20 Greatest Grammy Performances

Because the Grammys award work that spans the musical spectrum, the show will try to feature a wide variety of performances. With all the musical talents in one room together, you would hope that you get a show that’s really worth watching. Well, here we compiled for you 20 amazing times that proved that the Grammys can deliver on this promise.

Sometimes these performances will have an artist sing their own song in what feels like a defining performance, like Tina Turner singing “What’s Love Got to Do with It” or Mary J. Blige belting “No More Drama.” Other times you’ll see an amazing pairing like Joss Stone and Melissa Etheridge saluting Janis Joplin, or Moby, Jill Scott and the Blue Man Group all performing together. Then you have the tributes to someone or something that takes your breath away, like the time Bruce Springsteen and some friends did a salute to The Clash’s Joe Strummer, or the crazy tribute to funk music done the following year.

These can result in the “Grammy moments” that we always hear about during the ceremony. Take a look at 20 instances of amazing performances at the Grammys that left the audience cheering and people talking about for years to come.

Marvin Gaye, ‘Sexual Healing’ (1983)

“Sexual Healing” witnessed the resurrection of Marvin Gaye as a highly successful artist. After suffering many setbacks professionally and emotionally, Gaye recorded this song and it became the biggest hit of his career. The magnitude of his return was epitomized by the performance he gave at the Grammys that year. Just standing on that stage and belting out the lyrics to “Sexual Healing” made everyone glad Gaye was back. His first career win for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance after that performance gave everyone hope that Gaye would be making great material for years to come. Unfortunately, just over a year after that performance, Gaye was shot dead by his father following an altercation between his parents.

Chuck Berry with Stevie Ray Vaughn and George Thorogood, ‘Maybeline’ and ‘Johnny B. Goode’ (1984)

Chuck Berry might have been almost sixty when he performed this but within the first minute of him being on stage, Berry owned it. He was rocking, doing his infamous duck walk and had the crowd at the Shrine Auditorium in the palm of his hand. Bringing along Thorogood and Vaughn on stage to jam along with him was just the icing on top of that cake.

Tina Turner, ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It?’ (1985)

Tina Turner had one of the biggest hits that year with “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” At the Grammys she showed how much she owned the stage with her performance of the hit song. Her vocals were amazing, as always, but the way she strutted around that stage was nothing short of breathtaking. She was simple and magnificent.

Whitney Houston, ‘Saving All My Love for You’ (1986)

First impressions really are lasting. Whitney’s debut album had been one of the biggest sellers of the previous year and she graced the Grammy stage to sing her first song to reach number one, “Saving All My Love for You.” Whitney showed us how she was able to belt amazing notes while making it look completely effortless. Houston showed why she is still remembered to this day for being one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

Michael Jackson, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ and ‘Man in the Mirror’ (1988)

Jackson was known for spectacle but this performance was much more intimate and felt more personal. He had his normal dance routine while singing “The Way You Make Me Feel” but the performance really became special when he got to “Man in the Mirror.” He took the stage back for himself with a gospel choir behind him. He took that stage by storm with his showstopping dancing and a seemingly never-ending amount of energy.

Aretha Franklin, ‘Nessun Dorma’ (1998)

Some of the most memorable moments can be when something doesn’t go according to plan. This happened in 1998 when Luciano Pavarotti, receiving the Grammy’s Legends Award, was supposed to sing the aria “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s opera “Turnadot.” The day of the ceremony, Pavarotti fell ill and his doctors forced him to rest his voice. Having performed that very number at a pre-Grammy party, Aretha Franklin stepped in and turned in one of the most memorable performances in Grammy history. Her soaring vocals were unbelievable and proved to any doubters (if there were any) that she was capable of anything.

Ricky Martin, ‘La Copa De La Vida’ (1999)

When Ricky Martin took the stage at the 41st Grammy Awards many people watching only thought of him as a former member of the Spanish language boy band Menudo. By the end of his performance of “La Copa de la Vida,” the official song of the previous year’s World Cup, the Menudo jokes completely disappeared. His performance featured insane energy, a band that marched down the aisles of the Shrine Auditorium, performers waving ribbons while standing on stilts and of course Martin’s amazing swerving hips. This performance is credited with starting the Latin music explosion that would take over pop music over the next several years.

Moby, Jill Scott and Blue Man Group, ‘Natural Blues’ (2001)

When this performance was announced in the lead up to the 2001 Grammys, no one really knew what to expect, but the end result was something that exceeded anything that anyone could have possibly imagined. With Moby on the guitar, Jill Scott’s beautiful vocals and the Blue Man Group providing amazing instrumentals and visuals, the performance took the Staples Center and the viewing audience on an insanely trippy journey they would never forget.

Mary J. Blige, ‘No More Drama’ (2002)

Mary’s iconic single was released on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. At the Grammys the following February, everyone was still feeling the raw emotions that came from tragic events of that day. And then Mary came on stage to sing this song and in a simple yet emotional way, every raw feeling that came out in her vocals seemed to be channeling the feelings of an entire nation. It was bare and vulnerable and still stands as one of Grammy’s greatest moments.

Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl and Steven Van Zandt, ‘London Calling’ (2003)

Had Joe Strummer lived just another three months, he would have been alive to claim his first Grammy Award (Best Long Form Music Video, “Westway to the World”) as a member of The Clash. Unfortunately Joe sadly passed away in December of 2002 from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. To remember Joe the Grammy organizers put together an amazing tribute to him that made us almost forget that Joe had never been recognized by the recording academy. Elvis, The Boss, Dave and Little Steven rocked the house when they all performed “London Calling.” Elvis Costello even made sure to end the song by singing the lyric “I never felt so much a-like-ike-ike…” just like Joe did.

Earth, Wind & Fire; OutKast; Robert Randolph and the Family Band; George Clinton and Parlaiment/Funkadelic, Funk Music Tribute (2004)

When the Grammys do tributes, they’re usually hit or miss, but in 2004 the recording academy paid tribute to funk music with an unbelievable 13 minute set that was out of this world. Earth, Wind & Fire began with their Grammy winning hit “Shining Star,” followed by Big Boi from OutKast performing “The Way You Move.” Robert Randolph and the Family Band came next showing Randolph’s amazing skills on the steel pedal guitar performing “I Need More Love.” Then the whole set was crowned by George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic performing “Give Up the Funk” while being joined by all the previous performers. Making this performance even better was Samuel L. Jackson introducing each performer with the firey enthusiasm that only he can bring.

Joss Stone and Melissa Etheridge, ‘Cry Baby’ and ‘Piece of My Heart’ (2005)

The performance was amazing. In a tribute to Janis Joplin, Joss Stone came out and sang “Cry Baby” with her amazingly soulful voice and then Melissa Etheridge came out to sing “Piece of my Heart.” However, Melissa had been diagnosed with breast cancer the previous October and this was her first performance since undergoing chemotherapy. The combined image of her seeming to channel Janis while also unapologetically performing bald was a testament to both her talent and her courage. Plus, she was awesome when she screamed towards the end of “Piece of my Heart.” She was awesome.

Kanye West with Jamie Foxx and Florida A&M Marching Band, ‘Gold Digger’ and ‘Touch the Sky’ (2006)

What can you say about this? Kanye brought an awesome amount of energy to this, and Jamie Foxx and the marching band just took it to another level. They performed “Gold Digger” and then two rival stepping teams were brought out with one representing “Broke Phi Broke,” the fraternity depicted in West’s album “Late Registration.” Then West and Foxx came out and performed the chorus to “Touch the Sky” to close out the number. Kanye showed that he was more than just someone who could brag about being the greatest; he could make a damn solid case for it as well.

Gnarls Barkley, ‘Crazy’ (2007)

The thought of the song “Crazy” being performed without its signature guitar chords is, well, crazy. However, Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo managed to do that and make it fantastic to watch. With Danger Mouse on keyboard and the backing of small symphony and a huge choir, Cee-Lo let loose his spectacular vocals in a slightly slowed down version of the song. It made the amazing track all the more haunting and because of that, enjoyable to watch.

Christina Aguilera, ‘It’s a Man’s World’ (2007)

In a tribute to the hardest working man in show business, James Brown, having Christina Aguilera do the main performance probably seems like an odd choice. But whatever doubts people had about this performance were quickly erased after Christina NAILED this.

Cee-Lo Green and Gwyneth Paltrow, ‘Forget You’ (2011)

Before the ceremony people were only talking about the fact that Cee-Lo wouldn’t be able to sing the actual, more profane title of his hit song (up for Record and Song of the Year) because of the censorship rules. But those thoughts were far from anyone’s mind after Cee-Lo concluded his performance in a feathered peacock outfit that resembled something that Elton John would have worn in the mid-1970s and a barrage of Muppet-like characters composing his band and back-up singers. The fact that Paltrow actually fit in with this performance just made it all the more bizarre, but at the same time insanely fun to watch.

Mick Jagger and Raphael Saadiq, ‘Everybody Needs Somebody to Love’ (2011)

In his first performance ever at the Grammys, Jagger showed everyone that at 67 he could still command the stage. In a tribute to Solomon Burke, Jagger and Saadiq brought an amazing amount of soul that could be felt by both the audience and viewers.

Elton John, Zac Brown, Mavis Staples, Mumford & Sons, T Bone Burnett and Brittany Howard, ‘The Weight’ (2013)

Levon Helm was the final artist recognized in the annual In Memoriam segment and the Grammys arranged an amazing salute to him. Performing the iconic hit were Zac Brown, Mavis Staples, Mumford & Sons, Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes) and Elton John. T-Bone Burnett accompanied them on guitar. It was a performance reminiscent of the weekly jam sessions Helm had at his place in Woodstock, and he would have loved it.

Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar, ‘Radioactive’ and ‘m.A.A.d city’ (2014)

This was one of those arbitrary-sounding pairings at the Grammys that sounded like it came out of a concept meeting trying to identify what could be the next “Grammy moment.” But the two songs were brilliantly combined and each act was able to stand out. Lamar really shined during this performance because he was showing off his talent to a huge population that probably hadn’t heard of him until that night. It was a powerful performance that kept you in its grip throughout the entire journey.

Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers and Stevie Wonder, ‘Get Lucky,’ ‘Le Freak’ and ‘Another Star’ (2014)

This performance did what dance music is supposed to do: It got people dancing! Pharrell, Rodgers and Wonder started off performing the first two parts of “Get Lucky.” After that the two “robots” of Daft Punk appeared and started sampling their earlier hit “Better, Faster, Stronger” into the mix. Then Rodgers’s hit song “Le Freak” was mixed in and concluded with Wonder singing “Another Star.” The performance on its own was mind-blowing, but what made it even better was watching all the celebrities in the audience dance and sing along including Beyoncé, Jay Z, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Bruno Mars and Steven Tyler.