Top 10 Most Memorable VMA Moments

This list chronicles the most iconic performances and shocking moments in VMA history. Each of these artists has cemented a place in pop culture history thanks to the VMAs.

The Top Ten

  1. Britney Spears - I'm a Slave 4 U (2001)

    Britney Spears opened the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards with "I'm a Slave 4 U" at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. During the performance, she danced with a live albino Burmese python draped over her shoulders, creating one of the most widely replayed images from the show. The appearance supported her Britney album era, and it's become one of the defining moments of the 2001 ceremony.

  2. Lady Gaga - Paparazzi (2009)

    Lady Gaga performed "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in a theatrical routine built around fame, injury, and death imagery. Near the end of the performance, fake blood appeared to pour from her torso as she hung above the stage in front of the audience. The staging drew extensive media coverage, and it's marked as one of the most discussed live performances from the 2009 VMAs.

  3. Madonna - Like a Virgin (1984)

    Madonna performed "Like a Virgin" at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 after emerging from a giant wedding cake on stage. She wore a white wedding dress, veil, gloves, and "Boy Toy" belt while singing and moving across the floor during the routine. The performance became an early landmark in VMA history and is regularly cited in coverage of Madonna's career.

  4. Michael Jackson - Medley (1995)

    Michael Jackson performed a career-spanning medley at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards that included songs such as "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Scream," "Beat It," "Thriller," and "Billie Jean." He shared the stage with dancers and special guests, including Slash, during a set that ran for more than 15 minutes. The performance was presented as a major event at the ceremony, and it's often referenced in retrospectives on Jackson's live television appearances.

  5. Britney Spears - Oops!... I Did It Again (2000)

    Britney Spears performed "Oops!... I Did It Again" at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards in a routine that began with a cover of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." She started in a black suit and then revealed a flesh-toned, glittering stage outfit before moving into her hit single. It's a performance that helped establish the song as one of the signature pop moments of the year's ceremony.

  6. Kanye West and Taylor Swift - Kanye Interrupts Taylor (2009)

    At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift went onstage to accept the award for Best Female Video for "You Belong with Me." Kanye West walked onto the stage, took the microphone, and said that Beyoncé had "one of the best videos of all time" before handing it back. The interruption became one of the most reported incidents in VMA history, and it's led to immediate public reaction across television, press, and social media.

  7. Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Missy Elliott - The Infamous Kiss (2003)

    Madonna opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards with a performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, with Missy Elliott joining for "Work It." During the performance, Madonna kissed Spears and then kissed Aguilera onstage. The televised moment became a major pop culture news story, and it's remained one of the most referenced scenes from the 2003 VMAs.

  8. Eminem - The Real Slim Shady (2000)

    Eminem performed "The Real Slim Shady" at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards by beginning outside Radio City Music Hall and entering with a large group of look-alikes dressed like him. The procession moved through the venue and onto the stage, matching the song's theme of multiple "Slim Shadys." It's become one of the best known live presentations of the song during Eminem's early mainstream breakthrough.

  9. Britney Spears - Gimme More (2007)

    Britney Spears opened the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards with "Gimme More" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It was her first televised awards-show performance in several years, serving as the public launch of the single from her Blackout era. The appearance received widespread attention immediately after airing, and it's become one of the most heavily discussed segments of the 2007 ceremony.

  10. Florence + the Machine - Dog Days Are Over (2010)

    Florence + the Machine performed "Dog Days Are Over" at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards as part of the ceremony's live music lineup. Florence Welch sang barefoot on a set designed with harp players, flowing fabric, and a nature-themed visual style. The appearance introduced the band to a broader U.S. television audience during a period of rising international attention.

    This is the voice that blew everyone in America away a week after she was the most Googled person on Earth.

    11. The Contenders

  11. Madonna vs. Courtney Love - Interview (1995)

    At the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna was being interviewed backstage by Kurt Loder when Courtney Love began throwing makeup compacts toward the interview area from above. Madonna then invited Love down, and the conversation shifted into an unscripted exchange between the three of them. The segment aired as part of MTV's live coverage, and it's become one of the ceremony's best known backstage incidents.

  12. Various Artists - Tribute to Michael Jackson (2009)

    The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards included a tribute to Michael Jackson, who had died on June 25, 2009, less than three months before the ceremony. Madonna delivered a speech about Jackson, and Janet Jackson appeared to perform "Scream" with Michael's video footage on the screens behind her. The tribute served as one of the central elements of the broadcast and reflected Jackson's long association with the VMAs.

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