Top 10 WORST Grammy Performances of All Time

“58th Annual Grammy Awards” (2016)
With 16 Grammys to her name and undoubtedly more to come, Adele is one of the greatest vocalists of her era. But even she’s not immune to live performances mishaps. While singing her ballad, “All I Ask,” she was derailed by technical difficulties. The sound momentarily cut out and an inexplicable, dissonant guitar-type sound suddenly appeared. As she later explained, the mics on the piano fell onto the instrument’s strings. And while Adele did her best in the face of unenviable circumstances, the powerhouse singer sounded notably flat at times, possibly due to not wearing an earpiece. She took it all in stride, though, subsequently tweeting that she would be treating herself to a meal at fast food chain In-N-Out Burger.

“55th Annual Grammy Awards” (2013)
Frank Ocean made waves with the release of his debut album “Channel Orange.” But his performance at the following year’s Grammys failed to make a splash. Okay, moving on from the bad water puns, we so wish this had gone better. It starts promising, with an innovative projection that makes it look like Ocean is performing while simultaneously running slowly down the road. But his visible nerves negatively impact his performance. We can’t imagine trying to deal with the pressure of performing on such a major stage, especially as a fairly new artist, but we were hoping for more from Ocean.

“52nd Annual Grammy Awards” (2010)
When Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, it was unquestionable that he would be honored in some way at the following year’s Grammys. But how do you pay homage to someone with star power on a level arguably no one since has reached? The Recording Academy decided to have an impressive slate of vocalists sing Jackson’s environmental ballad “Earth Song,” presented with a 3-D short film. But while Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Smokey Robinson, Celine Dion and Usher are all beyond capable vocalists, they don’t have the combined chemistry to make this feel like anything but a well-meaning but overall clunky ode to a legend.

“65th Annual Grammy Awards” (2023)
Performing his hit “As It Was,” the former One Directioner turned solo star sang in front of dancers on a spinning platform, similar to the ones in the song’s video. But the dancers were quite literally thrown for a loop when the turntable they were on went in the opposite direction from the one they had rehearsed. Though they did their best to figure out how to adapt their choreography, the performance was ultimately let down by Styles looking nervous and sounding exhausted. At least he got to take home his first Album of the Year trophy later that night.

“58th Annual Grammy Awards” (2016)
Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister - better known as just “Lemmy” - had an inimitable presence. So, tributing him properly is an unenviable task. But the Hollywood Vampires tried their best, apparently. You might not know this group, but you definitely know its members, as it features Alice Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, and…Johnny Depp? At the 2016 Grammys, the hard rock supergroup performed “Ace of Spades” in a performance full of effects but lacking the power that made the Motörhead original so iconic. And to make matters worse, they performed their own original composition “As Bad as I Am” first. It’s the kind of performance that belongs in a smoky club on the Sunset Strip in the 80s, not on the Grammy stage.

“58th Annual Grammy Awards” (2016)
On paper, a chameleon like Lady Gaga honoring glam rock pioneer David Bowie seems like a no-brainer. But isn’t the entire purpose of a tribute performance that it pays tribute to the person in question? Gaga must have missed the memo: with a whopping ten hits to get through, Gaga doesn’t leave the audience with much time to consider each tune and its place in Bowie’s legacy. In fairness, Bowie was always one for reinventing himself and changing his appearance, but Gaga’s performance ultimately reads as more self-serving than celebratory. For as bold as he was in life, it’s unfortunate that this tribute never does much to stand out.

“46th Annual Grammy Awards” (2004)
“Hey Ya!” is a song so iconic that its legacy seems untouchable. But a great song can only do so much when paired with such a befuddling performance. It begins with a grim, sci-fi-ish introduction, delivered by the disembodied head of Jack Black. Then, tribal chanting is heard before the lights turn on to reveal André 3000 wearing a fringed green outfit, surrounded by dancers dressed in stereotypical Native American outfits. André’s vocals don’t sound great, but even if they were beyond perfect, it wouldn’t make up for how tone-deaf the whole thing was. The backlash was strong enough for CBS to issue an apology. To paraphrase the lyrics of this classic, why or why did anyone think this was a good idea?

“32nd Annual Grammy Awards” (1990)
By now, Milli Vanilli are more associated with lip-syncing than they are with any of their hit songs. Though this Grammys performance didn’t expose Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus as not actually singing, it becomes pretty obvious in retrospect. It would be one thing if they were lip-synching their own vocals. But as we know, that was not the case. So, what we’re left with is a poorly lip-synced and otherwise lackluster performance, from a group who would soon prove that not all publicity is good publicity. And who would also have their Best New Artist trophies rescinded.

“47th Annual Grammy Awards” (2005)
Music is a lot like cooking: you have to be strategic about what flavors you combine and how. Do it wrong, and you can end up with something truly unappetizing, even if all the ingredients taste great on their own. The 2005 Grammys kicked off with an 11-minute catastrophe of an opening number. First the Black Eyed Peas commenced things, appropriately, with “Let’s Get It Started.” Then, Gwen Stefani and Eve, Los Lonely Boys. Maroon 5, and Franz Ferdinand all performed snippets of their hits, with the Peas cutting in to continue getting things started. It doesn’t enter full-blown trainwreck territory until the very end, when everyone performs at once in what could be charitably described as a "cacophony." What a mess.



Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable, or rather, dishonorable mentions.


All Beatles Tribute, “Across the Universe”’, “47th Annual Grammy Awards” (2005)


Bono, Billie Joe Armstrong, Alicia Keys, Velvet Revolver, Stevie Wonder, and More Can’t Replicate the Magic of the Beatles, to Say the Least


U2, “Get on Your Boots”, “51st Annual Grammy Awards” (2009)


The Perils of What Happens When a Band Tries Too Hard to Still Seem “Cool”

An Impressive Swing, But Ultimately, a Miss

Issues with James Hetfield’s Mic Sullied What Could’ve Been an All-Time Performance


Jennifer Lopez, Motown Tribute, “61st Annual Grammy Awards” (2019)


We Can’t Say We’ve Ever Associated Lopez with the Sound of Motown

“54th Annual Grammy Awards” (2012)
In her prime, Nicki Minaj was a truly audacious artist. But even audacity needs some kind of cohesion. At the 2012 Grammys, the rap queen kicks things off with a verse from her song “Roman’s Revenge.” Then, we shift to a video re-enactment of scenes from “The Exorcist,” with Minaj singing “I Feel Pretty” from “West Side Story” in the mirror. Next, we’re live again, with a giant exorcism being performed with Minaj center stage. Performing as her off-kilter alter-ego Roman, Minaj is clearly trying to portray madness. But it just comes off as half-baked performance art. Some might call it “camp,” but quality camp is far more entertaining than this.




What Grammy performance hit all the wrong notes for you? Let us know in the comments