Before the rise of YouTube, the MTV Video Music Awards were a can’t-miss event. It was the awards show you stayed up late to watch, lest you miss any of the crazy stunts. As we wait to see what kind of bizarre antics will take place at tonight’s ceremony, we revisit the most outrageous, most scandalous, and most-talked-about moments in VMA history.

Courtney Love Crashes Madonna’s Interview

In 1996, Courtney Love, in her typical fashion, interrupted Kurt Loder’s post–red carpet interview with Madonna by throwing a makeup compact at her. Invited by Loder to join the conversation, Love continued her erratic behavior, eliciting passive-aggressive comebacks from Madge, making for one of the most awkward, cringe-worthy interviews ever caught on tape.

Lil’ Kim Is Fondled by Diana Ross

VMA host and pastie fanatic Miley Cyrus owes a big thank you to Lil’ Kim for being the original pastie trailblazer. In 1999, before introducing the award for Best Hip-Hop Video, Kim walked onstage in her risqué purple jumpsuit and was joined by Diana Ross, who couldn’t help but tap her exposed breast.

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Britney Strips Down

In 2000, when she was only eighteen, Spears opened the VMAs in a menswear suit singing a short rendition of “Satisfaction.” She then shed her clothes, and her virginal image, and danced in a nude, sequined bodysuit that left little to the imagination. This was the first in a series of epic Britney performances at the VMAs.

Rose McGowan Is Exposed on the Red Carpet

If you think the pasties and bodysuits were bad, they were nothing compared with Rose McGowan’s 1998 naked look—there’s really no other way to describe it—that will forever live on as the most scandalous outfit in red carpet history.

Rage Against the Machine Does Just That

While Limp Bizkit were celebrating their win for Best Rock Video in 2000, bassist Tim Commerford of Rage Against the Machine climbed onto the VMA stage’s sculpture to protest his band’s loss. Durst appreciated the rebel moment, even saying in his acceptance speech, “This guy is rock ’n’ roll. He should be getting the award.”

Michael Jackson Mistakes a Birthday Cake for an Award

Britney Spears was supposed to present Michael Jackson with a birthday cake at the 2002 VMA awards, which happened to coincide with his birthday. But since she introduced him as the King of Pop and the artist of the millennium, Jackson went onstage under the impression that he was accepting an actual award for “Artist of the Millennium.” Things got even weirder when he thanked David Blaine, saying, “Your magic is real and I believe in you.”

Madonna and Britney Kiss

You knew something great was going to happen when MTV put Madonna and Britney on the same stage in 2003. But the whole world was taken by surprise when the Queen and Princess of Pop locked lips after performing a rendition of “Like a Virgin.” Yes, Christina Aguilera was there, too, but the moment was strictly between Madge and Britney.

Kanye Doesn’t Let Taylor Swift Finish

Before she started inviting everyone onstage with her, Taylor Swift had to deal with an unexpected guest. In 2009, after she won Best Female Video, Kanye West emerged from the audience, took her mic, and uttered those famous last words: “Imma let you finish . . . but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time.” The two made up at this year’s Grammy awards.

Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke Blur the Lines of What’s Appropriate

Where do we even begin? Miley Cyrus, in a furry onesie, twerked her way to infamy when she performed at the VMAs in 2013. She started off by singing “We Can’t Stop” surround by stuffed animals, which she humped and fondled. She then stripped down to a nude bikini as “Blurred Lines” singer Robin Thicke joined in. The rest is not-quite-yet history.

Beyoncé’s Pregnancy Reveal

Beyoncé hinted at a small bump on the red carpet, but when she performed her hit “Love on Top” in a sequined smoking jacket, there was no trace of a pregnancy—until she ended her set by dropping the mic, unbuttoning her suit, and effectively announcing to the world that she was indeed expecting her first child.

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