27 Most Memorable Moments From the MTV VMAs History

Like A Virgin

Madonna helped set the stage for the entire franchise when she writhed around on the floor in a wedding dress, panting out the words to her hit, "Like A Virgin."

Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect

Diana Ross and Lil Kim Lil Kim at the podium at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards in the Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Cent

Boobgate '99

Diana Ross couldn't help herself when Lil Kim showed up to the presenters' podium wearing only a shiny shell pastie over her left breast at the 1999 VMAs.

David Drapkin/ImageDirect/Getty Images

Britney Spears, Madonna and Christina Aguilera perform opening act at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards (Photo by Kevin Kane/Wi

Triple Kiss!

Britney Spears, Madonna and Christina Aguilera opened the 2003 VMAs "Girls Gone Wild" style. No one was complaining.

Kevin Kane/WireImage

Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj - Feuds of 2015

What's Good?

While picking up the award for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2015 award show, Nicki Minaj gave her acceptance speech and then called out Miley Cyrus for some comments she made in the press earlier that week. It spawned the infamous, "Miley, what's good?" but Cyrus brushed off the comments and continued with the show. Nobody knows if it was real or fake, or if they ever resolved whatever tiff they were in.

"Yo, Taylor, Imma Let You Finish..."

Kanye West did not agree with Taylor Swift's Best Female Video win in 2009, so he took it upon himself to storm the stage, grab the mic and share his thoughts: "Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos OF ALL TIME!" Okay. Thanks, Kanye.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain and Kirst Novoselic of Nirvana at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards at in Los Angeles, California. (Pho

"Hi, Axl! Where's Axl?"

Nirvana's 1992 performance of "Lithium" is remembered not only for Dave Grohl's Axl Rose shout-out but because bassist Krist Novoselic's bass toss completely backfired—he stumbled off stage in a daze after the bass landed on his head.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Pearl Jam for MVP

1993 was Pearl Jam's year. The group collected moonmen for Best Group Video, Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, Best Direction and Video of the Year. AND Neil Young joined them on stage for a performance of "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World."

Jeff Kravitz

The Meat Dress

Lady Gaga showed up to the 2010 VMAs wearing a dress made entirely of raw beef. Though the dress was condemned by animal rights groups, Gaga defended it, explaining the dress was a statement about one's need to fight for what one believes in.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Courtney Love Dragged Off Podium At MTV Awards

No, Courtney. No.

Before famously interrupting Madonna's live post-VMAs interview with Kurt Loder, Hole frontwoman Courtney Love was dragged away from the backstage press room for... being Courtney Love.

Catherine McGann/Getty Images

Eminem 2000 MTV Video Music Awards Rehearsals

Will the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?

Eminem (and 100 Eminem clones) performed "The Real Slim Shady" and "The Way I Am" at the 2000 VMAs.

Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

US pop star Michael Jackson and his wife Lisa-Mari

Get a Room

"Nobody thought this would last," Michael Jackson famously said before laying one on his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley at the 1994 VMAs. The couple divorced two years later.

AFP

Britney Spears at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, held at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York City, 9

Don't You Wanna Dance Up on Her?

At the 2001 VMAs, Britney Spears laid the innuendo on thick when she performed "I'm A Slave 4 U" with a seven-foot albino python named Banana.

Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect

Fiona Apple-BEst NEw Artist at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, NYC. 09/04/1997

"This World is Bulls--t!"

The always outspoken Fiona Apple used her Best New Artist acceptance speech to inform the youth of America to "go with yourself!" Never change, Fiona.

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

The Most Famous Belly of All Time

Beyonce almost made the Internet explode when she revealed she was pregnant (with the most famous baby in the world) after her 2011 VMAs performance of "Love On Top."

Kristian Dowling

Michael Jackson at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)

The King

Michael Jackson performed an epic 15-minute medley of his hits "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Black or White," "Dangerous" and "You Are Not Alone" at the 1995 VMAs.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

A Tribute to Michael

Just weeks after her brother's death, Janet Jackson performed a touching (and badass) tribute to her brother, the undefeated King of Pop, at the 2009 VMAs.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Lady Gaga performs on stage at the The 28th Annual MTV Video Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on August 28, 2011 in Lo

Dude Looks Like A Lady

After a dramatic monologue, Lady Gaga shocked everyone by performing her 'Born This Way' track "You & I" as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone. Queen guitarist Brian May later joined her on stage.

Kevin Mazur

Madonna performing her song 'Vogue', on the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1990. Photo by Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect

Strike A Pose

Always the innovator, Madonna ditched modern garb for full-on Victorian costume during her iconic performance of "Vogue" at the 1990 VMAs.

Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect

Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Crazy, Sexy, Cool

Chili, T-Boz and Left Eye of TLC nailed their performance of "No Scrubs" at the 1999 VMAs.

Jeff Kravitz

Gimme... Less?

Britney Spears made an "epic" comeback at the 2007 VMAs. After her very public divorce and a stint in rehab, Britney returned to the stage for a shockingly lackluster and confusing performance of "Gimme More." Many viewers thought the performance might have been a joke. It wasn't.

Chris Polk/Getty Images

Kelly Clarkson performs "Since You've Been Gone" during 2005 MTV Video Music Awards - Show at American Airlines Arena in Miam

Wet & Wild

Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" is a real tearjerker, but the 'American Idol' superstar brought the waterworks to a new level during the 2005 VMAs. It took 3,000 gallons of water and a few thousand feet of tubing to give her performance the appearance of torrential downpour and we're still drying off from it!

Chris Polk/FilmMagic

Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards at in New York City,

Reunited and It Feels So Good

Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony, the four original members of Van Halen, appeared onstage together for first time in over a decade at the 1996 VMAs in New York. Talk about emotional!

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

R. Kelly during 2005 MTV Video Music Awards - Show at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, United States. (Photo by Jas

Trapped In the Closet

Kelly Clarkson might have made a splash at the 2005 VMAs, but the award for most memorable moment of the evening goes to R. Kelly. The R&B crooner performed his hip hop soap opera, 'Trapped In the Closet' all by his lonesome, live, adopting every role. That's right, the cult classic was brought to a new level of bizarre performance art!

Jason Squires/WireImage

This Twerk's Gone Berserk!

Ahhh, Miley Cyrus. The pop star turned more than heads at the 2013 VMAs, gyrating in ways that we're sure parents are still pretty pissed about. She stuck her tongue out, she wore next to nothing, she shuck what her mama gave her on the crotch of a Beetlejuice-channeling Robin Thicke. As long as GIFs exist and "twerk" is in the dictionary, this one is burned onto our collective memory.

Getty Images

MC Hammer (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Stop... Hammer Time

MC Hammer made us say "Oh my lord" during his performance of "U Can't Touch This" at the 1990 VMAs.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

INGLEWOOD, CA - AUGUST 24: Honoree Beyonce performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24,

Flawless!

In 2011 Beyonce nearly broke the internet by adorably announcing her pregnancy on stage, and in 2014 the Video Vanguard Honoree almost broke it again with her amazing closing performance.

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

INGLEWOOD, CA - AUGUST 24: Nicki Minaj performs during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Ing

"Oh My Gosh, Look at Her Butt..."

Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" performance at the 2014 VMAs left us in shock in the best way possible. Nicki brought her sexy music video to life with a jungle theme and dancers painted as snakes.

Jeff Kravitz/MTV1415/FilmMagic

More Galleries

Like A Virgin

Boobgate '99

Triple Kiss!

What's Good?

"Yo, Taylor, Imma Let You Finish..."

"Hi, Axl! Where's Axl?"

Pearl Jam for MVP

The Meat Dress

No, Courtney. No.

Will the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?

Get a Room

Don't You Wanna Dance Up on Her?

"This World is Bulls--t!"

The Most Famous Belly of All Time

The King

A Tribute to Michael

Dude Looks Like A Lady

Strike A Pose

Crazy, Sexy, Cool

Gimme... Less?

Wet & Wild

Reunited and It Feels So Good

Trapped In the Closet

This Twerk's Gone Berserk!

Stop... Hammer Time

Flawless!

"Oh My Gosh, Look at Her Butt..."

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