The MTV Video Music Awards may have only been around since 1984, but since its inception, awards season has always been a time of shocking events: the show, known as the VMAs, features outlandish moments and dramatic set pieces, including rain, flames, and live snakes, and is often make an appearance. But they also feature avant-garde fashion and some of the greatest artists performing at their best. Below are some of the VMA's most exciting, shocking, fun, and glorious moments.

How could we not be happy about this full-length tribute: Katy Perry and Riff Raff wore a modern take on the double denim look worn by Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake at the 2002 American Music Awards, the 2014 ceremony attended the event.

In 2023, more than 20 years after her last studio album, *NSYNC took the stage to present its first award: the Best Pop Award for Taylor Swift (she won for her "Anti Hero" music video). Like us, Swift called the group "pop personified" and was fascinated by the star.

The same year Justin Timberlake won the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, he took the stage with his *NSYNC bandmates to perform "Bye Bye Bye" and "Girlfriend." This was the last time all five members would appear on stage at the same time until 2023.

Fans were intrigued to see Harry Styles and Taylor Swift (who were famously dating) together at the same ceremony. In her acceptance speech, Swift said, "I also want to thank the person who inspired this song. The camera then panned to where Swift might have said, "Shut up ○○○○" while Styles was on stage.

Prince was known for not running away from scandalous moments, and in 1991 he did it without uttering a word. Unbeknownst to the audience (and perhaps the photographer), the hem of his yellow pants was completely transparent. So when he turned around, people saw a lot of him.

When Lord took the stage in 2017, it was to perform an interpretive dance with no vocals at all. The audience was confused, to say the least. She later revealed on social media that she had a flu so bad that she needed an IV.

Cardi B took the stage with a tiny baby in her arms to introduce Shawn Mendes, delighting fans with the hope that she might debut her newborn daughter Kulture on stage at the VMAs (though scaring other fans for that very same reason), but it was all a fake-out: she was actually holding a Moonman statue.

By the end of his performance of "What Do You Mean" at the 2015 VMAs, Justin Bieber was so emotional that he was actively in tears on stage. He later explained that he was overwhelmed by the public support (after being booed at the previous awards ceremony).

Bruce Springsteen and E Street reunited in 2002 to perform "The Rising" on stage. The moment was unforgettable for all, and the audience stood up and sang along.

If you are familiar with Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" music video, you know that her "girl squad," including Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid, make cameo appearances. It was those famous friends who joined her on the red carpet, and critics noted that she had assembled the most beautiful people on the planet.

Olivia Rodrigo knows how to put on a show: she began her 2023 VMA performance singing in a lush forest. Then she reappeared and Olivia's clones "sang" with her and performed.

For the first live performance of "Bongos," collaborators and OTT performers Cardi B and Megan Sea Stallion put on quite a show. Naturally, Cardi B appeared on a disco ball from the ceiling, while Megan performed an energetic dance number with her backing dancers.

Kelly Clarkson's performance, a recreation of the music video for "Since U Been Gone," brought rain into the arena." I wasn't supposed to be part of the rain," she said." She said, "You're not supposed to do that. I don't know if it was responsibility or what, but I didn't tell them, so no one was held accountable.

Kendrick Lamar opened the 2017 VMAs by setting the stage on fire not only for his performance, but also for his comments on police brutality. This is considered one of the coolest performances the awards show has ever seen.

Shakira, who received the Video Vanguard Award, was out to prove why she deserved the award. She nailed it with a medley of her songs, including classics like "Hips Don't Lie" and new Spanish language hits, with drum circles, stage rain, and crowd surfing all part of the performance.

As a tribute to the late Michael Jackson (who died in June 2009), the VMAs opened with a dance sequence honoring the icon's contributions to music. Janet Jackson then took the stage for a live dance competition with images of her brother projected behind her.

In honor of the late Notorious B.I.G. (who died in March 1997), a live version of "Every Breath You Take" featured Puff Daddy, Gospel Choir, Sting, Faith Evans, R&B group 112, and Biggie's widow served as vocalists. Puff Daddy shouted out the names of "those we've lost," including Tupac.

This iconic performance was also chaotic from start to finish, with the band starting their set by playing chords from a song they were not allowed to play, and the bassist throwing his guitar in the air and accidentally hitting himself in the face. This is a legacy to the late Kurt Cobain's brilliant talent.

To raise awareness of suicide prevention, Logic, Alessia Cara, and Khalid unveiled Logic's "1-800-273-8255" (the same number as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline), which, according to MTV, USA Today reported, "In the hours following the show, the National calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline jumped 50% in the hours following the show."

To perform "God Is a Woman," Ariana Grande recreated iconic artwork on stage (contextually, the song and music video contain references to Christianity and its art). She and 50 other dancers sat on one side of a long table and recreated da Vinci's infamous "Last Supper."

An acoustic version of "Livin' On a Prayer"/"Wanted Dead or Alive" from 1989, a song so beloved by audiences that it is said to have inspired MTV's "Unplugged" series.

At the end of her performance of "Love on Top," Queen Bey had one more gift for the audience. Her fans went wild.

Missy Elliott's performance at the Video Vanguard was a reminder of why she is so iconic. Performing some of her most famous songs ("Get Ur Freak On," "Lose Control," "Work It," etc.), the stage was transformed into a music video for each.

Missy Elliott's 2019 Vanguard performance also included a special guest star: Allison Stoner, the kid dancer featured in the original music video for "Work It." Stoner nailed the performance perfectly, and it was probably the coolest of the many references.

Instead of performing a few of her hits in one performance, Rihanna spread the love a bit by performing four times during the awards ceremony. Even cooler was that the first performance was a medley of "Only Girl," "Don't Stop the Music," "Where Have You Been," and "We Found Love." "How Will I Know" won the award for Best Female Video and performance. It was a gorgeous, rousing performance that included the chills-inducing "The Greatest Love of All."

When Demi Lovato took the stage for the first time in six years to perform a medley of her biggest hits, including "Heart Attack," "Sorry Not Sorry," and "Cool for the Summer," it was a spectacular performance (complete with pyrotechnics; she also performed "The Greatest Love of All.

I will never have the core strength and lung capacity to get up on stage and do the exercises. But that is exactly what Ariana Grande did, moving from singing while riding an exercise bike to lifting weights and singing on a pommel horse.

Britney Spears may have reached her own pinnacle when she danced with a live snake while singing "Slave 4 U." She later wrote in her memoir that it was terrifying.

When Beyonce performed her "Lemonade" medley, it was an epic 15 minutes long. The whole thing was worth seeing, but there was lighting and spectacle, lots of live singing, spectacular dancing by many performers, crowd work, incredible costumes, and spectacular coats.

Rizzo is a joy to watch at any concert, but on the 2019 VMA set she was in rare form, performing amazing dances, taking a drink mid-performance, and giving an inspiring speech mid-performance. And let's not forget the performance where she inflated her gigantic buttocks. It was incredible.

Perhaps no VMA debut was as massive and outstanding as Madonna's singing "Like a Virgin" onstage in her wedding dress. It is also worth noting that this was the first ever VMAs and set a precedent that this was no ordinary awards show.