If there's one thing to expect from the Grammys, it's that the unexpected will always occur! This ain't the Oscars, where prim and polished actors politely clap through appropriately boring speeches. At the Grammys, you've got an audience filled with rockers, potentially inebriated pop stars, rowdy fans ... not to mention Lady Gaga! When all those things are combined, you've got the recipe for an explosive awards show, and year after year, the Grammys never disappoint.
It was tricky, but the staff of AOL Music narrowed down the top ten moments that left an indelible mark on our collective brains. So read on for a walk down Grammy memory lane, and don't forget to check back here this Sunday (Feb. 12) for full Grammy 2012 coverage.
10. Lady Gaga Arrives in an Egg
The 2011 Grammy Awards red carpet was more bizarre than any of the show's previous carpets, and it's all thanks to one lady -- Lady Gaga, that is. Mother Monster stuffed herself into a gigantic plastic egg and made her big entrance in unprecedented style. LG was carried in on the backs of alienesque models, in giant condom costumes. Just another day at the office for the edgy star!
9. Justin Bieber Loses to Esperanza Spalding
In perhaps one of the biggest upsets in Grammy Awards history, the virtually unknown jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding took home the 2011 prize for Best New Artist, beating out Mumford and Sons, Florence + the Machine, Drake and Justin Bieber. "Esperanza who?" -- that was pretty much everyone's reaction. While all of her four competitors were far more popular than Esperanza at the time, the surprise win hit a cord with Bieber loyalists in particular. The teen idol's fans were sent into a panicked frenzy, slinging hate messages and threats at Spalding.
8. Lauryn Hill Sweeps the 1999 Grammys
At the 41st annual Grammy Awards, Lauryn Hill set a new record for the female with the most wins in a single night. The female MC and songstress walked away with five gramophones for her 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' album, and no one saw it coming -- especially not Hill. "This is crazy because this is hip-hop music," she remarked during one of her multiple acceptance speeches. It was a big night for a genre that was previously largely unrecognized by mainstream media and the Grammys, which only introduced the Best Rap Album category three years prior.
7. Chris Brown Assaults Rihanna Before 2009 Grammys
Chris Brown and Rihanna were both scheduled to perform at the 2009 Grammy Awards, but neither star ever made it to the event. The night before the show, Chris Brown brutally beat his then-girlfriend Rihanna in what is now known as one of the most infamous celebrity domestic violence cases. Of course, no one knew the truth about why the couple mysteriously canceled on the show at the last minute, until the news broke days later.
6. Jennifer Lopez Shocks in Plunging Versace Dress
J.Lo's 2000 Grammys get-up is perhaps one of the most famous ensembles in red carpet history. The green, chiffon Atelier Versace number left little to the imagination, with a V-neck cut all the way bellow her navel, and a slit creeping all the way up to her you know what! Oh yeah, and it was virtually see-through!
5. Eminem and Elton John Perform 'Stan' Together on the Grammy Stage
Eminem and Elton's powerful duet at the Grammys was a major turning point for the Detroit musician who once rapped "My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge/ That'll stab you in the head whether you're a *** or lez/ Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest/ Pants or dress -- hate ****?/ The answer's 'yes.'" But according to Slim himself, meeting and collaborating with Elton changed him to the core. "I didn't know he was gay," Em told MTV news. "I didn't know anything about his personal life. I didn't really care. But being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from."
File this one under two people we never expected to share the Grammy stage! After Shawn Colvin won Song of the Year for 'Sunny Came Home,' Wu-Tang Clan member (and Grammy loser) beat her to the microphone to start ranting about the money he spend on his award show ensemble and how "Wu-Tang is for the children." Shawn's awesomely awkward expression is reason enough for this to land in our top five most memorable moments.
3. Eric Clapton Performs 'Tears in Heaven' After Losing His Young Son
Clapton bravely took the stage to perform the Grammy-nominated song he penned for his deceased son, Connor, at the 1993 awards show. The emotional tune left hardly a dry eye in the house and went on to win Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal at the show.
2. Milli Vanilli's Lip-synced 1990 Grammy Performance
This performance is memorable for what it wasn't ... an actual live performance! Notorious lip-synchers Milli Vanilli were stripped of their Grammy for Best New Artist in November of 1990 after the duo admitted they weren't the ones singing on their CD, or at their previous Grammy performance.
1. Bob Dylan's 'SOY BOMB' Interruption
This is definitely the only Grammy moment to ever spawn its own catchphrase ... thus cementing it as the most eternally memorable Grammy moment ever!
5. Eminem and Elton John Perform 'Stan' Together on the Grammy Stage
Eminem and Elton's powerful duet at the Grammys was a major turning point for the Detroit musician who once rapped "My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge/ That'll stab you in the head whether you're a *** or lez/ Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest/ Pants or dress -- hate ****?/ The answer's 'yes.'" But according to Slim himself, meeting and collaborating with Elton changed him to the core. "I didn't know he was gay," Em told MTV news. "I didn't know anything about his personal life. I didn't really care. But being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from."
