The Grammy Awards: Top Performances

Photo: Green Day performs with the cast of "American Idiot" at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31 at Staples Center in Los Angeles

The 2010 Grammy Awards were expected, naturally, to be an interesting and entertaining event. Every year the Grammys highlight who and what is popular on the music scene not only by granting awards to the best of the best, but also by displaying these performers and their work live. Grammy performances this year were quirky, inventive and overall enjoyable – some, however, managed to outshine others in terms of how strange or unique they were.

Lady Gaga and Elton John
Possibly one of the most interesting pair-ups of the night, Lady Gaga and Elton John sounded great together and gave an excellent performance. Naturally, Lady Gaga was suited up in one of her outlandish outfits, looking fairy-like with her shining face makeup and sparkling green dress. It was no surprise when she donned some sparkly glasses to match and took her place at the piano across from Elton John. Both artists have amazing voices, which complemented each other beautifully. Even if you’re not a fan of Lady Gaga or Elton John, this definitely wasn’t a performance to be missed.

Photo: Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com/Grammy.com
Lady Gaga performs on the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31 at Staples Center in Los Angeles

The Black Eyed Peas
Without a doubt, the Black Eyed Peas are one of the most popular groups out there right now, and with good reason. The performance they gave for their songs “Imma Be” and “I Gotta Feeling” definitely did them justice, proving that this troupe were well-deserving of their Grammy nominations. According to Miley Cyrus’s introduction, people were trying to “get in like crazy” just to see them perform. The strange getups they wore were interesting enough on their own, too: robots. Even the backup dancers were dressed from head to toe in metal!

Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com/Grammy.com
Black Eyed Peas perform on the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31 at Staples Center in Los Angeles

Dave Matthews Band
The Grammy Awards had many performances displaying all sorts of different music, which was a nice change for those who aren’t as interested in the more popular songs and groups. Music students can appreciate the Dave Matthews Band for its large ensemble of instruments and all the hard work they put in to practicing as a group. The hard work evidently paid off, as the song “You and Me” sounded phenomenal. It’s a nice little reminder that the music world isn’t only made up of guitars, drum kits, synthesizers and flashy outfits.

Photo: Michael Caulfield / WireImage.com/Grammy.com
Dave Matthews Band performs at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31 at Staples Center in Los Angeles

Pink
While hearing Pink sing “Glitter in the Air” was pleasant and almost soothing, the real focus of the performance was not her voice, but her outfit and routine. To say the least, it was bizarre. It seemed for a while that she was trying to one-up Lady Gaga in terms of appearances (a thought that’s funny in its own right), but when she was actually hoisted up and became the “Glitter in the Air,” the whole thing seemed more than a little bit strange. It must be really hard to sing properly while spinning around suspended in midair. The visual aspect of the performance was definitely a good accompaniment for the song, and yet it seemed to take over the whole performance.

Photo: Michael Caulfield / WireImage.com/Grammy.com
Pink performs at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31 at Staples Center in Los Angeles

At the end of the night, each performance contributed equally to the overall effect of the Awards. Each performer gave it their all. From alt rock to R&B there was something for everyone to enjoy at the Grammy Awards of 2010.