The 19 best performances at the MTV VMAs ever, ranked

After receiving the show's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Justin Timberlake performed a 15-minute medley of hits that concluded with the first reunion of his boy band 'N Sync in a decade.

Fans were hoping for a slightly longer reunion since Timberlake had so much time on stage, but the mini two-minute reunion medley of the group's hits still had the crowd rocking.

Watch the performance here.

Nirvana's 1992 performance of their single "Lithium" began controversially. Kurt Cobain kicked off the VMAs with the opening chords of their yet-to-be-released 1993 song "Rape Me" even though they were asked not to sing the song by the network.

Toward the end, it became a mess. Bassist Krist Noveselic threw his instrument in the air, and it landed on his face. He then stumbled around on stage until the end of the song. To top it all off, drummer Dave Grohl went to the mic and taunted Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses.

Watch the performance here.

Everything seemed normal until Prince turned around on stage to reveal his suit had two cutouts on his behind. He mooned the crowd during the song before turning back around to continue performing.

In the background, there were fire and flames and background dancers performing erotically.

Watch the performance here.

Forget that messy moment where West interrupted Taylor Swift's 2009 VMA win. A year later he knocked it out of the park on stage with a performance of his single "Runaway" from 2010's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."

He started off DJing before taking the mic and having a group of ballerinas dance to the music behind him.

Watch the performance here.

Everyone from B.I.G.'s widow, Faith Evans, Diddy, and R&B 112 took part in a tribute to the hip-hop artist. Sting even got in on this to sing along to the song which borrowed from Police's "Every Breath You Take." It's one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments watching Sting solemnly stand and sing as Diddy dances behind him.

The performance led to the crowd waving lighters in the air in remembrance of Biggie, Tupac, Princess Diana, and everyone else who had recently died.

Watch the performance here.

It made for a fun performance as he and his posse walked from the streets of New York City into the front of Radio City Music hall without ever missing a beat.

Watch the performance here.

The duo performed acoustic versions of both "Living on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive." The performance helped launch MTV's "Unplugged" series where artists played acoustic instruments.

Watch the performance here.

Lopez kicked off a medley of her greatest hits soaring through the sky to "Waiting to Tonight" in 2018 before accepting the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Lopez ran through "Love Don't Cost a Thing," "All I Have," and more in 10 minutes. The highlight came when Lopez broke for a costume change to ride in on the New York subway's 6 line to introduce "Jenny From the Block" before Ja Rule joined her for a surprise performance of their hits "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny."

Watch the performance here.

Madonna surprised viewers when she and her dancers came out dressed in elegant Victorian garb. The entire performance was like watching a Broadway medley.

But it wouldn't be a Madonna act without a little controversy. The singer shocked the audience when one of her background dancers came up behind her and squeezed her breasts. Later during the performance, she and a few dancers flashed the audience and later flashed the crowd their underwear.

Watch the performance here.

The hip hop legend, who received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, performed a medley of her biggest bops, including "Work It," "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" and her latest single "Throw It Back." The impressive stage lent itself to futuristic and elaborate visuals, with a giant UFO looming over the stage that sucked up one dancer at one point in the set.

Another fan favorite moment was when Elliott brought out actress and dancer, Alyson Stoner, who appeared in the rapper's "Work It" video 17 years ago.

Watch the performance here.

Springsteen and the E Street Band's performance was a touching one for those in New York City nearly a year after the attacks on the World Trade Center towers. They played the song in the rain outside the Museum Of Natural History.

Watch the performance here.

Spears came out on stage in a pantsuit and hat singing a rendition of "Satisfaction."

But then a minute into the song, the singer shed the conservative look for a sparkly flesh-colored two-piece. Spears then transitioned into her hit, "Oops! ... I Did It Again."

Watch the performance here.

At the end of her 2011 performance, Beyoncé opened her suit jacket and rubbed her belly, revealing her first pregnancy. No one realized it at the moment, but she started the song saying, "I want you to feel the love that's growing inside of me."

Watch the performance and pregnancy announcement here.

The princesses of pop took it back to 1984 when they both channeled Madonna's original VMAs performance. The two sang "Like a Virgin" in wedding dresses. They even had a replica of the cake from the original performance.

But it went to the next level when Madonna came out of the cake to join the singers for a rendition of "Hollywood."Kisses with both Spears and Aguilera on stage quickly became the show's most talked-about moment. Missy Elliot came out afterward to join, but by then the act was already set to become one of the most memorable moments in VMA history.

Watch the performance here.

Lady Gaga made a huge impression during her first VMA appearance with a performance-art rendition of her single "Paparazzi." Gaga sang, danced, played the piano, and even sported fake blood which she smeared all over herself.

You can actually hear some people in the crowd gasp at the sight of the blood on the singer. They weren't sure if it was a gag at first. But it didn't stop there. She ended her performance by swinging from the air.

Watch the performance here.

Michael Jackson moonwalked and did his iconic Billie Jean dance on stage at the 1995 VMAs. The performance included "Dangerous" and "Smooth Criminal" along with Slash, too.

Every time you think the VMA performance is over, he keeps coming back for more to make this a 15-minute medley.

Watch the performance here.

The jungle-themed outfit and belly ring weren't enough for Spears at the 2001 VMAs. After coming out of a cage and dancing for over two minutes, she walked around the stage with a giant python around her neck like it was no big deal. Spears even crouched down near fans with the serpent.

Watch the performance here.

Madonna kicked off the first VMAs in 1984 with a hot and heavy performance of "Like a Virgin" before it was a hit. According to Billboard, the then-26-year-old pop star originally wanted to sing to a white Bengal tiger. Instead, she emerged from a 17-foot-tall wedding cake to perform.

In the middle of the song, she starts rolling around on the ground. It looks like it's on purpose, but the singer actually lost her shoe while descending the cake. She ran with it, using the moment to put her heels back on. She ended the song dramatically rolling around on the ground and revealing her undergarments to the crowd.

Watch the performance here.

Beyoncé stole the show that year with an incredible performance of songs from one of her most celebrated albums to date, with standout moments like her sleek dance breaks for "Hold Up" and "Formation."

That year, she also passed Madonna as the artist with the most MTV VMA awards, with 26 Moonmen. Watching her performance, it's not surprising.

Watch the performance here.