing her new single, "I'm a Slave 4 U." Along with dancing in a very revealing outfit, the performance is probably most remembered for featuring the singer in a cage with a tiger and briefly dancing with a live albino Burmese python on her shoulders. The inclusion of a tiger and a snake in the performance brought a great deal of criticism from PETA.
Great performance and so sexy. The snake really adds to the feeling of the song.
Lady Gaga performed her song "Paparazzi" and shocked the audience when she appeared to bleed out on stage. It was actually a contraption in her outfit. It was one of the most memorable moments in VMA history.
I voted for this because the live version is better than the studio version. It was art at its best.
It is an iconic performance, not necessarily the best, but on par with the best performances ever in VMA history.
How is Paparazzi below I'm a Slave 4 U? Paparazzi is much better in every way. It's not so special that Britney had a snake on stage.
At the 2003 Video Music Awards, Madonna portrayed a groom kissing her brides, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, on stage. The gender role-reversal and lesbian theme instantly made front-page headlines.
The three singers performed a medley of Madonna's early hit "Like a Virgin" and her then-latest release "Hollywood", with a guest rap by Missy Elliott. The design resembled Madonna's performance of "Like a Virgin" at the 1984 VMAs: the same wedding cake set, wedding dresses, and "Boy Toy" belt worn by Madonna in 1984 now adorned Aguilera and Spears.
Michael Jackson performed for over fifteen minutes to a medley of his main songs, including "Scream", and danced his signature moves, including the robot, moonwalk, and the relatively unknown "Bankhead Bounce". Slash accompanied Jackson and played guitar on "Black or White" and the beginning of "Billie Jean".
Eminem performed his two singles "The Real Slim Shady" and "The Way I Am". The performance began with Eminem's single "The Real Slim Shady", which started outside the Radio City Music Hall on 6th Avenue, Manhattan. Eminem continued his performance into the arena and was followed by a hundred Eminem 'clones' wearing white tank tops and baggy jeans with dyed bleach blonde hair.
At the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, Madonna performed her iconic hit "Like a Virgin" wearing a combination bustier/wedding gown, including her trademark "Boy Toy" belt. During the performance, she rolled around on the floor, revealing lacy stockings and a garter. Cyndi Lauper spoke in "Exorcist-esque gibberish" to explain the VMA rules right before winning the Best Female Video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun".
In the 1992 show, MTV requested Nirvana perform "Smells Like Teen Spirit", while the band preferred to play new songs "Rape Me" and "Tourette's". Network executives continued to push for "Teen Spirit" but finally offered the band a choice to play either "Teen Spirit" or "Lithium", which the band accepted.
At the performance, Nirvana began to play, and Kurt Cobain sang the first few lines of "Rape Me", much to the horror of MTV execs, before continuing their regular performance of "Lithium". Near the end of the song, frustrated that his amp had stopped functioning, bassist Krist Novoselic tossed his bass into the air for dramatic effect. He misjudged the landing, and the bass ended up bouncing off his forehead, forcing him to stumble off the stage in a daze.
Beyoncé made a memorable entrance, descending upside down from the rafters at Radio City Music Hall. Knowles performed "Baby Boy" as she was gently lowered to the stage, dressed in harem pants. She was later joined by Jay-Z as they performed their duet "Crazy in Love." The performance marked Knowles's solo debut.
She performed the whole album! 17 songs!
Whitney Houston, who was one of the first female African American artists to receive heavy rotation on the network, performed "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All" at the 1986 Video Music Awards. The network had received criticism for not playing enough videos by black artists.
U2 had been set to perform a medley including "Elevation", "Beautiful Day", and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of." The riser they were performing on lost power, and MTV had to cut to several minutes of promos while everything was set up again. They lost power again, and finally, the band was lowered to the ground and performed without the riser. Lead singer Bono referenced after the performance that MTV "forgot to pay the electricity bill."
Boxing shocked the audience. The last performance in the VMAs got the world to begin to roar.
