16 WORST Grammy Performances of All Time

#16: Ariana Grande, “Just a Little Bit of Your Heart”

“57th Annual Grammy Awards” (2015)

At the 2015 awards ceremony, Ariana Grande had a chance to grace the stage and wow the live audience and viewers at home with her impressive pipes. Rather than sing one of her more-well known and boppy singles, she opted for a newer ballad, “Just a Little Bit of Your Heart”. The performance was fine, but didn’t do much to showcase the abilities people have come to know her by. It came across more like a safe choice made in an attempt to appeal to the awards voters, rather than one made to impress the world at large. To make matters worse, she followed AC/DC’s electric opener, making hers seem even more subdued in comparison.

#15: Adele, “Fastlove”

“59th Annual Grammy Awards” (2017)

As it turns out, the saying “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” also applies to Grammy performances. Adele confirmed this during her tribute to George Michael at the 59th Awards. She was tasked with singing a slowed, dramatic version of his piece, “Fastlove”. From the beginning, it sounded off— and she knew it. With an apology and a stream of censored curse words, she pleaded to start over again. Her wish was granted, and her second attempt went much more smoothly. However, not everyone was impressed. Some fans felt the personality had been drained from the original, turning the fun track into a dirge. Michael had plenty of ballads to choose from, which made this adaptation even more bizarre.

#14: Pharrell, Lang Lang, & Hans Zimmer, “Happy”

“57th Annual Grammy Awards” (2015)

When Pharrell Williams took to the stage at the 2015 awards ceremony to sing “Happy”, viewers mostly expected a faithful rendition of the song. Instead, they were treated to a jarring spoken word adaptation of the first verse set over an eerie instrumental. Things only became more unsettling from there, with it transitioning into an orchestral, discordant version of the chorus that had been arranged by Hans Zimmer. Eventually, the track returned to its bubbly roots, but the audience was already left disturbed. Though it’d been an attempt at commentary on race relations in the United States, it ended up looking more like a scene from a horror movie instead.

#13: Taylor Swift & Stevie Nicks, “Today Was a Fairytale”, “Rhiannon”, & “You Belong With Me”

“52nd Annual Grammy Awards” (2010)

When Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks came on stage to perform at the 52nd Grammy Awards, neither could’ve guessed how it would’ve gone. Their voices were discordant from one another, and as the medley continued on, the differences in their vocal abilities became very apparent. Critics called out the younger star for her off key renditions of both her own songs and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon”, and even expressed embarrassment for Nicks. Needless to say, it was a dark spot on Swift’s otherwise pristine reputation as a musician. She didn’t comment on it at the time, but a year later, her scathing track “Mean” dropped— and some are convinced it’s a direct response to the critiques she received.

#12: Travis Scott & Playboi Carti, “My Eyes”, “I Know ?”, & “Fein”

“66th Annual Grammy Awards” (2024)

Plenty of artists have called out the Grammys, but few have been brave enough to do it while performing onstage at the ceremony. Travis Scott did so during his appearance at the 66th Awards— and that was just the beginning. He started out mellow enough, with calm renditions of “My Eyes” and “I KNOW?” However, once “FEIN” kicked in, everything went haywire. Scott’s energy transformed, and soon he was dancing as fireballs shot out into the air around him. He then brazenly called out the Academy for snubbing him, before picking up props and smashing them against the stage. While it may have played well at one of his shows, at the industry function it was wildly out of place.

#11: Metallica & Lady Gaga, “Moth into Flame”

“59th Annual Grammy Awards” (2017)

There are instances where a musician’s performance is hindered by others working the event. One such case was Lady Gaga’s Grammys collaboration with Metallica. As soon as their rendition of “Moth into Flame” began, it was clear something was wrong. Hetfield’s vocals were completely inaudible, forcing him to share a microphone with the pop star. While the rest of the piece went fine, it was clear by his reaction afterwards that he was livid about the mistake. His mic stand and guitar both fell victim to his rage, and his anger reportedly carried on into the dressing room afterwards as well. Both artists later posted rehearsals, giving their fans a glimpse of how legendary it would’ve been had the technical difficulties not occurred.

#10: U2, “Atomic City”

“66th Annual Grammy Awards” (2024)

When the news originally broke that they’d be performing one of their newest singles at the 2024 ceremony, their fans were excited at what the group would do. What they hadn’t expected was an ad. Rather than a traditional live show, U2 filmed themselves singing “Atomic City” to their audience at the Sphere in Las Vegas, all while showing off the impressive venue. Things became more confusing once the camera moved inside. Besides some of the clips appearing to be pre-recorded and played alongside the live performance, the camera work was so disorienting that it became a hindrance rather than a technical feat. The cherry on top was them exposing the nation to constant strobing lights, putting some viewers at risk for a seizure.

#9: Jennifer Lopez, Smokey Robinson, Alicia Keys & Ne-Yo, “Motown 60: A Grammy Celebration”

“61st Annual Grammy Awards” (2019)

We’re not exactly sure what reaction the Academy expected. When Jennifer Lopez led a tribute dedicated to Motown at the 2019 ceremony, they likely thought it would go swimmingly— but instead, it was the complete opposite. While she did a decent job taking on those iconic pieces, it was hard not to compare them to the far-superior originals. Additionally, her performance was clouded by backlash from viewers, many of whom felt she’d taken a high-profile gig from a Black artist in the middle of Black History Month. The response was so severe afterward that fellow performer Smokey Robinson stepped in to defend her inclusion. However, given the plethora of artists they seemingly skipped over to cast Lopez, we can’t say the fallout was entirely unjustified.

#8: Frank Ocean, “Forrest Gump”

“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.

#7: Michael Jackson Tribute, “Earth Song”

“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.

#6: Harry Styles, “As It Was”

“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.

#5: Hollywood Vampires, “As Bad as I Am” & “Ace of Spades”

“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.

#4: Lady Gaga & Nile Rodgers, David Bowie Tribute

“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.

#3: Outkast, “Hey Ya!”

“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?

#2: Milli Vanilli, “Girl You Know It’s True”

“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.

#1: Opening Medley

“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."

Which artist do you think has put on the worst performance at the Grammy Awards? Let us know in the comments!