Most Memorable Performances Ever, From Stormzy And Adele To Madonna And The Spice Girls

In the last four decades, the Brit Awards have been home to some seriously show-stopped performances that have had the whole world talking the next day.

As well as all of the outrageous moments and attention-grabbing blunders that have become synonymous with the annual Brits broadcast, the awards show has repeatedly given artists a chance to create a true water-cooler moment by really nailing a performance.

The Brits are set to return on 1 March (marking the third – and, let’s be honest, hopefully final time they’ve taken place on a Saturday night), with this year’s performers including Sabrina Carpenter, Jade Thirlwall, Sam Fender, Myles Smith and The Last Dinner Party.

With more than 40 years’ worth of memorable on-stage moments to pick from, here’s a timeline of all the performances that have truly stood the test of time, starting with some classics and leading right up to the present day…

You didn’t know Elton John was responsible for what was arguably the birth of the “lip sync for your life”, did you?

Yes, as well as hosting the Brit Awards together in 1994 (something we’d argue people forget about all too often) the duo also lip-synced the house down to a disco-tastic mix of Sir Elton and Kiki Dee’s famous duet. It’s a comfort to know, if nothing else, that RuPaul has been rocking the exact same moves for the last 30 years.
For their first ever Brit Awards performance, Take That paid homage to the OG British boyband.

At this point Take That were very much still on the come-up, and threw it right back to the swinging 60s, performing three of The Beatles’ early hits while dressed in replicas of the Fab Four’s iconic blue suits.

Take That star Robbie Williams would go on to become the undisputed King Of The Brits, racking up more wins than any other artist in history (although Adele is now hot on his heels).

Yes, you might think you’ve already seen this Spice Girls footage a million times over, but when was the last time you sat down and properly watched it?

Do it now – we promise it’s even better than you remember, and there’s a lot more to love than just that iconic Union Jack dress