Yet Another Top 10 Best Lip Sync Battles
#10: Shaquille O’Neal vs. Aisha Tyler
For the uninitiated, “Lip Sync Battle” generally begins with an initial low-key performance before upping the ante in the second round. In this battle between former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and actress Aisha Tyler, they both start safe with performances of “Love Shack” and “Basketball” respectively. But things get turned up to 11 in the second round with their versions of “Poker Face” and “Maniac”. The production value shoots through the roof and both celebs absolutely rock the stage! In the end, it’s Shaq who walks away victorious, thanks in large part to his side splitting rendition of a song from the film “Flashdance”. Who knew the big man could move like that!
#9: Ashley Graham vs. Jermaine Fowler
While Derek Hough and Nicole Scherzinger may have been the ones tapped to rock “Lip Sync Battle’s” Shania Twain tribute in season four, it was Ashley Graham who got the ball rolling in season three with her version of “That Don’t Impress Me Much”. In a dogfight with Jermaine Fowler and his versions of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights”, Graham makes sure to leave it all on the stage. She brings so much energy to her performances it would have been impossible not give the win to her. Her Shawn Mendes was good, but her Shania was fantastic!
#8: Kathy Bates vs. Tone Bell
Okay we’ll admit it: we never thought Kathy Bates lip syncing Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like” would ever happen. But by god, when it finally did it brought the freakin’ house down! Up against comedian and actor Tone Bell, whose versions of “Party All the Time” and “Green Light” were nothing to scoff at, Bates straight up mops the floor with him! She starts off with a totally unexpected performance of Naughty by Nature’s “Hip Hop Hooray” and finishes with the aforementioned Bruno Mars song. This was truly a “Lip Sync Battle” unlike any other.
#7: Taye Diggs vs. Erika Jayne
Singer Erika Jayne and actor Taye Diggs went toe-to-toe in this very special Christina Aguilera tribute episode with Aguilera on hand to watch the entire thing. Diggs’ debuted a hilarious version of “Beautiful” before they launched into Jayne’s performance of “Fighter”. Aguilera was blown away, but the best was yet to come! For the final round, Diggs and Jayne went all out, performing “Candyman” and “Genie in a Bottle” with enough pomp and circumstance to last a lifetime. Diggs may have left with the win, but both celebs put on a hell of a show!
#6: LaVar Ball vs. Lonzo Ball
Rarely do we get to see a father and son duo as famous as LaVar and Lonzo Ball going head to head in a televised lip sync battle. It just doesn’t happen. Well, our wishes finally came true with this epic showdown and the result wasn’t exactly surprising. LaVar’s natural charisma was on full display from start to finish, going all out with his version of Nas’ “Hate Me Now” and later pulling out all the stops during a performance of The Time’s “Jungle Love”. Lonzo wasn’t bad either, but it’s clear papa Ball isn’t afraid to let it all hang loose!
#5: Pentatonix
This American a cappella pop group must have felt right at home during their time on “Lip Sync Battle”. Members Kirstin Maldonado, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi and Kevin Olusola were on fire during each of their respective performances. From Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift to Katy Perry and John Legend, the lip-syncing in this one was downright stellar! The best performance of the night belonged to Kevin Olusola and his take on the John Legend track “Love Me Now”. Watching him get up close and personal with Chrissy Teigen (Legend’s wife for those of you who’ve never been on social media) was hilarious! That man’s got some serious cohones!
#4: Rita Ora vs. Charli XCX
Featuring two artists from across the pond, this “Lip Sync Battle” was not in short supply when it came to originality. Between Charli XCX’s hilariously on point rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” to a sizzling version of “I’m Too Sexy” by Rita Ora, this battle had a little something for everyone. In the end, it was Ora who walked away with the top prize thanks in part to her sultry version of the Spice Girls classic “Wannabe”. Leave it to a couple of Brits to absolutely smash versions of their countrymen’s songs!
#3: Fifth Harmony
Top 10 Lip Sync Battles: Ultimate Ranking
We doubt anyone is surprised to see a group like Fifth Harmony this high up on the list. After all, singing and dancing are what they do for a living. Alas all four ladies turned in superb performances, channeling the likes of Destiny’s Child, Amy Winehouse and even Dwayne Johnson. Ally Brooke even managed to sneak in an additional song, starting off with the Selena classic “Como la Flor” before transitioning to Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull’s “On the Floor”. Her two-for-one idea paid off and she was crowned as the winner!
#2: Alicia Silverstone vs. Mena Suvari
Top 10 Times Alicia Went Beast Mode on Fear The Walking Dead
This battle featured not one, but two ‘90s teen starlets: “Clueless’” Alicia Silverstone and “American Beauty”’s Mena Suvari. Both actresses came out strong to classics by Aerosmith and Dusty Springfield respectively, but it wasn’t until the second round that things really started to heat up. It began with Suvari’s performance of “Groove Is in the Heart” while dressed as the Queen of Hearts from “Alice in Wonderland”. Unfortunately her performance was no match for Silverstone, who lip-synced Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy”. The video for “Fancy” famously featured costumes inspired by “Clueless”, so the performance brought the pop culture homage full circle. This is the song Silverstone was born to lip-sing! Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Anthony Anderson vs. Tracee Ellis Ross Tim Tebow vs. Nina Dobrev Chris D’Elia vs. Brent Morin
#1: Neil Patrick Harris vs. Laverne Cox vs. Taraji P. Henson vs. Hailee Steinfeld
In a competition with as much talent as this one, the real winners are the audience! These four celebs went toe to toe in a stirring tribute to one of music’s all time greats: Michael Jackson. Neil Patrick Harris was tapped to sing the King of Pop’s classic song “Smooth Criminal” and he absolutely kills it! Laverne Cox and Taraji P. Henson turn in their own solid performances of “Dirty Diana” and “Beat It” respectively, but it’s Hailee Steinfeld who truly steals the show with her rendition of “The Way You Make Me Feel”. In that moment, she was Michael Jackson!
