Top 10 Best Billboard Music Awards Performances

#10: Kesha (2016)

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While the Billboard Music Awards are usually full of fun and energetic performances, Kesha dimmed the lights and performed a slow rendition of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.” And it was glorious. This public performance was one of Kesha’s first since suing producer Dr. Luke for sexual assault and battery, and it was every bit as emotional, powerful, and personal as we’d expected. The hard-partying entertainer of old was replaced by a mature, confident woman who wowed the mesmerized audience with a beautiful and sensitive performance. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house or at home. Our own included.

#9: Justin Bieber (2012)

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And when we say the Billboard Music Awards are usually full of fun and energetic performances, this is exactly what we’re talking about. Bieber put on a hell of a show that included pyrotechnics, a fog machine, lots of choreographed dance moves, and backup dancers dressed as clowns and sporting glow-in-the-dark costumes. Bieber is as infectiously fun as ever, especially when he’s prancing around on stage, shaking hands with the fans, and leading the dancers in the performance’s big climax . There’s no denying that the Biebs is a spectacular entertainer.

#8: Nicki Minaj (2017)

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Now this is how you open a show. Nicki Minaj christened the 2017 Awards with a four-song medley consisting of No Frauds, Light My Body Up, Swalla, and Regret in Your Tears, and each song was better than the last. Minaj wasn’t alone for this monumental ten-minute undertaking. She was joined onstage by numerous guest stars, including Lil Wayne, David Guetta, and Jason Derulo, and each brought their own unique touch to the performances . The spectacle was on point as well, complete with pyrotechnics, a gyrating and sexy Minaj, and a rising pedestal. We feel sorry for the performers who were forced to follow this.

#7: Pink (2016)

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And here we see Pink turning the Billboard Music Awards into Cirque du Soleil. And that is perfectly fine with us. Pink appeared on stage clad in an…interesting outfit, and what followed was three minutes of pure entertainment bliss. We saw Pink flying on a clock rope, acrobats suspended in the air, and a chill-inducing finale that included a massive fire-spewing clock. Pink has been around since 2000 and she is still putting on a better show than most of her peers. When it comes to pure entertainment and spectacle, there are very few who can compete with the master that is Pink.

#6: John Legend & Jordin Sparks (2012)

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While a lot of performers paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston in 2012, none of them did it like John Legend and Jordin Sparks. Legend was up first and delivered a moving performance of “Greatest Love of All”, but it was Jordin Sparks who really stole the show with her beautiful rendition of “I Will Always Love You”. It’s a very challenging song, and not too many singers can successfully pull it off, but Jordin Sparks nailed it and both thrilled and touched the audience with her amazing vocals. They both did Whitney Houston proud and sent the late artist off with a lovely and poignant tribute of her greatest works.

#5: Rihanna & Britney Spears (2011)

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Well, these ladies certainly know how to put on a show. This performance has become an iconic piece of Billboard Music Awards history and is undoubtedly the program’s sexiest performance of all time. That said, Britney’s solo “I’m a Slave 4 U” performance was pretty darn sexy as well. Rihanna and Spears appear in some erotic outfits, tug on chains, pose in seductive ways, and dance on stripper poles. While a majority of viewers found the performance suitably steamy and sensual, the Parents Television Council called it an “explicit…sex show on primetime broadcast television.” Naturally, this just made us all love it even more.

#4: Céline Dion (2017)

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With this performance, Céline Dion proved that you don’t need a flashy stage show or theatrics to put on a spellbinding performance (well, aside from her dress and enormous chandelier). Céline simply stood on stage (with meticulous posture we may add) and belted out one of the all-time great movie songs and upstaged everyone else at the show. Dion’s voice is still as magnetic and powerful as it was twenty years ago, and the song itself is guaranteed to make you emotional every damn time. If you’re still not convinced, even Lil Uzi Vert was feeling the performance.

#3: Taylor Swift (2013)

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This performance packs in as much as it possibly can, and it is gloriously chaotic and wonderful. The show starts with Swift backstage before it transitions to her riding a bicycle through the adoring crowd. We are then treated to a massive choreographed dance before the stage reveals even more dancers and guitar players behind Swift. Oh, and to top it off, we get cascading sparks and balloons falling from the ceiling. This performance is pure fun and spectacle, and it proves why Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names in modern music.

#2: Bruno Mars (2013)

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Did we enter a time machine? Because we could have sworn this performance was from 1973. For this song, the stage is littered with about a hundred disco balls, the boys are all clad in old-fashioned red suits and chains, and the lights give off a brilliant sparkling gold. It all helps to transport viewers to a classic time in music history, and it proves that Bruno Mars is the master of bringing70s funk and soul to a modern audience. While his performance of Versace on the Floor at the 2017 Awards was great, there’s simply no outdoing this unique and brilliantly old school performance. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. *NSYNC (2000) Miley Cyrus (2017) Mariah Carey (1998)

#1: Beyoncé (2011)

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We love all the artists on this list, but there’s simply no competing with the sheer magnificence that is Queen B. The performance begins with a video featuring her family, Michelle Obama, and various notable celebrities, who all proclaim her to be a musical genius. She then proves exactly that, as this performance contains everything that makes Beyoncé so popular. It’s energetic, empowering, and visually dazzling, complete with imaginative digital screen interaction, dozens of dancers, and cascading sparks. This would mean nothing if the performance itself wasn’t up-to-snuff, but come on, this is Queen B. When doesn’t she give it 110%?