The Grammys have never been shy about taking advantage of its stellar guest list to not just showcase some brilliant performances, but to create previously unimagined collaborations with artist of all genres. This year is no different, with acts like The Weeknd teaming up with the reclusive Daft Punk, Dave Grohl and best new artist nominee Anderson Paak joining the recently revived A Tribe Called Quest, and what’s likely the most anticipated (and unexpected) pairing of the night: Metallica and Lady Gaga.
It may seem like a daunting task, putting such wildly diverse but equally iconic musicians on a single stage, but even years later these once-in-a-lifetime performances end up as musical time capsules that reflect the contemporary state of music, while at once becoming their own unforgettable moments in pop culture history. With the 2017 Grammys set to air this Sunday on CBS, here’s a look back at some of the show’s most memorable collaborative performances.
9. Gorillaz, Madonna, De La Soul –
“Feel Good Inc./Hung Up”
https://youtu.be/m4HWl2fw_p0
When Gorillaz first burst onto the scene in 2001, Damon Albarn’s virtual band let him team up with a slew of musicians from a diverse pool of talent, and was in itself an evolving, collaborative effort. For the 2006 Grammys, they kept the spirit of collaboration going by having pop superstar Madonna share the stage with them — or at least the digital holograms of the band’s fictitious members.
Things started to get lively when members of the hip-hop group De La Soul showed up to drop their rhymes in person, but it wasn’t until Madonna appeared on stage to deliver a rendition of her hit “Hung Up” — which melded the two songs together — that the unconventional pairing seemed like it was destined to happen.
8. Radiohead and the USC Marching Band –
“15 Steps”
Playing the lead track of the band’s smash hit In Rainbows, with a shaggy Thom Yorke commanding the stage, it took the USC Marching Band to faithfully recreate the track’s spastic percussion, which was done on a drum machine for the album. Breathing all-new life into the song, the marching band confidently shared the stage, and gave the song a truly organic feel without changing its meaning.
7. Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, and Steven Van Zandt –
“London Calling”
https://youtu.be/0c9LK-0JgS4
One of the most like-minded collaborations on this list came just weeks after the death of Joe Strummer in 2002 and featured a fierce and visceral performance of the Clash anthem from a four-headed hydra of rock and roll talent, which felt like the closest achievable thing to a fitting tribute.
The whole performance is a nonstop sensory assault, with all four taking turns on the microphone, but it’s Costello’s delivery of the song’s last line like some kind of untamed beast (emulating Strummer’s own unique style) that stays with you long afterward. A forthright, fist-pumping tribute to one of punk rock’s most important voices.
6. Pharrell, Daft Punk, Stevie Wonder, and Nile Rodgers –
“Get Lucky”
https://youtu.be/05S49l6Ez4o
During the summer of 2013, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing Daft Punk’s disco anthem “Get Lucky,” which went into the Grammys the following year with four nominations. The performance started out featuring two of the song’s co-writers, Pharrell and Nile Rodgers, and musical icon Stevie Wonder as they effortlessly glided into the song’s infectious groove.
Then, just over halfway through, the stage revealed the French duo, dressed in their signature spacesuits and helmets. While normally averse to live performances (this was their first time on stage in six years), Daft Punk clearly couldn’t resist the opportunity to take part in a performance that featured such an overwhelming collection of talent. Once revealed, they all worked together to bring the impossibly catchy pop masterpiece to a close.
5. Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons –
“m.A.A.d city/Radioactive”
https://youtu.be/TOsQ2WUnmkA
The mashup performance that absolutely stole the show at the 2014 Grammys began innocently enough: with pop group Imagine Dragons delivering the intro to their hit “Radioactive,” which was up for a couple of awards that night. Then, without warning, Kendrick Lamar burst on stage and mercilessly tore through verse after verse of his track “m.A.A.d city.”
It remains one of the most kinetic moments in Grammy history, proving that you can take two seemingly unrelated songs from performers in two very different genres, put them together, and come out with one incredible, high-energy performance. Even Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, who invited rock fans to “Walk This Way” with Run DMC in the ’80s, was caught smiling and singing along in the crowd.
4. Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna, Damian Marley, and Ziggy Marley –
“Locked Out of Heaven/Walking On The Moon/Could You Be Loved”
https://youtu.be/0VlcRnbM8eY
There are few better ways to pay tribute to an artist like Bob Marley than having musicians from all genres together to celebrate the inclusiveness of his music. Starting off with “Locked Out of Heaven” from dance-pop dynamo Bruno Mars, the song then segued into The Police’s “Walking On The Moon,” led by Sting on vocals and bass. Then, along with family members Damian and Ziggy Marley, it bleeds seamlessly into a heartfelt rendition of Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved,” a rousing anthem from the late reggae star’s last studio album.
While the chemistry between all the musicians is palpable, it’s Rihanna’s vocals that stand out as the true highlight. The pop diva’s commanding, soulful voice weaves effortlessly through the medley and binds the whole performance together.
3. Moby, Jill Scott, and The Blue Man Group –
“Natural Blues”
https://youtu.be/2euZbPbdJ0g
A mishmash of dance and electronica with an archivists adoration for the history of American music, by the time 2001 rolled around, Moby’s Play had dominated college radio and become a cross-genre hit. Here, powerhouse vocalist Jill Scott joins Moby to sing the song’s hook (sampled from Vera Hall’s 1937 song “Trouble So Hard“), allowing the sparingly simple studio track to become flush with elaborate, overlapping percussion delivered in part by performance art outfit The Blue Man Group.
It might not be the first collaboration that comes to mind when thinking about The Grammys, but this merging of music and theater stands as one of the show’s most creative crossovers, as well as one that bridged the gap between Moby’s on-stage minimalism and the Blue Man Group’s ornate, over-the-top complexity.
2. Kanye West, Rihanna, and Paul McCartney –
“FourFiveSeconds”
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The collaboration between Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney may have been one of the main reasons why people tuned in to watch the show in 2015.
The performance itself mirrored the black-and-white music video that’d been released the month prior, with three towering giants of pop music past and present sharing the stage in front of a simple white background.
Without any elaborate light shows or pyrotechnics, their acoustic, slice-of-life pop ditty was allowed to stand alone. While Rihanna’s voice took the lead, and Kanye dropped his verses, both were cradled lovingly by one of McCartney’s signature acoustic melodies, giving the song a chance to endear itself to generations of music fans. Not to mention being the first, and so far only, time “FourFiveSeconds” has been performed live.
1. Eminem and Elton John –
“Stan”
https://youtu.be/G4DE2f-u3wg
Eminem has never shied away from controversy, and that was never more true than it was during the 2001 Grammys. His third album, The Marshall Mathers EP, was up for a number of awards, while scores of protesters swarmed outside the Staples Center, speaking out against his violent, misogynistic, and homophobic lyrics. But Elton John didn’t see these songs as coming from Eminem’s point-of-view, but rather that of his musical alter-ego, Slim Shady.
That night, Eminem began his scheduled performance of “Stan,” a song about an obsessed fan who gradually grows more violent with each passing verse. While the studio version featured a hook from British singer Dido, after delivering the first verse on stage, it was revealed that Elton John would be singing the chorus with him that night. After the performance, the two hugged on stage just before Eminem defiantly flipped off the audience. It was a shocking, unexpected team-up that didn’t change the song much on the surface, but by having one of music’s most visible gay rights advocates on stage served as a reminder that sometimes we forget to separate the art from the artist.
