Top 10 Greatest Celebrity Lip Sync Performances

“Dirrty”
Facing off against actress Malin Åkerman, this British gent wore his nation’s pride on his chest and got nasty for a lip sync of Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty.” At first, you may notice Merchant’s focused gaze as he emerges in a massive cage. But after that it’s all about his arms swayin’ and his booty shakin’. Of course, the choice of clothing enhances the bold performance, but it becomes evident that Stephen truly understands the vibe of the lyrics and hasn’t come to mess around. Amazingly, he manages to capture the same type of intensity with his complementary rendition of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”

“I Touch Myself”
For his huge performance of a Divinyls classic, this “Frozen” star channeled his inner Donald Trump. Beginning with a poignant mirror scene, Josh Gad is able to strike a successful balance, conveying both sexuality and a connection to the lyrics. By seducing his own persona in the form of a second Donald Trump, Gad taps into a timely “selfie” concept that many can relate to. By the end, however, the performance escalates quickly, as Gad enlists a whole group of Trumps and crawls around the stage, before closing off with some naughty gestures. And for the cherry on top, well, Gad even smooches Johnny Galecki, the ex-boyfriend of opponent Kaley Cuoco.

“Pony”
In a lip sync battle against her own husband, this professional dancer re-imagines Channing Tatum’s hyper-sexualized performance of Ginuwine’s “Pony” from “Magic Mike XXL,” complete with some masculine power tools. And it’s clear that Jenna Dewan Tatum has the attention of host LL Cool J. Sure, maybe she’s doesn’t emphasize the actual lip syncing, but her physical movements tap into the energy of the song. And by the middle, well, it turns into a full-blown strip tease for Mr. Tatum, with Jenna displaying her exquisite abs and finishing with a touch of athleticism. It’s a money performance, one fueled by genuine hustle and flow.

“Drunk in Love”
On the “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” one of the best modern comedians took the stage for a little Beyoncé. And though Will Ferrell’s clothing game isn’t on point, his stage presence is everything and then some. He’s got a bit of sass going on, and it’s clear that he’s enjoying the moment as well. Most importantly, though, Will sells the dance routine to the audience by insinuating that he’s done it a few times before. It may not be as elaborate as some of the Spike TV performances that would come later, but it established Ferrell as an influential figure of the 21st century celebrity lip sync battle.

“Don’t Stop Me Now”
When taking on an iconic band such as Queen, a celebrity must be able to match the stage bravado of Freddie Mercury. And with “Don’t Stop Me Know” Paul Rudd goes all in with the theatrics, yet he still manages to maintain a focused and lively performance. There are plenty of leg kicks and jazz hands, but if you look at Rudd’s face, you’ll see a man ready for his big celebrity lip sync moment. Rudd fully embodies Mercury’s persona, and never seems out of place on stage. Each movement builds upon the one that came before, with Rudd bringing a Broadway vibe to the 30 Rock stage.

“Run the World (Girls)”
Not to be outdone by his wife Jenna, this movie star begins atop a majestic horse and simply allows the moment to consume him. For his lip sync of Beyoncé’s “Run the World,” Channing Tatum owns the physical space of the stage, locking into his crisp choreography without losing track of the lyrics. Overall, it’s an ethereal performance, especially with the wind machine. Even so, it’s hard to ignore the precision of Tatum’s technique. And when a global superstar like Beyoncé shows up for assistance, well, that certainly counts for a few extra points.

“All I Do Is Win”
For her climactic lip sync against Jimmy Fallon, this Oscar-nominated actress slowly eases into DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win.” But Emma Stone has a trick up her sleeve. For the first portion, she maximizes the intensity, even utilizing some high-low camerawork to enhance the performance. And then comes the Ludacris verse, which clearly surprises and stuns her opponent. For such a lyrically intense verse, Emma could have easily produced nothing more than an average lip sync, but no – she crushes it and closes off with some phenomenal facial expressions. In fact, Stone even seems to have surprised herself given her reaction to it all.

“A Thousand Miles”
As one of the stars of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” this large man is well versed in comedic timing. But for a battle against Mike Tyson, Terry Crews keeps it simple with a classy piano performance of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.” Well, at least that’s how he begins. In the early part, Crews thrives with some over exaggerated facial expressions, but everything changes when he stands up for a more revealing lip sync. Twirling around topless, Terry reaches a new theatrical dimension, especially when he breaks out the props. All in all, though, he zeroes in on the emotive quality of the track. And he even gives the crowd some chest pumps for a little something extra.

“Tiny Dancer”
After a couple of impressive lip sync performances by well-known comedians, Joseph Gordon-Levitt needs to get the crowd on his side. And while the opening antics of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” initially seem a bit boring, Joseph is only building up the audience for the big chorus. And so, he does two things to outshine his competitors: one, he gets all up in the camera for some impassioned lip syncing, and then he pulls back for some aggressive mic stand-shaking. It’s not a dazzling performance from beginning to end, but it’s the finale that counts the most.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Justin Bieber
“Crazy Train”

- Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
“Shake It Off”

- Shaquille O’Neal
“Maniac”

“Wrecking Ball”
Despite the brilliance of Emily Blunt’s Janis Joplin, her opponent manages to deliver something even more trippy and timely. Refusing to overshadow her performance with distracting visuals, Anne Hathaway begins in classic black and white before slaying Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball”, stripping down to only white at the front of the stage and reaching into her lip-sync soul. To enhance the emotional aspect, Anne swings across the stage with an actual wrecking ball, with her middle finger representing the final blow in a classic lip sync battle.

So, do you agree with our selections? Which celebrity do you think gave the best lip synch performance? For more musical Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.