Since 1984, the MTV Video Music Awards — commonly abbreviated as the VMAs — have been held to honor the best music videos of the year. With the rise of MTV, music videos came on the scene for the first time. Stars like Michael Jackson and Madonna helped turn them into an art form, often featuring accompanying storylines or intricately choreographed dance routines.
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These awards also include a performance by a featured artist or artists, usually one up for nomination. Over the decades, these performances have become increasingly elaborate. Today, the VMAs are expected to include a live show like no other — and many musicians have delivered. But more than just being a fantastic show, these performances often make history. Here are five MTV Video Music Awards sets that will never be forgotten.
1. Bon Jovi — Livin’ On a Prayer/Dead Or Alive, 1989
In 1989, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora took a massive risk when they took the stage at the VMAs. Throughout the decade, Bon Jovi had been the poster band for ’80s hard rock — over-the-top performances, electric guitars, wild hair, and songs as loud as they could get. But they went in a decidedly new direction at the VMAs. Instead of their typical wailing guitars, Bon Jovi and Sambora went acoustic, performing their biggest hits, “Livin’ On a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead Or Alive.”
It was a daring choice and a wild success. The Bon Jovi show was so popular that it led to the start of MTV Unplugged. Bon Jovi’s comparatively tame set managed to leave a legacy in a night of performances that included Madonna, Cher, Def Leppard, Axl Rose, and the Rolling Stones.
2. Michael Jackson — Medley, 1995
Few singers could clinch a live performance quite like the King of Pop. His show at the 1995 VMAs included a medley of his most famous songs of the ’80s and ’90s. In typical Jackson fashion, the set was an elaborate dance routine with songs such as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough,” and “Scream,” the latter of which won three awards that year.
The entire performance lasted 15 minutes; guitarist Slash accompanied Jackson. It’s hard to beat the enormous high energy of the late King of Pop, who never flagged as he performed the iconic dance number. Jackson’s performance has been memorialized even in silhouette. In 2011, an audience vote overwhelmingly chose Jackson’s 1995 show as Best VMA Pop Performance and Most Iconic VMA Performance.
3. Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, & Missy Elliott — Like a Virgin/Hollywood/Work It, 2003
The MTV Awards in 2003 had a star lineup like never before. Superstar Madonna took the stage with Missy Elliott, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. The performance is best remembered for Madonna exchanging lustful, tongue-out kisses with Spears and Aguilera — a shocking display for the early 2000s.
But the performance itself was far more impressive for the sheer musical talent displayed. The set displayed incredible showmanship, from Spears’ and Aguilera’s bridal gown-clad “Like a Virgin” duet to Madonna rising magnificently from beneath the stage to Missy Elliott’s explosive entrance. The performance’s legacy is about much more than a faux lesbian kiss. It set the bar for the flash, talent, and star power expected in VMA performances in the new century.
4. Lady Gaga — Paparazzi, 2009
Lady Gaga was a rising star when she took the stage at the 2009 VMAs, fresh off the success of tracks such as “Telephone,” “Poker Face,” “Just Dance,” and “Paparazzi.” At the time, she had already established herself as a quirky and unique artist — though an enormous amount of talent backed the image. In true Gaga fashion, her show at the VMAs was high-concept, artsy, and somewhat disturbing.
She performed a medley of “Just Dance” and “Paparazzi,” during which she was covered in blood before being gruesomely strung up by a chandelier. Unbelievably, the performance of a lifetime was overshadowed by “Kanyegate,” the fiasco of the night in which rapper Kanye West leaped onstage to protest Taylor Swift’s reception of the Best Female Video award. But Lady Gaga undoubtedly set the bar for the kind of performance expected at the VMAs — not just a great music show, but also artistic and utterly memorable.
5. Beyonce — Lemonade Medley, 2016
Beyonce had already surpassed all expectations with her 2016 album Lemonade, nominated for an astonishing 11 MTV Video Music Awards (it would go on to win eight). The superstar was already known for her legendary, high-energy dance routines. Her 2008 music video for “Single Ladies” sparked a dance craze and cemented her as a choreography powerhouse.
But the 2016 VMAs were on another level entirely. The astonishing performance lasted 15 minutes and included a medley of tracks such as “Pray You Catch Me,” “Hold Up/Countdown,” “Sorry,” “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” and “Formation.” In an otherwise largely lackluster awards evening, Beyonce’s powerful, high-energy performance reminded viewers exactly why she was breaking music history records that night. Her eight awards brought her up to 25, beating out Madonna’s previous record of 20 VMAs.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
