Above image via Billboard

by Josh McCann

The 2024 Grammys are packed with star power. The awards air February 4th on CBS. Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey will be there. Despite everyone’s opinion on the show, I’ve always been a loyal fan. I’ve watched it every year since the 90’s. I even had watch parties (ask my friends, this was real!). Here’s my list of favorite performances, along with my experiences while watching.

Prince/Beyonce “Purple Rain” “Let’s Go Crazy” “Crazy in Love” (2004)

This was insane! Prince went crazy on his guitar. He performed “Purple Rain,” then Beyoncé came down the steps and it got wild. They played “Let’s go crazy” and “Crazy in Love.” I remember watching it and not saying anything, in awe of everything. “It’s going to be hard to top that,” I said to my friend. “Yeah that was great. I need another drink,” he said.

Lady Gaga “Born this Way” (2011)

“Did you see she arrived in an egg on the red carpet?!” I said to my friends as they arrived carrying food and beer.

“Lady Gaga sucks!!” one of my friends said.

“Oh come on,” I said. “It’s music’s biggest night!”

This was 2011, and the world still didn’t know what to make of Lady Gaga. “Born This Way” had just been released a couple days earlier. Lady Gaga was still very mysterious—people didn’t know what she would do next. It’s a killer performance, with backup dancers and Gaga playing an organ at one point. The song was brand new but already felt like a big hit.

Bob Dylan “Lovesick” (1998)

I’m in high school and watching the Grammys. This was when it got huge ratings. I wondered why this guy was dancing next to Dylan. The performance was cool but was overshadowed by “soy bomb.” Security grabbed him. What’s hilarious is how Dylan doesn’t seem phased. He plays the song for another 3 minutes! I remember the next day in English class. “What’s a soy bomb?!” I asked my friend, sitting next to me. “He ruined Dylan’s performance. Screw him!” he said. We studied our vocab words but Dylan taught us about life.

Ricky Martin “The Cup of Life” (1999)

It was a a huge celebration. Brought the house down. Ricky was about to be a mega superstar. I sat on the couch, ignoring my Geometry homework, devouring Doritos. The next day in Spanish class, our teacher talked how about how Ricky Martin was already the biggest star in Puerto Rico. This performance led to the “Latin explosion” in the US.

Taylor Swift “Out of the Woods” (2016)

The 1989 Era was coming to a close. My friends and I had seen her on the previous summer tour, and we hadn’t stopped thinking about it since. It was Taylor’s year she went pop.

“She’s opening the show!” I said, taking a bite out of my nachos and cheese.

“Wait, that’s Jack Antonoff on stage,” my friend said, taking a drink of his beer.

“Bleachers are on the Grammys?!” another friend said.

This was the final stop of the album cycle. This underrated single opened the show. Jack is on guitar. Taylor is owning the stage. She later wins best album to close the show.

Dua Lipa “Levitate” (2021)

I think I was speechless after this performance. It’s all a blur. This was her victory lap for Future Nostalgia. It was an amazing album. Everyone danced to it on TikTok during lockdown. Dua performed “Levitate.” She deserved this moment. She was now a world famous pop star. Please don’t stop now. The show had a limited amount of people in the crowd. I remember watching it at home, strains of Covid still rampant. I texted my friends. “Wow that was amazing,” I said. “Incredible,” one friend said. “Were those bruises on her legs?” another friend said.

Michael Jackson “The Way You Make Me Feel” “Man in the Mirror” (1988)

This was during the peak of Bad. I don’t remember watching this. MJ captivated the crowd like never before. I was in kindergarten, hanging out with friends at recess and watching Ghostbusters at home. Kids practiced the moonwalk on the playground. We didn’t care about the swings anymore. I went to his concert months later for the Bad tour at the sold out Civic Arena. With my parents. I remember that show!

Shakira and Wyclef Jean “Hips Don’t Lie” (2007)

All the dancing, all the hips, and they didn’t lie. Such a big hit. Shakira had become a huge star with this single. The performance took her fame to another level. My friends and I agreed on it being a career highlight performance. “So much energy,” I said, having some wings. “That’s what the show needed,” my friend said. I had just released my first album with my band. “The band is going to be there one day,” one friend said. “Yeah that wound be crazy,” I said.

Bruce Springsteen “The Rising” (2003)

Let’s be honest: there’s no way I wasn’t putting Bruce on this list! The Rising came out in 2002. It meant everything to me. I played it nonstop on my cd player. After seeing him perform it live on The Rising tour (Dec 2002), I knew this performance would be incredible. I shouted the lyrics, felt like I was there, all the while having another beer. Chills. At the time, I was spending afternoons writing songs and jamming with my drummer. All I cared about was playing guitar and writing. This song was (and still is) everything!

Melissa Ethridge and Joss Stone “Janis Joplin Tribute” (2005)

I have to admit—I forgot about this one. While going through these videos and deciding which ones to choose, my assistant, Carson, had mentioned it. We played it. “Okay this is definitely going on,” Carson said. “Yeah I don’t see how we leave this off the list,” I said. While watching the video on Youtube, I remembered watching it in 2005 and being overtaken by the power of Melissa and Joss.

Green Day “American Idiot” (2005)

The band had taken over the world and mainstream radio with “American Idiot.” It was great to see a rock band on the show. It was a huge time for Green Day. “Turn this up!” my friend yelled (Green Day is his favorite band). I turned it up. We talked about the performance the next day while stocking shelves at the grocery store. “I’m still thinking about that performance,” I said. I had released my debut EP the prior year. There was no turning back now.

Sheryl Crow “There Goes the Neighborhood” (1999)

This was a late entry. Once again, my assistant Carson (he watched tons of videos for this article) mentioned it. It’s such a good performance. Fantastic song. Sheryl Crow is at her coolest here. It still holds up today. Back in 1999, I recall watching it and feeling like it was an underrated moment of the show. Good stuff.

U2 “Walk On” (2002)

A huge year for U2. All That You Can’t Leave Behind brought the band back to mainstream success. Longtime fans, including myself, loved it too (they are one of my fav bands ever). Back in 2002 I had become a U2 fanatic. I saw them live in 2001 at the Civic Arena. This Grammy performance was special. It opened the show. I turned up the tv, let the guitars ring, Bono’s voice booming through the walls. I wanted to get my guitar and play along. I sat back down on the couch. Had some chips. Tried to come back down but had to leave it behind. “They are so good,” I said, taking a handful of chips. “Amazing,” my friend said, handing me a drink. There would be many more of these moments.