Top 20 Memorable MTV VMA Performances

[Music] welcome to miss Mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the Times artists blew our minds while performing at the MTV Video Music Awards number 20 Rihanna medley in 2016 Rihanna received the video Vanguard Award presented for outstanding contributions and profound impact within the indust [Music] members of the Rihanna Navy were treated to not just one but several Renditions during the ceremony suitable for an artist with as many hits as Riri and with the songs performed spanning her various eras including Rude Boy work pour it up and don't stop the music there's a decent chance you got to hear your favorite [Music] Rihanna delivered again at the 2023 Super Bowl but the lack of material between the two performances can't help but make us feel disappointed as STS please Rihanna Don't Stop the [Music] Music number 19 Britney Spears oops I Did It Again at the turn of the Millennium Britney Spears was the epitome of a teen pop Superstar this incredible performance not only marked a turning point into a more grown-up state stage of her career but also elevated her sex symbol [Music] status before performing her own hit song in a sparkly skin toned and very eye-catching outfit Spears opened with a rendition of Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones with this show she signaled that she was more than just a passing fad her career was just getting started and she would continue to show just what a force she was in other words oops she'd do it again number 18 Bon Joy Living on a Prayer Wanted Dead or Alive Bon Joy traded in their Hard Rock stylings for a stripped down acoustic performance of two of their best known [Music] tracks band members John bonjovi and Richie Sambora were on point as they strummed alongside each other during a performance that plays another significant role in MTV history it is widely believed to have inspired the Channel's well-known unplugged concert series which as the title suggests featured artists performing acoustic versions of their [Music] songs it's fitting then that the band itself was the first performance when the series was revived in [Music] 2007 number 17 lady gagar and Ariana Grande chromatica medley if you've ever been to a lady gagar concert you know she puts on an extravagant [Music] show so it's a treat whenever we get a taste of that at home be it with her 2017 Super Bowl halftime show or this VM performance where she brought fellow pop Legend Ariana Grande along for the [Music] ride what's even better is that this show arrived right when we sorely needed it during the peak of covid-19 providing perfect pandemic era entertainment and of course Gaga's electric face mask brought us a hint of the fashionable eccentricity she's Infamous for me number 16 Justin timlake with nyn nyn medley the recipient of the 2013 video Vanguard award Justin timlake has reached true Superstar status with a remarkably successful solo music [Applause] career not to mention his foray into acting but his Origins are of course during the Golden Era of the boy band when he and his group and sink were on top of the world at the ceremony Timberlake blessed fans and viewers with a 15-minute set that brought the house down with many of his biggest [Music] songs but the Highlight by far was when he was joined on stage by his former NSYNC band members in a reunion that had us yearning for the days when frosted tips was still in number 15 Madonna Britney Spears Chistina agulara and Missy Elliot Like a Virgin Hollywood M DA's performance of like a virgin at the very first VMAs in 1984 was so iconic that britley Spears and Christina agilera paid tribute to it in 2003 wedding gowns [Music] included the performance from the two pop princesses was already sure to be legendary before the queen herself popped out of a cake and join them on stage [Applause] it and if that wasn't conversation causing enough how about the moment when Madonna kissed her two fellow performers or her Brides on the lips add Missy Miss demina Elliot to the mix and you truly have a once-in-a-lifetime wedding no objections from [Applause] [Music] [Applause] us number 14 Taylor Swift you belong with me there's no doubt that Taylor Swift was a household name even in 2009 with hits like you belong with me and love story in escapable on the radio tshir but somehow since then Swift has inexplicably managed to get so much bigger that it's difficult to remember her Roots as a country star this performance marks a significant moment in the early years of the Taylor Swift before we all knew the heights that she would [Music] reach of course the ceremony marked another memorable event involving Swift and a certain rapper but we won't talk about that if you didn't manage to snag tickets to the ears tour we recommend giving this one a watch as a consolation prize at the very least it'll cost you a lot less I love you New York number 13 Prince get off when people discuss artists that they wish they could have seen when they were alive and in their Prime Prince is a name that's often brought [Music] up so for fans who got a chance to see Prince give a seven minute performance of get off live at the 91 VMAs we're certain it's a Memory they'll bring up for the rest of their lives I was [Music] [Applause] think we also sure the experience was made all the more memorable by the unexpected moment when he turned around and Beed his rear end to the audience before continuing to perform not many can say they were mooned by Prince himself so we certainly can't say for sure that we wouldn't brag about [Music] it number 12 Madonna Vogue Madonna is one of the most influential figures to ever grace the music industry not only can her impact be felt in the music trends of today but she left her Mark in various other ways as [Music] well case in points you likely know Madonna's song Vogue given that it's one of the most notable pop songs ever released making a mark on the culture of both music and fashion but did you know it played a part in the popularization of voguing a style of performance that gained prominence in the lgbtqia plus dance clubs in the80s [Music] the Queen of Pop paid homage at the 1990 VMAs in memorable fashion with an 18th century Marie antoanet inspired aesthetic and who could forget that pantsless dancer number 11 Beyonce lemonade Beyonce is an artist who always knows how to create a moment taste the all over your breath whether it's with her album releases her tours or the 16-minute tribute to the lemonade album that had everyone talking could we have tolerated a shorter performance for an album so full of bangers as dedicated members of the bay highve we're glad we didn't need to and got to see performances of so many of our favorites including formation and hold [Music] up as we watched we couldn't help but ask ourselves one question though how did Jay-Z almost let this woman get away from him know you that [ __ ] when you C all this conversation I always stay gracious your paper number 10 Eminem The Real Slim Shady the way I am would The Real Slim Shady please stand up you never seen Flor you might think this is a question we'd be asking during this VMAs performance where the rapper brought 100 lookalikes to tag along with him but no after marching his clones from outside Radio City to inside the venue Eminem left little doubt in anyone that there's only one Real Slim Shady and it's obvious who it is with that settled em brought it home with an oncore performance of The Way I Am we couldn't help but lose ourselves in both the music and the moment I don't Way I Am Number Nine Missy Elliot medley there's a reason we were freaking out at Missy Elliot's incredible VMAs performance and it's not just because she told us to get our freak on Missy Misdemeanor Elliot isn't just one of the greatest female MC's to ever grace the mic but one of the best to ever do it period so we had reason to be [Music] excited the recipient of the 2019 video Vanguard award celebrated her career in typically unexpected fashion including a giant CGR UFO that abducted an audience member Allison Stoner who had originally appeared in Elliot's workit video 17 years earlier also returned to Delight fans with their dancing performance is it wor it number eight Kanye West Runaway say what you will about Kanye West at his Peak the man was capable of delivering a performance that few others could rival even still in 2010 he had a lot to [Music] prove his Interruption of Taylor Swift at the previous year's show still stands today as one of the biggest award show controversies of all time a lot of the world didn't care for West during this period even more so than usual the rapper ensured all eyes were on him as he dawned a bright red suit and went on to give a performance that more than [Music] delivered number seven Kendrick Lamar DNA humble talk about a damn fine performance I got pois my d got in 2017 Kendrick Lamar brought his DNA to the VMAs for a performance where Not only was the music fire but there was also literally a swordsman caught a blaze on stage not to mention the ninjas climbing a wall of flames there was a message behind the fiery theatrics though as Lamar used his platform to speak up against police brutality King Kendrick won big that night with six wins incl video of the year in our humble opinion we'd love to see him bring the heat to the VMAs [Music] again number six milus and Robin Thick We Can't Stop blood lines after Miley Cyrus emerged from a gigantic robot bear this duet just got stranger some might even say uncomfortably sowhere sorry is suggestive dancing with both a foam finger and an at the time married and notably older Robin Thick is one reason this is a performance that's memorable and how much we'd like to erase from our brains but in the end your opinion on this performance may depend on how you feel about the mass popularization of twerking if you're all for it great news this is twerking's big moment if you're against it you're probably not the biggest fan number five Beyonce Love On Top Beyonce came out on top again at the 2011 VMAs classing up the joints in a phot toxedo and bow tie to slay another [Music] performance amidst pregnancy rumors eyebrows were raised while she belted Out lyrics like but the most talked about moments came at the end when Queen ba unbuttoned her shirt to show her belly and confirmed that she was in fact expecting kind of makes your cousin's staged photo shoot for Instagram look rather quaint in comparison doesn't [Music] it number four Lady Gaga Paparazzi it's no wonder that Paparazzi is always showing up when Lady Gaga is in front of the camera incredible things tend to happen [Music] especially during this era both Gaga's little monsters and the general public had come to expect the unexpected from the artist but that didn't stop our Jaws from dropping when Gaga dressed all in white smeared fake blood all over herself as she was strung from the [Applause] ceiling as the lights faded to Black while camera shutters could be heard in the background audiences everywhere couldn't help but to decipher the statement gagar was making about the nature of [Music] celebrity there's a good reason she has an album titled The Fame Monster number three Madonna Like A Virgin not only is Madonna the Queen of Pop but she's also the reigning Queen of the VMAs after all at the inaugural ceremony she set the foundation for what was to come everything we've come to expect from an unforgettable VM performance is [Music] here an eye-catching outfit Madonna showed up in a flowing white wedding dress and a boy toy belt an oversized centerpiece the singer emerging from a giant cake prior to this performance Madonna was a star after it she was an icon con one who would always have our eyes on her [Music] heart number two Britney Spears I'm a slave for you over the years many artists have used the VMAs to make a unique fashion statement from wedding gowns to LED masks in 2001 Britney Spears turned heads the previous year with her sparkly Ensemble so she had a lot to live up to and what better way to top yourself than being the first one ever to wear a living creature to the VMAs as an accessory when Britney strutted on stage with an albino Burmese python draped around her shoulders audiences were shocked but Britney appeared completely unfazed going on to give one of the most unforgettably sizzling performances in VMA history like that before we continue be sure to subscribe to our Channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one Michael Jackson Medley at the end of the day the VMAs are a celebration of everything that's iconic about popular music way make and there may be no more iconic figure in pop music than Michael Jackson the King of Pop delivers everything he's so famous for with this legendary performance Moon walking and crotch grabbing included doing Justice to his career in just 15 minutes is a Herculean task [Applause] dangerous but MJ makes the most of it with multible onstage costume changes and even a special appearance from slash shredding on the guitar if you'll excuse the pun we consider it the most thrilling VMA performance of all [Music] time not alone did we include the performance that made your jaw drop let us know in the [Music] comments do you agree with our picks check out this other recent clip from M Mojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos [Music]