Best Billboard Music Awards Performances Ever

Beyonce performing at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards

Photo credit Ethan Miller

Since Billboard launched its eponymous awards show in 1990, the BBMA stage has hosted plenty of music royalty, but a few performers have distinguished themselves over the years. These singers captured the hearts of audiences with setpieces, pyrotechnics, acrobatics, and of course, some powerhouse vocals. While every year of the awards show provides some buzzy performances, these seven are timeless.

Mariah Carey, "I Still Believe" (1998)

You had to know Mariah was going to be on here somewhere, but her performance in 1998 (while receiving an award for most No. 1 hits of any female artist) tops our list. Arguably the earliest BBMA performance worth revisiting, Mariah brought down the house with her peerless pipes and incredible range. The simple staging and song choice put Mariah’s raw talent front and center, making this show worth rewatching over and over.

Beyoncé, “Run the World (Girls)” (2011)

Before holograms became the visual effect du jour for major singers, Beyoncé conjured an army of clones in a digital Beyhive. It was a nice throwback to her 2003 BBMA performance of “Me, Myself, and I,” when a group of bewigged lookalikes emerged from a series of mirrors to dance beside the star. But the more recent show took advantage of Beyoncé’s fiery energy with spirited graphics to match the performer’s intense stage presence. While the effects haven’t aged too well in retrospect, the show itself (like Bey) remains immortal.

Bruno Mars, “Treasure” (2013)

It’s hard not to smile watching Bruno Mars wiggle beneath a flock of shiny disco balls in his ode to 1970s disco glam. It’s an exercise in sheer joyous bling, and it still lights up our hearts. Just be sure to put on some shades before watching to protect yourself from the blinding lights.

Céline Dion, “My Heart Will Go On” (2017)

What can we say, we like shiny things. In 2017, Dion belted out her classic from Titanic while enshrined within a massive chandelier. She proved that 20 years after the song’s premiere, she still had the chops and presence to do the theme justice, but the tear-jerking ballad proved even more effective a few decades later by upstaging more modern artists.

Pink, “Just Like Fire” (2016)

It would be impossible to assemble a list of most memorable BBMA performances without Pink’s aerial display in 2016. Clad in what can only be described as a goth tutu, the singer flew through the air with the greatest of ease (and a harness), dazzling the audience as only the acrobatic performer can.

NSYNC, “Just Got Paid” (2000)

Was there anything better than NSYNC at the height of their boy band power? Rewatching the performance, it’s hard not to feel nostalgic, especially with all the silly props, beatboxing, cartoonish fight sequence and Justin Timberlake in the prime of his youth. Good times.

Rihanna and Britney Spears, “S&M” (2011)

2011 was a heck of a year for the BBMA. Along with Beyoncé’s explosive performance, Rihanna drew a lot of eyes (and some controversy) for her sex-positive performance of her hit “S&M.” The singer performed in white leather and chains, but the highlight of the performance was when Britney Spears (sporting black leather herself) joined to sing her part of the song’s remix. The show may have generated some negative feedback from parents, but it was undeniably a pivotal moment for the awards show, uniting two female powerhouses from across the decades.