15 Grammys Moments We Can NEVER Forget
The Grammys is the biggest night in music and has been the scene of some of the most iconic and memorable moments of the industry. From unforgettable and powerful performances to scandals that quickly made their way to the front of every newspaper to the collaboration of truly great musical forces, the Grammys has seen it all. It's hard to narrow it down to the top few moments, because every year the show is packed with new events that quickly become ingrained into history. We've had to settle on just 15 moments which have given us laughs, tears, and chills, and which we'll remember forever. Featuring performances that changed the world, collaborations that set new and higher standards, and the likes of superstars like Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Adele, and Michael Jackson, here are the top 15 moments from all the Grammys that we will never forget!
15 Grammys Wedding
The Grammys might not be everybody's first choice for a wedding venue, but hey, it works for some people! And when you've got Queen Latifah officiating the vows, and Madonna and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis as the entertainment, what's not to love? At the 56th Grammy Awards, 33 couples tied the knot on stage in front of the entire world while Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performed their marriage-equality anthem, "Same Love". Queen Latifah acted as the celebrant, and when it came time to exchange the rings, Madonna appeared on the stage, draped in white, singing "Open Your Heart." The stage was made to look like a church, complete with altar and stained-glass windows too. The best part about this is that real couples were used-a casting service searched for real couples who would be comfortable enough to be married on stage. Now, that's a wedding story to tell the grandkids!
14 Lady Marmalade
The ladies behind the 2002 Grammy performance of "Lady Marmalade" might not have gotten along, but that didn't stop Pink, Christina Aguilera, Mya, Lil' Kim, and Missy Elliot from giving an iconic and united performance. The girls covered the song, originally by Patti LaBelle, for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, which later won the award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. This performance was totally OTT; they had everything from corsets and glitter to whips and feathers. No matter how much time passes, there are a few things we will never tire of, and they include: early 2000s choreography, live on-stage changes, and Pink and Christina Aguilera passively aggressively battling it out to determine who's the better singer. Looking back at the performance, it's clear that all the ladies involved were superstars, each bringing their own special something to the performance, and it couldn't have been done without any of their talents!
13 Rihanna, Kanye, And Paul McCartney's Collab
Speaking of memorable collaborations, who can forget the more recent performance of "Four Five Seconds" by Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney? This took place at the 2015 Grammy Awards just after the song had totally blown up, and it was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the night. Kanye West and Rihanna go way back, but witnessing either of them perform alongside a Beatle automatically made the performance a must-see. We also loved the simplicity of this one-there was no choreography, no OTT costumes or special effects, and no scandals. It was just three superstars wearing suits, jamming in front of a white background and black curtain. All three performers were so honest with the song and let loose, which was refreshing to see too! Seriously, is there anything better than seeing Rihanna get lost in her songs? This one also gets points for the cute hugs at the end of the applause.
12 Pink's Acrobatics
We love seeing artists possess enough talent to simply stand on a stage and sing, but we also love some crazy performances every now and then. When it comes to being impressive and creative on stage, nobody can top Pink. At the 52nd Grammys, not only did Pink sing immaculately, but she did so while spinning through the air as if she were a part of Cirque du Soleil. There was hanging upside down from great heights, negotiating tricky swings and leg positions, super-fast spinning, and romantic-but-intense dancing with a topless hunk. What more could you want? Firstly, we would have been too self-conscious to wear that bodysuit, and secondly, we would have lost balance and plummeted back down to the stage before the song even started. Most people also would have been too focused on executing the song to worry about anything else, but Pink is just too amazing for words!
11 Bob Marley Tribute
The Grammy Awards in 2013 featured a pretty spectacular and colorful tribute to legendary singer Bob Marley. Bruno Mars kicked things off by singing his hit "Locked Out of Heaven", complete with suave black suits and a dancing band. Things got slightly more exciting as Sting joined him while they performed in front of a Jamaican-inspired red, green and yellow illuminated backdrop. When they sang "Could You Be Love", the guys were joined by Ziggy and Damian Marley, and the Bajan princess herself, Rihanna. Famous faces in the audience, including Ellen DeGeneres, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Chris Brown all appeared to be having the time of their lives, and the whole energy-packed performance was a great way to celebrate the life of Bob Marley. We had to laugh at the end when Bruno Mars told people that his name was Bruno Mars… as if there was somebody alive who didn't know!
10 Lady Gaga Arrives In An Egg
Lady Gaga has pulled off a few newsworthy stunts in her day, but our top Gaga Grammy moment has to be her arrival to the 2011 show in a giant egg. At this point, she'd already pushed the boundaries on stage and in her music videos, and needed a new setting to unleash her unique creativity. What better place than the red carpet? One of our favorite things about Gaga is that her art is more of a life choice than a four-minute performance, and it's clear that she carries on her passions and creative processes around with her all day, whether she's on stage or simply arriving to the venue. She went on to sing her hit "Born This Way", and explained that she was incubating prior to the performance. Models carried the egg down the red carpet, and then Gaga was finally reborn as she cracked open on stage. At least she takes things seriously!
9 Bob Dylan's Awkward Moment
Before there was Kanye West running on stage to steal Taylor Swift's limelight and Lil' Mama hijacking the performance of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, there was Bob Dylan and the soy bomb guy. Back in 1997, Bob was performing his song "Love Sick" at the Grammys when a shirtless man appeared on the stage and began to dance (that's using the term loosely) next to him. The man had the words "Soy Bomb" painted onto his chest, and people are still trying to make sense of what the heck was going on. Security led him off stage soon enough, but Bob didn't let the interruption ruin his performance. In fact, he executed a perfect and passionate guitar solo as the guy was being taken away. Bob went on to win Album of the Year for Time Out of Mind that night. And you thought award shows in the '90s were tamer than they are today!
8 Eminem And Elton John Make Up
This is one of the more unexpected collaborations that the Grammys has seen, but it totally worked! Eminem's song "Stan" was perfect enough when Dido was featured on it, but Eminem performed the song on the Grammys stage with Elton John, much to the surprise of, like, everyone. At the time, Eminem was being criticized by equality activists for the homophobic lyrics on his album The Marshall Mathers LP, so nobody expected one of the most famous gay icons ever to perform with him. Not only was their duet amazing musically, but the fact that they stood together before the world cleared up Eminem's true feelings about the issue, as well as Elton's. Their hug at the end of the song was one of the most powerful moments in Grammy history! We're also down for any performance in which Eminem delves into his acting abilities, plays two characters and sits at a prop desk. Too good!
7 Christina's Tribute To James Brown
Anybody with a voice as iconic as Christina Aguilera's is definitely going to feature in more than one top Grammy moment! Christina performed a tribute to James Brown at the 2007 Grammys, and earned the respect even of those who'd previously criticized her. She wore an all-white suit to channel James while she sang a powerful and chilling rendition of "It's A Man's Man's Man's World." Not many people can pull off falling to the floor, clutching the microphone stand with white knuckles and belting every note from beginning to end, but Christina can. It didn't come across as cheesy, because Christina simply has the pipes to back it up! Most critics were pleasantly surprised, and a survey conducted by People showed that 90% were wowed over the performance. This all happened around the time that Christina's Back to Basics record was out. We loved this Xtina way more than the dark-haired Dirrrty-era version!
6 Bey's Tina Turner Tribute
There were a few explosive moments at the Grammys in 2008, but we don't think any of them can top Beyoncé's tribute performance to her idol, Tina Turner. B had often talked about how much she aspired to be like Tina Turner in the past, and she'd also already performed a tribute to her much earlier in her career. By 2008, B was just reaching the top of her climb to become Queen of the music industry, so it was cool to see her revisit her roots and remember one of the people who inspired her to get there! The ladies wore matching silver and sang "Proud Mary" together before getting into some high-energy choreography. This was a perfect balance because both women were superstars, capable of holding their own, and none tried to outshine the other. Not even B accidentally stepping on Miss Tina's foot could ruin this moment!
5 Aretha Franklin's Performance
Opera legend Luciano Pavarotti was set to perform at the 1998 Grammy Awards but had to pull out at the last minute. While he could have called any other opera singer to stand in his place, he called the great Aretha Franklin. Though not an opera singer herself, Aretha accepted the job at a moment's notice, and absolutely sang the heck out of the classic "Nessun Dorma." Not only did she nail every single note of the song, but the emotion she put into the song drew in a crowd of spectators who'd probably never heard the song before. Let's face it: opera is an acquired taste! And Aretha, who isn't even an opera singer, was able to make it work and even receive a standing ovation from the audience. To do this all without preparation is remarkable, and helps solidify Aretha's place as one of the best singers of all time!
4 Britney Spears In Her Prime
Britney Spears has been through many stages in her career, including many highs and lows. As millennials, we're happy that Britney is still going strong and very much a part of the industry, but we will always long for the early 2000s when our Princess of Pop was unstoppable. At the 2000 Grammys, Brit was barely an adult and on top of the industry. She sang "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" in a huge, vibrant tutu before singing "Baby One More Time" in a red jumpsuit. We remember watching this and wanting so badly to be her! Our favorite part of the performance has to be the iconic Britney choreography that we all secretly practiced in our bedrooms when were little girls. This performance also featured live singing, a child playing a young Britney at the beginning, and a Wizard of Oz theme, so no matter what, we can't fault it!
3 Adele Gives Her Award To B
One of our top Grammy moments took place this year at the 2017 Grammys, and is still all anybody's talking about. The night was equally about Beyoncé, who's recently announced her pregnancy with twins, and Adele, who opened the show with her smash hit "Hello." Both ladies performed on the night, each doing what they do best. B delivered a powerful, moving performance with the best choreography and special effects in the industry, and Adele belted out her huge ballad before giggling nervously and waving at people in the audience. Adele ended up winning Album of the Year for 25, which beat out B's Lemonade but Adele, in tears, told the audience that she couldn't possibly accept the award because B's album was so powerful. Whether you agree with her decision, it's so refreshing to see successful women empowering each other, praising each other and building each other up rather than being egotistical. #Girlpower!
2 The Grammys Without Whitney
Legend Whitney Houston tragically passed away the day before the 2012 Grammys, and there was no way to stop the night from feeling grim and empty. Whitney's absence at the Grammys that year was felt by everybody involved, and inspired some epic speeches and performances. Host LL Cool J referred to the event as a death in the family, and Jennifer Hudson performed a moving rendition of "I Will Always Love You" to honor the singer. Although many exciting things took place that night, including Adele singing "Someone Like You", Rihanna singing "We Found Love" and Taylor Swift singing "Mean", the night was in its essence about Whitney, which showed how important she was to everybody in the industry, and how dearly she was already missed. The 2012 Grammys was also an example of how people can come together and show love during difficult times, which was really inspiring and comforting!
1 Michael Jackson's Performance
The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, had more than one unforgettable Grammys appearance during his time, but his 10-minute performance in 1988 was simply unforgettable and worthy of the top place on this list! Michael began with his iconic choreography, which nobody else will ever be able to replicate at the same level, before diving into "The Way You Make Me Feel." Seriously, what other artist is a better dancer than their back-up dancers?! After Michael moved on and showed off his powerful vocals with "Man in the Mirror". He performed with a few backing singers and a choir, though there was very little distraction to take away from his raw talent. This performance is the perfect example of why Michael will always be the King of Pop and a reminder of how powerful music can really be! Michael received a standing ovation for his remarkable performance, which we still remember to this day.