Top 10 Most Amazing Grammy Performances of All Time

and the award goes to [Music] welcome to watchmojo.com and today we'll be counting down our picks for the top ten performances at the Grammy Awards before we begin we publish new videos every day so be sure to subscribe for more great content for this list we're looking at performances that went beyond the simple song and dance and used the big stage to make it memorable through a mix of theatrics musicianship and passion [Music] number 10 Bruce Springsteen Dave Grohl and Elvis Costello London Calling it [Music] when a monumentally influential artist dies it sends ripples through the music world but it also unites people in the industry when the clashes Joe Strummer died the punk-rock world lost a giant but when it came time to honor him the result was intense [Music] [Applause] with the ferocity of fellow Brit Elvis Costello the youthful energy of Dave Grohl and passionate delivery by Bruce Springsteen the performance had enough grit and attitude to make the late Strummer proud Springsteen's appearance made the tribute all the more touching as he was both heavily inspired and admired by the late Strummer making Springsteen the ideal artist to give this grandfather of punk a final send-off [Music] [Music] number nine eric clapton tears in heaven if I saw most would take the grammys as an opportunity to take a live show to the next level but in a night full of bombastic performances it's the reserved ones that truly stand out letting the music speak for itself Clapton and company sit solemnly playing with the brutal sadness the song deserves [Music] clapton decidedly avoids any stage antics that would take away from the emotional weight of a song especially considering the many preceding losses in Clapton's life that inspired it always the epitome of class the tuxedo clad Clapton nails every note and ends the song with a quick little bow skipping the usual accolades which although deserved would damage the effect of the performance number eight Beyonce and Tina Turner Proud Mary misses Beyonce it would be pretty hard to top a live performance dancing with your husband but a duet with your idol might just do the trick [Music] after giving a tribute to all the talented women that inspired her career Beyonce introduces Tina Turner as the magical woman who embodied everything they stood for returning the favor Turner calls her back on stage to duet on proud Mary with a contagious sense of fun flowing from the stage looking on like a proud mother Turner belts her heart out as Beyonce does all she can to impress her thanks to some epic dance moves ended over the top and back and forth performance with the pair perfectly in sync from top to bottom the showstopper was a perfect passing of the torque [Applause] number seven Kanye West and Daft Punk stronger and hey mama [Music] say what you will about is ego but when it comes to putting on a performance if you can hold a candle to Kanye West West Arts is set on a somber note performing a bare-bones rendition of hey mama in tribute to his recently deceased mother after wiping away the tears West switches to party mode going right into stronger but this version has a twist instead of just wrapping over his original sample West does one better getting the real Daft Punk to perform alongside him instead with their tour pyramid along for the ride the club style neon lighting and West's glow-in-the-dark inspired attire made this a complete package worthy of granny history [Music] number six Eminem and Elton John stand there swim a rope to Purdue still ain't callin on that my cell my pager him I'm home phone at the bottom some collaborations don't have to make sense they just work Eminem's dark and disturbing Stan had enough story and visual lyrics alone to make it notable but some artists are never satisfied hey we've got a tattoo we did name across the set Eminem's performance makes his music video recreations with theatrics to make the song coming to life in a whole new way he doesn't stop there though at the first chorus right where the Dido sample should come in a curtain comes up revealing Elton John at the piano both playing the instrumental and singing the vocals the cheese [Applause] No it made for a show-stopping performance from a collaboration that no one expected outdoing the original song in one swoop I meant to write you sooner but I've just been busy you said you'd go up and take it now number-5 adele rolling in the deep you if you have one of the most recognizable singles and decades it's sometimes best to just give the crowd what they want hitting the stage in style Adele turned back time and gave her performance like a classic crooner opening on a beautiful a cappella intro the lights dropped before revealing a full band and backup singer to fill out the sound on an already huge trash [Music] adèle stays center stage behind her mic stand the entire song but doesn't let that stop her from commanding the crowd and putting every ounce of emotion into the performance mailing every note along the way [Music] [Music] number four Radiohead 15 step it's impressive what some bands can do with access to just a little extra production value when it came time to perform 15 step Radiohead didn't go for theatrics or parlor tricks that take their set to the next level instead they decided to enhance the song itself [Music] enlisting the help of a college marching band for a drumline brass and additional vocals they took a simple song and fleshed it out to make it something unbelievably brilliant with some creepy yet hypnotic dance moves from Tom York impressive choreography by the already busy musicians and a set that kept the sound at the forefront this performance like Radiohead show what they can do with some musical assistants [Music] number three kendrick lamar the black or the berry alright untitled three kendrick lamar is no stranger to shocking Grammy performances so when he wanted to send a message across the country he knew where to do it is the moment when Lamar shuffled on stage and rags it was clear something distinctly different was happening Lamar starts his medley in a prison scene chained along with his inmates and band playing from their selves immediately making his message loud and clear telling the african-american story the performances blunt and visceral going from prison to a tribal bonfire every line echoes with the pain and Lamar's heart and he spits each burst with reckless abandon closing on a picture of Compton written on a map of Africa leaving viewers with a lot to think about [Music] [Applause] number two Daft Punk featuring Stevie Wonder Pharrell and Nile Rodgers get lucky [Music] Daft Punk are about as mysterious as it comes but it still seemed a little strange when they didn't show up on stage for their second TV performance ever [Music] but after a groovy opening by Pharrell Stevie Wonder and Nile Rodgers the robots appear from behind the veil to carry the song into its next course dropping samples from throughout their career along the way the set switches to a party when they start mixing Rogers tracklist freak and wonders another star turning it into the most impassioned jam session between artists ever to see the stage thanks to the contagiously fun collaboration and musicianship the track was one that got everyone dancing from Beyonce to the Beatles [Music] before we unveil our topic here are a few honorable mentions [Music] every single story to tell [Music] number one Michael Jackson the way you make me feel man in the mirror leave it to the King of Pop to deliver the best show the stage is seen for decades to come opening on his infamous dance moves to a swung version of the way you make me feel Jackson doesn't stop moving using the entire stage often all by himself after a moonwalking solo that blows his fellow dancers out of the water Jackson switches to a seemingly minimalist rendition of man in the mirror to make the change but when Michael arrives at the key change the song hits its climax as a full gospel choir joins in and Jackson delivers one last memorable moment falling to his knees and belting out the remainder of this 10-minute long epic cementing him in Grammy history do you agree with our picks check out these other great clips from watch mojo and subscribe for new videos every day [Applause]

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Keywords: top 10, list, top 5, music, grammys, grammy performances, best grammy performances, radiohead, daft punk, michael jackson, kanye west, adele, beyonce, kendrick lamar, tina turner, dave grohl, elvis costello, eric clapton, music industry, music lists, watc

Id: fhN7f1GtE9Q

Length: 12min 1sec (721 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 12 2017