74 of the Most Unforgettable Moments From the MTV VMAs

Madonna performed "Like a Virgin" in 1984 at Radio City Music Hall during the first Video Music Awards.

Paula Abdul hitched a ride on the hands of her dancers during the 1991 show.

Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain brought their young daughter, Frances Bean, to the red carpet in 1993.

Slash played the guitar while Michael Jackson sang "Black or White" in 1995.

TLC won four awards for their "Waterfalls" video in 1995.

The Spice Girls won best video for "Wannabe" in 1997. During the show, all five members wore black arm bands as a symbol of their sadness over the death of Princess Diana just days earlier.

Diddy, who went by Puff Daddy at the time, had the help of Sting, Faith Evans, and 112 to perform his hit "I'll Be Missing You," a tribute to his recently deceased friend The Notorious B.I.G. in 1997.

Green Day brought their punk style to the red carpet in 1998.

Fred Durst came on stage to join Christina Aguilera during her 2000 performance.

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake cuddled in their seats during the show in 2000.

Beyoncé, Jessica Simpson, and Kelly Rowland posed together backstage in 2000.

The "Let Me Blow Your Mind" collaborators presented with Moby in 2001.

Madonna and Spears shared a very famous kiss during a medley performance of "Like a Virgin" with Aguilera in 2003.

Beyoncé made her debut as a solo artist during the show in 2003 where she performed "Baby Boy," and JAY-Z later joined her on stage to perform "Crazy in Love."

Chris Martin's piano spread his fair-trade message during a performance in 2003.

In 2009, Stewart sported a short bob when she took the stage with Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

In 2010, Lady Gaga, in her infamous meat dress, accepted one of her many awards of the night from Cher.

Lady Gaga, dressed as her alter ego, presented Spears with an award at the 2011 show.

Kevin Hart and Psy danced on stage at the 2012 VMAs.

Rebel Wilson wore a cheeky T-shirt at the 2012 VMAs when she took to the stage with The Wanted.

Timberlake reunited with his *NSYNC bandmates on stage in 2013.

In 2014, JAY-Z and Blue Ivy Carter presented Beyoncé with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

In 2014, the Kardashian-Jenner sisters turned the show into a family affair.

In 2014, Miley Cyrus had My Friend's Place representative and former homeless man Jesse Helt accept her award.

Nicki Minaj suffered a wardrobe malfunction during her performance in 2014, but managed to hold it together (literally).

Spears made a dazzling appearance in 2015 and reminded us all of her icon status.

Swift presented West with the Video Vanguard Award, and after her speech, the two shared a hug on stage in 2015.

Chrissy Teigen and Kim Kardashian snapped selfies in the audience in 2015.

Beyoncé performed part of her iconic "Lemonade" album in 2016.

It was a family affair for the Cyrus brood at the 2017 ceremony.

During her 2018 performance of "God Is a Woman," Ariana Grande was joined on stage by her grandmother Marjorie Grande; her mother, Joan Grande; and her cousin Lani Grande.

Logic used his 2018 performance to take aim at the Trump administration's family-separation policy by inviting immigrant parents and children who had been impacted by immigration issues on stage.

Normani brought all the moves during her first-ever solo performance at the 2019 show.

In 2019, the Jonas Brothers had us dancing in our living rooms as they performed "Sucker" and "Only Human" live from New Jersey, marking their first performance at the ceremony in 11 years.

Swift opened the 2019 MTV VMAs with a colorful performance of "You Need to Calm Down," which featured a shout-out to the Equality Act.

Missy Elliott was the real winner of the 2019 ceremony, as she was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Lizzo delivered a booty-full performance at the 2019 ceremony.

The father of eight, dressed as his alter-ego Murda Count Harlem, jokingly got on one knee and pretended to propose to the R&B singer on the 2021 MTV VMAs red carpet.

Two days after releasing her first solo single, "Have Mercy," the "Treat Me" singer made her epic debut with the track on the 2021 MTV VMAs stage with a hot performance.

In her acceptance speech after winning video of the year for "All Too Well: The Short Film," Swift revealed that her next studio album, "Midnights," was on the way.