From Diana Ross braving a rainstorm to Beyoncé's surprise album drop, we're diving into the most legendary moments that transformed pop divas into absolute icons. These are the performances, achievements, and game-changing moves that defined a generation of music superstars!
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00:00Oh, oh me, I just wanna be the girl you like
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the times when a pop star cemented her place among legends.
00:13My manager was white as a ghost, and he looked at me and said,
00:17Do you know what you just did?
00:20Number 10, Central Park concert, Diana Ross.
00:23I'm coming up, I want the world to know, and to let it show
00:30Diana Ross was in top form at this televised 1983 benefit concert.
00:34Then, the rain came.
00:36Ross continued the concert as a huge rainstorm drenched her and the cheering crowds.
00:40Fearing that if she left the stage, it would go dark and the amassed crowd might panic,
00:44she soldiered on as the wind blew in all directions.
00:46Nothing can keep me, keep me from your heart, ain't no mountain high enough
00:53She looked like a goddess as the wind whipped her hair and costume all over,
00:57but she remained calm, performing until it was actually unsafe to do so.
01:01It became a major event, and a defining moment of Ross' career.
01:05Don't, don't let me down, I felt it like easy peasy
01:14Number 9, launching Fenty Beauty, Rihanna
01:17Dominating the charts is one thing, but creating an empire is another.
01:21In 2017, Barbadian singer and actress Rihanna launched her own cosmetics company.
01:26I made sure that we found the formula that works for all skin tones,
01:33something that was completely magnifying,
01:35but something that you could put on throughout the day as many times as you want without it kicking up.
01:39Taken from her last name, Fenty Beauty announced her ascent into an even higher echelon of wealth, power and influence.
01:46This was more than a standard cosmetics brand though.
01:48Fenty's aim was to expand on the available shades,
01:51noting how women of color are often underserved in the cosmetics field.
01:55We deserve to feel beautiful, and I want women of all shades to feel included,
02:01and all races and all cultures to be a part of it.
02:04Since its inception, Fenty Beauty has become so internationally successful
02:08that Rihanna would never have to return to music if she didn't want to.
02:12Let's hope it doesn't come to that though.
02:13When the sunshine we shine together, told you I'll be here forever.
02:19Number 8, becoming Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey
02:22It's time!
02:28It may seem crazy now, but back in 1994, Mariah Carey hated the idea of doing a holiday album.
02:34With some prodding from the record label, she recorded Merry Christmas.
02:38While the album was successful,
02:39its lead single has gone on to become one of the best-selling songs of all time.
02:44When I wish on you, all I want for Christmas is you.
02:52Co-written by Carey herself, All I Want for Christmas Is You has become a holiday mainstay,
02:57whether you love it or not.
02:58The My All singer has released a lot of great songs in her career,
03:02but this is one whose reputation only seems to grow with the years.
03:06They don't call her the Queen of Christmas for nothing.
03:08What more can I do?
03:11Oh baby, all I want for Christmas is you.
03:16Number 7, VMA Tearaway, Britney Spears
03:22I think I did it again.
03:24When Britney Spears appeared in her first music video in a scandalously tailored schoolgirl outfit,
03:29there was a sense that her persona was based in a tongue-in-cheek kind of innocence.
03:33When she performed her new single at the 2000 VMAs,
03:36she literally shed her old image and shocked the world by announcing that she's not that innocent after all.
03:41Bad girl comes on and tells me how tight my skirt should be.
03:49Spears' tearaway to a nude illusion was the talk of the night.
03:53Like so many female pop stars before her, she had dared to shamelessly own her sexuality on stage.
03:58The moral outrage was immediate.
04:01Fans remember it as one of her most iconic moments.
04:04I'm not that innocent.
04:11Number 6, Go Solo, Tina Turner
04:20Her rich and distinctive voice had wowed us for years
04:23as part of the Ike and Tina Turner review alongside her infamous ex-husband.
04:27By the early 1980s, Tina Turner had left her disastrous marriage to Ike Turner
04:31and was almost poised to be forgotten.
04:33Then, her solo career finally took off.
04:43The 1984 Private Dancer album and her subsequent reinvention
04:47have been called one of the greatest, most unlikely comebacks in all of music.
04:51Her story became synonymous with perseverance and power, and the music spoke for itself.
04:56Turner's comeback culminated in three Grammy Awards
04:59and gave her a second life as the queen of rock and roll.
05:02You're simply the best, better than all the rest.
05:10Number 5, the 26th MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga
05:23Whether it was for her provocative lyrics, her extravagant performance style
05:26or the air of mystery surrounding her,
05:28Lady Gaga emerged as a pop artist who took her art very seriously.
05:32Her debut album wasn't just a collection of songs.
05:35She genuinely had something to say about art, celebrity and the price of fame.
05:39That became shockingly clear at the 2009 VMAs.
05:49Paparazzi is a catchy pop song with a disturbing subtext.
05:53Gaga's explosive live performance made its themes blisteringly clear
05:56when a blood pack exploded in her rhinestone top.
05:59It took an already fantastic show to legendary heights.
06:07Number 4, I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston
06:25By the early 1990s, listeners probably thought they had experienced the full depth
06:30of what was arguably the best voice in pop music history.
06:33Whitney Houston's various number one hits were shining examples of her skills.
06:37But this Dolly Parton cover from the Bodyguard soundtrack
06:40was unlike anything she had done up to that point.
06:42The gospel infused track became Houston's calling card from that point forward.
06:53From the soaring vocals to that unforgettable key change,
06:56I Will Always Love You is the pinnacle of a great career.
06:59There's a reason it's one of the best-selling singles ever recorded.
07:10Number 3, Taylor's version, Taylor Swift
07:18Even some of the biggest pop stars don't have control over their music.
07:22Taylor Swift removed her music from Spotify in protest over how artists are paid for streams.
07:27Then, in 2019, she entered into a feud with talent manager Scooter Braun
07:32when he bought her former record label and assumed ownership of her original master recordings.
07:36Instead of being at the mercy of the label,
07:38Swift decided to re-record her original songs and release them in new versions.
07:58The move has sent shockwaves through the music industry.
08:00Not only did it give Swift more control over her own music,
08:04but it began a conversation about the rights of artists to own their work.
08:16Number 2, the first MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna
08:27There have been quite a few scandalous moments at the MTV Video Music Awards,
08:31and Madonna is responsible for at least two of them.
08:35At the very first ceremony, Madonna performed Like A Virgin,
08:38a song that hadn't even been released yet.
08:47The next morning, America was scandalized.
08:50Her writhing, erotic, and shocking presentation involved her popping out of a wedding cake
08:54and performing the song in a provocative wedding gown.
08:57At one point, she even flashed her underwear at the camera.
09:11Her manager thought her career was over.
09:13Oh, how wrong he was!
09:15The moment just made everyone take notice.
09:17Ooh, baby, yeah, can't you hear my heart beat?
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09:40Number 1, surprise album, Beyoncé
09:43Big artists have a playbook.
09:45You announce a new album, do a press tour, and hype people up.
09:48What you don't do is drop the album and an accompanying music video collection
09:52in the middle of a random day without any fanfare, unless you're Beyoncé.
10:03Without warning, her 2013 self-titled album randomly appeared on streaming
10:07and the world stopped.
10:09On top of being a genuinely masterful piece of art,
10:12Beyoncé the album marked a change in her art.
10:20Her previous work was always great,
10:22but this turn toward more personal, innovative music
10:25launched her into a whole new era of unparalleled artistry.
10:28More artists have since adopted the drop-and-run method,
10:31but no one did it as flawlessly as Beyoncé.
10:34You wake up, house up, round roundin' it, flossin' on it.
10:41What iconic moments did we miss?
10:43Be sure to tell us in the comments.
10:44Baby, don't you wanna step up for me?
10:51What time it is?
10:53Do you agree with our picks?
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