20 of the best MTV Video Music Awards performances

Britney Spears brought theatrics and animals to her performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U.” The singer first appears standing next to a tiger inside a cage. She then leaves the cage to break into the dance sequence alongside her backup dancers. However, the portion that shook everyone was when Spears danced and glided across the stage while holding a Burmese python. Not only did this performance become an iconic VMA moment, but it showcased Spears' fearlessness and professionalism. 

Not only did Kendrick Lamar show off his fiery rap skills, but he also brought the heat to the 2017 VMAs stage. Lamar opened the show by performing a medley of songs with “DNA.” and “Humble.” During the performance of “DNA.,” the rapper is seen trying to dodge a group of ninjas. By the time he transitioned into “Humble.,” a grid background wall was set ablaze while another swordsman set his body on fire.

Nearly six months after the tragic death of The Notorious B.I.G., Diddy paid tribute to his friend at the 1997 VMAs. A video montage of Biggie is played on a screen as a gospel choir sings a hymn. Diddy then comes out on stage dancing (in usual Diddy form), and Sting is seen singing The Police's hit song “Every Breath You Take.” Diddy then goes into his track “I’ll Be Missing You” (which samples The Police song), and he’s soon joined by Faith Evans, 112, and the choir as his background vocalists. 

When Beyoncé took the stage in 2011, she told the audience, “I want you to feel the love growing inside of me,” before going into her hit song “Love on Top.” She and her background dancers dressed in sequined blazers, which was the perfect camouflage for Bey’s surprise performance. At the song's end, she flips her hair, drops the microphone, unbuttons her blazer, and cradles her baby bump. Surprise! Bey announced she was pregnant with her first child. The camera then pans to her husband, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and Tony Bennett, cheering in excitement.

It was back in 2000 when Eminem graced the VMA stage and asked, “Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?” He started his performance outside the venue on the streets of New York, joined by one hundred Eminem lookalikes. The rapper, along with the lookalikes, then made their way inside Radio City Music Hall to perform a medley of “The Real Slim Shady” and “The Way I Am.”

There’s no doubt that MTV was long overdue for honoring Missy Elliott with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. In 2019, the VMAs finally presented her with the prestigious honor, and Elliott gifted fans with a performance medley of hits. She performed some of her biggest songs, including “The Rain,” “Hot Boyz,” “Get Ur Freak On,” and “Lose Control.” Day-one Elliott fans also got a cameo appearance from Alyson Stoner, the young lady who danced in a few of the rapper's earlier videos.

Lady Gaga’s performance of “Paparazzi” was a moment that showcased her readiness to take over the pop world. It was a testament to her rise to stardom, giving everything people should expect in a pop star: vocals, choreography, costumes, and theatrics. Her performance gave meaning to how being a celebrity followed by fans and paparazzi can be scary. Towards the end of the performance, Gaga is shown with blood on her body and hangs from the ceiling as camera flashing sounds are heard in the background. 

Artists don’t typically get a lot of performance time at award shows unless they’re being honored — or they’re Michael Jackson. The King of Pop took over the 1995 VMAs to perform a 15-minute medley of hit songs, including “Beat It,” “The Way You Make Feel,” and “Smooth Criminal.” Slash also joined him on stage as he performed “Black or White,” and Slash had an insane guitar solo before MJ went into “Billie Jean.” In pure MJ form, the singer goes into dance sequences filled with precision and finesse. 

Madonna shocked the world with her performance at the 2003 VMAs. Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera appeared on stage first singing Madonna’s hit “Like a Virgin.” Madonna then joined them on stage to perform “Hollywood” and sent fans into a frenzy when she shared a kiss with both of them. MTV producers wasted no time panning the camera to Spears’ ex-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, and Eminem, who was known for mentioning both Spears and Aguilera in his songs. Toward the end of the performance, the three were joined by Missy Elliott on stage. 

TLC is one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, and part of that success is due to their critically acclaimed album CrazySexyCool. In 1995, group members T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli took the stage to perform a medley of songs, including “Kick Your Game,” “Creep,” and “Waterfalls.” 

A couple of months after Michael Jackson’s passing, MTV invited Janet Jackson to pay tribute to him. At first, a video montage of some of MJ’s videos played on a screen, and dancers took the stage dressed in some of his most iconic looks. But the crowd roared when Janet popped on stage to perform their duet “Scream.”

Diddy has always been the type of celebrity who has a lot of friends in the industry but also collaborates with them. He showcased that in 2002 when he took the VMA stage and brought Usher, Busta Rhymes, and Pharrell to the show. His performance started with “Bad Boy For Life” before entering both versions of “I Need A Girl.” As Diddy performs a dance break alongside his fellow dancers, Busta emerges from the stage floor to perform “Pass the Courvoisier.”

In 1990, Madonna wore a Marie Antoinette-inspired costume for her performance of “Vogue.” The entire performance gave the image of a queen and her court as they danced, posed, and vogued across the stage. 

Janet Jackson brought her smooth and sensual dance moves to the 1993 VMA stage. It was during her Janet album era, which was filled with a more sexier image and choreography. Janet took the stage to perform a medley of songs, including “That’s The Way Love Goes” and “If.” 

Whitney Houston brought her astronomical voice to the stage as she performed her hit song “How Will I Know” to a standing ovation. She then went into her ballad “Greatest Love of All,” and naturally, as one of the greatest voices ever known, she blew the audience away. 

Sometimes, when artists perform, they want to make sure they’re giving the audience something memorable to talk about. In 1991, Prince did just that with his performance of “Gett Off.” Although semi-clothed dancers joined Prince on the stage, people were more shocked by his costume choice, which featured a lace cutout of his backside. Whenever he would do a certain move or turn, he exposed his butt to all the viewers. While images on television seem more lenient today, Prince showing his physical assets was a big deal in the early '90s.

Just a year after Kanye West hijacked Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech, he returned with a performance of his hit song “Runaway.” Kanye adorned himself in a red suit and was joined by ballerinas and Pusha T on stage. 

In 2013, Justin Timberlake was honored with the Video Vanguard Award. Naturally, during his performance, he sang a medley of his hits, including “SexyBack,” “Like I Love You,” and “Cry Me a River.” But the most epic part of his performance was when he reunited with his former band, NSYNC. The camera pans to people in the audience, and everyone is beaming in shock and excitement to see JT up there with Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, and JC Chasez. The band performed their hit songs “Girlfriend” and “Bye Bye Bye.”

When Rihanna was chosen as the 2016 recipient of the Video Vanguard Award, she decided to perform four separate times throughout the ceremony, unlike other recipients who performed a medley. Throughout her performances, she sang several hit songs, including “Rude Boy,” “Work,” “Pour It Up,” and “Don’t Stop the Music.” Many fans favored her second performance as she brought more of her dancehall and Caribbean roots to the stage. 

In 1989, Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora performed an acoustic version of "Livin’ On a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive.” As a stripped-down performance, some fans believe it inspired MTV to create its Unplugged concert series.