For much of the Oscars’ nearly 100-year history, the live musical performances—highlighting the contenders for best original song—have provided some of the night’s wildest moments.
In advance of the 2024 Academy Awards, taking place this Sunday, March 10, in Los Angeles, we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable Oscar performances in the awards show’s history—from the jaw-droppingly well-choreographed to the ones that made us go, “Um, what did I just watch?” Revisit them below.
Dolly Parton reminds us all that capitalism sucks in 1981
Dolly Parton has been about that “work sucks, I know” life, and her performance of her hit song “9 to 5” at the 1981 Academy Awards was a dynamic and fun reminder that there are more important things in life than pleasing your boss.
Celine Dion breaks everyone’s heart (but goes on) in 1998
Titanic-mania was thick on the ground in 1998, so it’s only right that Queen Celine showed up at that year’s Oscars to belt out ‘My Heart Will Go On’ on a smoke-shrouded stage.
Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston team up to sing the Prince of Egypt theme in 1999
The only thing more legendary than one diva is two divas, something Carey and Houston proved at the 1999 Academy Awards as they duetted on ‘When You Believe’ from The Prince of Egypt.
Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, and Keith Robinson nail a Dreamgirls medley in 2007
Though ‘Love You I Do,’ ‘Listen,’ and ‘Patience’ all missed best song at the 2007 Oscars, the Dreamgirls cast put on the performance of a lifetime at the ceremony anyway.
John Legend goes full La La Land in 2017
Okay, fine, Legend’s lovely medley may have been ever so slightly overshadowed by the La La Land/Moonlight best-picture mixup, but it’s still worth rewatching, if only to recall the vise grip that Damien Chazelle’s film had on the cultural discourse that year.
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper duet on ‘Shallow’ in 2019
When I watch Cooper walk onstage, hand in hand with Lady Gaga, to duet on ‘Shallow’ (pretty objectively A Star Is Born’s best song), it’s like I’m back in 2019 again, with an open heart and a blissful lack of familiarity with the word “coronavirus.”
Megan Thee Stallion remixes an Encanto song in 2022
Megan Thee Stallion, Becky G, and Luis Fonsi were all on hand for an Oscar-night performance of the Disney film Encanto’s hit song ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno.’ Meg edited its lyrics thusly: “Magic everywhere. Stars everywhere. I need to see Oscars, Zendaya’s over there. Oh, no, we got three hosts. These women are the best and they killin’ all the jokes.”
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
