The most memorable Grammy Awards performances over the years

Based on the history of the Grammy Awards, hip-hop hasn’t always been prevalent or celebrated as much as other genres. However, in 2023, the ceremony celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a star-studded roster of artists. All regions and eras were on full display with artists like LL Cool J, Run DMC, The Roots, Salt N Pepa, Queen Latifah, Public Enemy, Missy Elliott, Too Short, and so many more. 

In celebration of his sophomore album To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar made sure his performance came with a message. Lamar and a group of dancers come out on stage dressed as chained prisoners, who then break free from them as he performs “The Blacker the Berry.” He then moves to another part of the stage in which tribal dancers join him to perform “Alright.”

Lady Gaga always knows how to command a stage, which is why it made sense for her performance to start with her hit song “Poker Face" and several other hits. However, she surprised the audience when Elton John joined her opposite piano to duet “Speechless” and “Your Song.” 

Just a few months after Michael Jackson released his seventh studio album Bad, he performed at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards. While the performance begins as a one-man show, the King of Pop is then joined by dancers to perform “The Way You Make Me Feel.” He’s then joined by a couple of background singers and a full choir to end his set with “Man in the Mirror.”

At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Alicia Keys decided to remind the audience how ultra-talented she is by playing two pianos simultaneously as an ode to jazz pianist and singer Hazel Scott. Keys uses the performance to highlight songs she wishes she had written such as Lauryn Hill’s “That Thing,” Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams,” Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable,” Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up,” and many more. 

Beyoncé has always talked about how much of an inspiration Tina Turner was to her career. In 2008, Beyoncé was able to sing alongside her idol as they performed “Proud Mary.” Both dressed in silver ensembles, Beyoncé ensured that her moves were in sync with Turner and her signature steps. It’s one of those moments in which Turner embraced Bey as part of the next generation to carry the superstar torch. 

Whitney Houston has always had an angelic and powerful voice that can captivate any audience. Her voice captured the hearts of many at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards when she sang her hit song “Greatest Love Of All.” 

At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, P!nk starts off her performance of “Glitter in the Air” as a solo effort. She’s then joined by a few dancers as she turns her set into an acrobatic experience, in which she floats the air, the epitome of giving an audience performance art.  

It was back in 2016 when hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest released their final album, We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service. At the 2017 Grammy Awards, they used their performance to not only perform songs from that album like “The Space Program” and “We the People…,” but they also gave fans classics like “Award Tour.” One of the standout moments is how they are joined on stage by Anderson .Paak and Busta Rhymes. 

Usher has often credited James Brown as one of his influences when it comes to performing. The R&B singer was able to collaborate with him at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. The performance first starts off with Usher singing his hit song “Caught Up,” and he shows off the dance movies that people love him for. Brown then joins him on stage for a rendition of “Sex Machine” and they trade off on their best footwork moves. 

2008 was a huge Grammy year for Amy Winehouse, as she had six nominations and won five of them including Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Record of the Year. Winehouse performed from a stage in London of her songs “You Know I’m No Good” and “Rehab.” One of the cool things about the performance is how much Winehouse gave slightly different vocal and musical arrangements than what people are used to hearing. 

At this point, it’s pretty evident that Lil Nas X is going to give fans a little theatrics, mixed in with choreography. He did just that at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in which he performed a medley of his songs “Dead Right Now,” “Montero,” and brought Jack Harlow on stage to perform their collaboration “Industry Baby.” In the middle of his performance, he adds elements of online criticism via a video screen. 

In 1991, Mariah Carey was nominated for five Grammys, and she ended up winning for Best New Artist, and her single “Vision of Love” won for Best Pop Vocal Performance. Since the single was also nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, it was only right that Carey performed the hit. It was a proper introduction for audiences to hear Carey’s voice on a live stage, and it helped cement her as one of the best vocalists the music industry has heard. 

Pharrell Williams and Daft Punk decided to bring a little funk to their 2014 performance of “Get Lucky.” Joined alongside legends Stevie Wonder and Nile Rodgers, the song turned more into Wonder’s song as he took on the verses that are typically sung by Pharrell. 

At the 18th Grammy Awards, Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé were tasked with presenting the award for Best Jazz Performance by a Group. Before they announced the winner, Tormé asked Fitzgerald, “Ella, how do you explain to people what jazz is, how do you talk about it?” Fitzgerald says she has an answer and the two team up for an epic two-minute scat performance. 

In 1999, Ricky Martin was one of the few artists helping to bring Latin music to more pop mainstream audiences. That year, he took over the Grammy Awards stage with his performance of “La Copa de la Vida“ and it was a party on stage between the singer, his dancers, and his band. 

Before Prince and the Revolution came to the stage, the presenter said, “Tonight we get to celebrate the success of a very special performer. Someone who is taking the music world by storm, he’s always been the cutting-edge of music.” Prince and his band then took the stage to perform their hit song "Baby I'm a Star." 

At the 62nd Grammy Awards, Lizzo kicked the show off by saying “Tonight is for Kobe,” in reference to Kobe Bryant who passed away earlier that day. Joined by an orchestra, Lizzo begins the performance with her hit song “Cuz I Love You.” The performance then goes into a ballet dance number as she sings “Truth Hurts." And of course, no Lizzo performance is complete without her solo flute set. 

In 2002, Christina Aguilera, Mýa, Lil Kim, and P!nk brought a little Moulin Rouge to the Grammy stage. While they performed their hit song “Lady Marmalade,” towards the end of the song they were joined on stage by Patti LaBelle to sing the original version.

Fans know just how much Beyoncé is an advocate for women, and in her 2017 Grammy performance, she showcased just how much women are superhumans. At the time, Beyoncé was pregnant with twins and her performance was an ode to motherhood. She appears as a golden goddess performing the songs “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles.” 

An unlikely collaboration occurred in 2001 when Eminem was joined on stage by Elton John. Performing his song “Stan,” John played piano and sang the hook, something that is typically done by Dido. John’s play on the piano also helped give the song a slightly different arrangement than fans are used to hearing. 

There’s no doubt about it that Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” was the biggest song of 1998, it was only right that she performed it at the Grammy Awards that year. With the theatrical elements of production in the song, Dion adding an orchestra to back her was the perfect essence. 

In 1987, Janet Jackson was nominated for her first Grammys, including Best R&B Song and Album of the Year. The ceremony was the perfect stage to show that not only does Janet have a famous family name, but she’s equally as talented as her brothers. Joined by a few backup dancers and her band, Janet commanded the stage as she performed her hit song “What Have You Done For Me Lately.” 

In 2007, the Grammy Awards paid tribute to the late James Brown, a couple of months after his passing. Christina Aguilera performed a rendition of Brown’s 1966 hit song “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Complete with a band and video footage of Brown dancing, Aguilera brought her powerful vocals to the track, which helped her make the song her own. 

It’s not every day when three rock icons come together all at once. Luckily in 2008, the Grammys was able to pull it off with John Fogerty, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard. The medley started with Fogerty singing “Coming Down the Road.” Lewis then took the piano to perform “Great Balls of Fire,” and the grand finale came with Richard singing “Good Golly Miss Molly.” 

At the 1993 Grammy Awards, Eric Clapton’s single “Tears in Heaven” was nominated five times. The song earned three wins including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance. Joined by a couple of guitarists, Clapton performed the track and earned a standing ovation from the crowd. 

Kanye West was already making a name for himself thanks to the success of his debut album The College Dropout. In 2005, he took to the Grammy stage to perform his hit song “Jesus Walks.” During the performance, he kept the theme of the song in tact filled with a pastor speaking to a congregation. It then goes into a small funeral segment and John Legend is singing alongside a quartet. 

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards was a night that included a tribute to Prince. Morris Day & The Time kicked the performance off with “Jungle Love” before going into “The Bird.” After they left the stage, Prince’s symbol was shown on a background screen, and then Bruno Mars came to the stage with a rendition of the Purple One’s “Let’s Go Crazy.” Bruno made sure he was dressed in proper regalia while he and his band showed off their epic guitar riffs.  

At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, virtual band Gorillaz, hip-hop trio De La Soul, and pop legend Madonna opened the show. Gorillaz appear on a hologram and De La Soul comes on stage to perform “Feel Good Inc.” Madonna then came to the stage with several dancers as she performed “Hung Up.” 

In August 1988, heavy metal band Metallica released their fourth album ...And Justice for All. The following year, the band performed their hit single “One,” however it wasn’t until 1990 that the band won their first Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.