The 13 Most Outrageous Moments in VMA History

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(Image credit: Archives)

published 22 August 14

Since the award show's inception in 1984, MTV's Video Music Awards has certainly developed a penchant for unpredictable performances and headline-making moments. Highlights include Madonna, Miley, meat dresses, and lots and lots of Britney Spears.

This year's show boasts an impressive set list including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Sam Smith. Needless to say, we're waiting with breath that is baited for Sunday. Before this weekend's red carpet commences, catch up on all the crazy celebrity antics from year's past.

1. Madonna's "Like a Virgin" performance, 1984

2. Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" performance, 1995

3. Rose McGowan's naked dress, 1998

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4. When Diana Ross grabs Lil Kim's boob, 1999

5. Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" performance, 2000

6. Britney Spears "Satisfaction" strip tease performance, 2000

7. Britney Spears "I'm a Slave For You" performance, 2001

8. Britney Spears, Madonna, and Christina Aguilera "Like a Virgin" kiss, 2003

9. When Kanye told Taylor Swift "I'ma let you finish but," 2009

10. When Lady Gaga wore a meat dress, 2010

Human, Human body, Shoe, Human leg, Red, Boot, Costume, Thigh, Fashion model, Model,

11. When Beyoncé officially revealed her pregnancy during her "Love on Top" performance, 2011

12. The *NSYNC reunion, 2013

13. Miley Cyrus twerking on Robin Thicke, 2013

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Hallie Gould

Hallie has worked in beauty editorial for ten years and has been editorial director at Byrdie since 2021. Previously, she was a senior editor at Byrdie since 2016. During her time at Byrdie, she's written hundreds of high-performing stories on skincare, wellness (including fitness, diet, mental health, body image, et al) makeup, and hair. She's a regular on set, helping to source inspiration for makeup and hair looks, as well as interviewing celebrities, models, and other notable women and men in the beauty space.

Before that, Hallie ran Marie Claire's social media and wrote beauty and culture stories for the site, and helped launch Time Inc.'s digital-only beauty brand, MIMI. After college, she contributed to Time Out New York’s Shopping & Style section before landing her first beauty editor gig at Hearst's Real Beauty. Hallie's writing has also appeared in ELLE, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle. Hallie graduated with a BA in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.