Performing in front of a live audience isn’t exactly easy on the ego. It can occasionally be quite a humbling experience for musicians. These five musicians delivered performances that were considered the “worst” at the time; but in the years since they were filmed, those performances are widely considered to be legendary and (dare I say) genius. Let’s dive in, shall we?
1. Lana Del Rey on SNL (2012)
Lana Del Rey blew up in 2012 and secured a spot as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live that year. She performed the songs “Blues Jeans” and “Video Games” on the show, and she delivered it how you’d expect her to: Brooding, moody, romantic, and a little awkward. However, non-fan viewers didn’t really get her, and the performance became a bit of a joke after the fact.
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That being said, the performance was peak Lana Del Rey. Even though she was kind of bullied for the awkward performance on SNL afterward, the performance itself exposed the singer to a broader audience outside of her internet following. Now, she’s one of the biggest singers of her generation.
2. Elvis Presley on The Milton Berle Show (1956)
A little bit of controversy here and there helped catapult Elvis Presley to fame. However, his “raunchy” performance of “Hound Dog” on The Milton Berle Show in 1956 was strategic; even if some more conservative viewers thought it was the worst, most hedonistic thing they’d ever seen on television.
During the genius performance on the show, Presley unabashedly humped and thrusted through the song. Critics were furious about how vulgar the performance was at a time when you couldn’t even show a couple smooching on TV. Ed Sullivan even said he’d never have him on the show. However, he changed his tune a few months later by offering Presley a $50,000 three-show contract. It was genius planning on Presley’s part.
3. Madonna at the MTV Music Awards (1984)
A few critics in the 1980s criticized Madonna’s improvisation during the first-ever MTV Music Awards in 1984. The pop superstar performed a rendition of “Like A Virgin” live, complete with wedding imagery and Madonna’s notable high-energy live vocals.
During the set, Madonna’s shoe fell off. It wasn’t planned, either. In an attempt to make it look intentional, Madonna writhed and crawled on the stage toward the shoe, delivering what was considered the “raunchiest” live performance on television at the time.
A lot of people were mad about it. Her own manager thought she had just tanked her career. But, Madonna leaned into it; and she continued to be one of the greatest pop stars of all time and enjoyed a long and profitable career after.
4. Sinead O’Connor on SNL (1992)
This wouldn’t be a list of “bad” performances by musicians that were actually genius without mentioning the late great Sinead O’Connor. Back in 1992, O’Connor famously ripped up a photo of the Pope while performing a cover of the song “War” by Bob Marley. It wasn’t planned, and the movers and shakers behind SNL had no idea she would do it.
Some would say that the political move tanked her career. However, O’Connor was inclined to disagree. She ended up being right about the evils of child abuse in the Catholic church. And she said herself that she was never a pop star; she was a protest singer.
5. Rage Against The Machine on SNL (1996)
On one particular episode of SNL back in 1996, Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes hosted the show. Surprisingly, Rage Against The Machine was also slated to perform on that episode. We’re not sure what the team behind SNL was expecting here. RATM went on to perform songs from the album Evil Empire which explores the evils of the US military, the Pentagon, and more. They also performed with an upside-down American flag in full view.
The band was permanently banned from SNL and they weren’t even allowed to play their second set on that episode. Still, RATM is one of the most well-known rock bands in the world today, and their protest songs are still used decades later.
Photo by SGranitz
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