Having conquered the 1970s with the seminal stadium rock albums Toys in the Attic and Rocks, Aerosmith  appeared to fall apart in the 1980s with a string of disappointing albums and various interpersonal dramas. But by the end of the decade, Run-D.M.C. collaboration "Walk This Way" and pop metal blockbusters Pump and Permanent Vacation had helped the Boston outfit to reclaim their crown as America's biggest band. The big question was whether they could sustain their unexpected second wind into the 1990s? 

1993's Get A Grip answered that with a resounding yes. In fact, Aerosmith's 11th studio effort proved to be their commercial zenith, racking up a career-best 20 million sales worldwide, spawning four top 40 singles and winning Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal GRAMMY Award for two consecutive years.  

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, here are 10 ways  Steven Tyler, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer managed to build on their down-and-dirty legacy through Get A Grip.  

It Recognized The Band's Unique Selling Point 

In the four years since Aerosmith's previous album, the playful excesses of the hair metal scene had given way to the grunge movement's super-serious quest for authenticity. While the likes of Mötley Crue and Skid Row unwisely tried to beat Nirvana and Pearl Jam at their own game, Tyler and co. recognized that there was still an audience for pure rock 'n' roll.  

Indeed, Get A Grip entirely ignores everything else that was dominating the charts of 1993 and instead plays confidently to the band's strengths. The lyrics here are optimistic and often mischievous (see "I'd rather be OD'ing on the crack of her ass" on drug recovery tale "Fever"), and the maximalist production is designed to raise the roof. If rock fans needed a party record in 1993, there was only one candidate. 

It Foreshadowed The Country Crossover

From Bon Jovi and Shawn Michaels to Darius Rucker and Aaron Lewis, it sometimes appears as though every rocker of the late 20th century has pivoted into country music at some point or other. But seven years after they proved that guitars and hip-hop needn't be mutually exclusive, Aerosmith once again led the way with yet another crossover.  

The harmonica solos and twangy guitar riffs of "Cryin'" and "Crazy" sound tailor made for the Grand Ole Opry — the former was actually co-penned by Nashville native Taylor Rhodes. Tyler would later score a No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart with his 2016 solo debut, We're All Somebody from Somewhere. 

It Cemented Their Status As MTV Icons

Aerosmith became MTV favorites in the '80s thanks to eye-catching videos for "Dude Looks Like A Lady" and "Love In An Elevator." But would they still be as welcome in the '90s now that each member was well into their mid-40s? In a stroke of genius, the band acknowledged that they might need some younger faces to help sell their bombastic hard rock. Step forward the future star of seminal teen flick Clueless. 

A 16-year-old Alicia Silverstone appeared in three of Get A Grip's promos, first testing the limits of virtual reality in "Amazing," going on to play a bungee-jumping spurned lover in "Cryin'" and then teaming up with Tyler's daughter Liv in the Thelma and Louise-esque "Crazy." The concept paid dividends for all involved – Silverstone and the younger Tyler became instant pop culture icons, and Aerosmith continued to dominate MTV, even picking up Video of the Year at the network's annual VMAs.  

It Proved They Had A Social Conscience

You usually know what you're getting lyrically from an Aerosmith track –  they haven't earned a reputation as the masters of sleaze rock for nothing. But while Get A Grip still has plenty of sex, drugs (surprisingly of the anti-kind) and rock tales, it also showcased a more socially-conscious side to the former hellraisers.  

Inspired by the 1992 Los Angeles uprising following the death of Rodney King,, GRAMMY-winning first single "Livin' on the Edge" finds Tyler tackling everything from racism to religion as he pontificates over the state of the world. Admittedly, lines like "If Chicken Little tells you that the sky is falling/Even if it wasn't, would you still come crawling" weren’t exactly the height of insightful lyricism. But it reminded listeners the group could provide some substance to their hard-partying style.  

It Made Digital History 

While much has been made of David Bowie's pioneering use of the internet, he wasn't the only rock titan to embrace the online world early on. In 1994, Aerosmith once again proved that they could keep up with the times when they released the first digital download song by a major artist. 

Although "Head First" didn't appear on Get A Grip, it was recorded for the album and was first issued as a B-side to second single "Eat the Rich." Ten thousand CompuServe subscribers downloaded the four-megabyte WAV file within its first few days. With the world wide web still in infancy, it no doubt took a similar time frame to wait for its completion. 

It Elevated Their Power Ballad Credentials 

Aerosmith weren't exactly strangers to the power ballad when they released two of the early '90s' finest examples. Later sampled by Eminem, 1973's "Dream On" is considered by some to be the rock genre's first ever. And predecessors Permanent Vacation ("Angel") and Pump ("What It Takes") both spawned hits tailor-made for belting out in front of a mirror with hairbrush.  

But the double whammy of "Crazy" and "Cryin'" took the band's ability to pull at the heartstrings to another level. The former, of course, was also their first epic slowie to win a GRAMMY. And no doubt that Diane Warren was taking note; the GRAMMY winner later penned Aerosmith's only No. 1, Armageddon's suitably blockbuster love song "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing." 

It's Precision Tooled For Success 

Having previously experienced life in the rock wilderness, Aerosmith left nothing to chance for their first album in four years. Indeed, the majority of Get A Grip's 14 tracks feature a helping hand from a seasoned songwriter, from Jim Vallance (Bryan Adams) on the satirical "Eat the Rich" to Desmond Child (Bon Jovi) on the carnal rock of "Flesh" and Mark Hudson (Cher) on the funky "Gotta Love It." 

That's perhaps why the record spawned no fewer than seven singles, four of which made the top 40 ("Livin' on the Edge," "Cryin'," "Crazy," "Amazing") and why, with the exception of closing instrumental "Boogie Man" and brief "Walk This Way"-referencing "Intro," every other track was worthy of a release. 

Some Aerosmith purists may have balked at all the outside interference, but despite their blatant hit-chasing approach the band never lost sight of who they are. 

It Boasts Rock Royalty

As well as recruiting a who's who of professional songwriters to boost Get A Grip's hit-making potential, Aerosmith also invited two bona fide rock legends to give the record even more pizzazz. Listen closely to the backing vocals on the autobiographical stadium rock of "Amazing" and you'll hear the raspy tones of fellow '70s survivor Don Henley.  

Meanwhile, the ultra-cool Lenny Kravitz – then very much at his commercial peak – went one better. Not only did he lend his voice to the full-throttle blues-rock of "Line Up," he also helped Tyler and Perry write it. The "Are You Gonna Go My Way" singer later went on to support Aerosmith on their mid- '00s tour, Rockin' The Joint.  

It Contains Joe Perry's Best Lead Vocal 

With one of the most charismatic frontmen in rock history at their disposal, Aerosmith have wisely only allowed Perry to take center stage on a handful of occasions. The guitarist first grabbed the mic for himself on "Bright Light Fright," a track from 1977's Draw the Line but had to wait until Get A Grip to take the lead once again. 

Also penned solely by Perry, "Walk on Down" is the kind of driving back-to-basics rock that once saw the group hailed as the USA's answer to the Rolling Stones. But the vocals are far easier on the ear than whenever Keith Richards takes over from Mick Jagger.  

It Features The Group's Most Striking Cover

Aerosmith could never be accused of playing it safe with their cover art. Who can forget Nine Lives' controversial depiction of Lord Krishna throwing some shapes on the snake demon Kaliya's head? Or the slightly nightmarish caricatures of Draw the Line? But Get A Grip's close-up of a cow's pierced udder undoubtedly remains the band's most striking. 

Designed by metal favorite Hugh Syme (Iron Maiden's The X Factor, Def Leppard's Retro Active), the image divided audiences at the time, with music journalist Steven Hyden blasting it as the worst album cover ever, while various animal rights groups also took umbrage, too. According to the group, however, the offending image was entirely computer generated.  

How 'The Harder They Come' Brought Reggae To The World: A Song By Song Soundtrack Breakdown

In the pantheon of rock guitar gods, Slash ranks high on the list of legends. Many fans have passionately discussed his work — but if you ask him how he views his evolution over the last four decades, he doesn't offer a detailed analysis.

"As a person, I live very much in the moment, not too far in the past and not very far in the future either," Slash asserts. "So it's hard for me to really look at everything I'm doing in the bigger scheme of things."

While his latest endeavor — his new studio album, Orgy Of The Damned — may seem different to many who know him as the shredding guitarist in Guns N' Roses, Slash's Snakepit, Velvet Revolver, and his four albums with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, it's a prime example of his living-in-the-moment ethos. And, perhaps most importantly to Slash, it goes back to what has always been at the heart of his playing: the blues.

Orgy Of The Damned strips back much of the heavier side of his playing for a 12-track homage to the songs and artists that have long inspired him. And he recruited several of his rock cohorts — the likes of AC/DC's Brian Johnson, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Gary Clark Jr., Iggy Pop, Beth Hart, and Dorothy, among others — to jam on vintage blues tunes with him, from "Hoochie Coochie Man" to "Born Under A Bad Sign."

But don't be skeptical of his current venture — there's plenty of fire in these interpretations; they just have a different energy than his harder rocking material. The album also includes one new Slash original, the majestic instrumental "Metal Chestnut," a nice showcase for his tastefully melodic and expressive playing.

The initial seed for the project was planted with the guitarist's late '90s group Slash's Blues Ball, which jammed on genre classics. Those live, spontaneous collaborations appealed to him, so when he had a small open window to get something done recently, he jumped at the chance to finally make a full-on blues album.

Released May 17, Orgy Of The Damned serves as an authentic bridge from his musical roots to his many hard rock endeavors. It also sees a full-circle moment: two Blues Ball bandmates, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy Andreadis, helped lay down the basic tracks. Further seizing on his blues exploration, Slash will be headlining his own touring blues festival called S.E.R.P.E.N.T. in July and August, with support acts including the Warren Haynes Band, Keb' Mo', ZZ Ward, and Eric Gales.

Part of what has kept Slash's career so intriguing is the diversity he embraces. While many heavy rockers stay in their lane, Slash has always traveled down other roads. And though most of his Orgy Of The Damned guests are more in his world, he's collaborated with the likes of Michael Jackson, Carole King and Ray Charles — further proof that he's one of rock's genre-bending greats.

Below, Slash discusses some of the most memorable collabs from Orgy Of The Damned, as well as from his wide-spanning career.

I was just listening to "Living For The City," which is my favorite track on the album.

Wow, that's awesome. That was the track that I knew was going to be the most left of center for the average person, but that was my favorite song when [Stevie Wonder's 1973 album] Innervisions came out when I was, like, 9 years old. I loved that song. This record's origins go back to a blues band that I put together back in the '90s.

Slash's Blues Ball.

Right. We used to play "Superstition," that Stevie Wonder song. I did not want to record that [for Orgy Of The Damned], but I still wanted to do a Stevie Wonder song. So it gave me the opportunity to do "Living For The City," which is probably the most complicated of all the songs to learn. I thought we did a pretty good job, and Tash [Neal] sang it great. I'm glad you dig it because you're probably the first person that's actually singled that song out.

With the Blues Ball, you performed Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher" and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads," and they surface here. Isn't it amazing it took this long to record a collection like this?

[Blues Ball] was a fun thrown-together thing that we did when I [was in, I] guess you call it, a transitional period. I'd left Guns N' Roses [in 1996], and it was right before I put together a second incarnation of Snakepit.

I'd been doing a lot of jamming with a lot of blues guys. I'd known Teddy [Andreadis] for a while and been jamming with him at The Baked Potato for years prior to this. So during this period, I got together with Ted and Johnny [Griparic], and we started with this Blues Ball thing. We started touring around the country with it, and then even made it to Europe. It was just fun.

Then Snakepit happened, and then Velvet Revolver. These were more or less serious bands that I was involved in. Blues Ball was really just for the fun of it, so it didn't really take precedence. But all these years later, I was on tour with Guns N' Roses, and we had a three-week break or whatever it was. I thought, I want to make that f—ing record now.

It had been stewing in the back of my mind subconsciously. So I called Teddy and Johnny, and I said, Hey, let's go in the studio and just put together a set and go and record it. We got an old set list from 1998, picked some songs from an app, picked some other songs that I've always wanted to do that I haven't gotten a chance to do.

Then I had the idea of getting Tash Neal involved, because this guy is just an amazing singer/guitar player that I had worked with in a blues thing a couple years prior to that. So we had the nucleus of this band.

Then I thought, Let's bring in a bunch of guest singers to do this. I don't want to try to do a traditional blues record, because I think that's going to just sound corny. So I definitely wanted this to be more eclectic than that, and more of, like, Slash's take on these certain songs, as opposed to it being, like, "blues." It was very off-the-cuff and very loose.

It's refreshing to hear Brian Johnson singing in his lower register on "Killing Floor" like he did in the '70s with Geordie, before he got into AC/DC. Were you expecting him to sound like that?

You know, I didn't know what he was gonna sing it like. He was so enthusiastic about doing a Howlin' Wolf cover.

I think he was one of the first calls that I made, and it was really encouraging the way that he reacted to the idea of the song. So I went to a studio in Florida. We'd already recorded all the music, and he just fell into it in that register.

I think he was more or less trying to keep it in the same feel and in the same sort of tone as the original, which was great. I always say this — because it happened for like two seconds, he sang a bit in the upper register — but it definitely sounded like AC/DC doing a cover of Howlin' Wolf. We're not AC/DC, but he felt more comfortable doing it in the register that Howlin' Wolf did. I just thought it sounded really great.

You chose to have Demi Lovato sing "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." Why did you pick her?

We used to do "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" back in Snakepit, actually, and Johnny played bass. We had this guy named Rod Jackson, who was the singer, and he was incredible. He did a great f—ing interpretation of the Temptations singing it.

When it came to doing it for this record, I wanted to have something different, and the idea of having a young girl's voice telling the story of talking to her mom to find out about her infamous late father, just made sense to me. And Demi was the first person that I thought of. She's got such a great, soulful voice, but it's also got a certain kind of youth to it.

When I told her about it, she reacted like Brian did: "Wow, I would love to do that." There's some deeper meaning about the song to her and her personal life or her experience. We went to the studio, and she just belted it out. It was a lot of fun to do it with her, with that kind of zeal.

You collaborate with Chris Stapleton on Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" by Peter Green. I'm assuming the original version of that song inspired "Double Talkin' Jive" by GN'R?

It did not, but now that you mention it, because of the classical interlude thing at the end... Is that what you're talking about? I never thought about it.

I mean the overall vibe of the song.

"Oh Well" was a song that I didn't hear until I was about 12 years old. It was on KMET, a local radio station in LA. I didn't even know there was a Fleetwood Mac before Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. I always loved that song, and I think it probably had a big influence on me without me even really realizing it. So no, it didn't have a direct influence on "Double Talkin' Jive," but I get it now that you bring it up.

Was there something new that you learned in making this album? Were your collaborators surprised by their own performances?

I think Gary Clark is just this really f—ing wonderful guitar player. When I got "Crossroads," the idea originally was "Crossroads Blues," which is the original Robert Johnson version. And I called Gary and said, "Would you want to play with me on this thing?"

He and I only just met, so I didn't know what his response was going to be. But apparently, he was a big Guns N' Roses fan — I get the idea, anyway. We changed it to the Cream version just because I needed to have something that was a little bit more upbeat. So when we got together and played, we solo-ed it off each other.

When I listen back to it, his playing is just so f—ing smooth, natural, and tasty. There was a lot of that going on throughout the making of the whole record — acclimating to the song and to the feel of it, just in the moment.

I think that's all an accumulation of stuff that I've learned over the years. The record probably would be way different if I did it 20 years ago, so I don't know what that evolution is. But it does exist. The growth thing — God help us if you don't have it.

You've collaborated with a lot of people over the years — Michael Jackson, Carole King, Lemmy, B.B. King, Fergie. Were there any particular moments that were daunting or really challenging? And was there any collaboration that produced something you didn't expect?

All those are a great example of the growth thing, because that's how you really grow as a musician. Learning how to adapt to playing with other people, and playing with people who are better than you — that really helps you blossom as a player.

Playing with Carole King [in 1993] was a really educational experience because she taught me a lot about something that I thought that I did naturally, but she helped me to fine tune it, which was soloing within the context of the song. [It was] really just a couple of words that she said to me during this take that stuck with me. I can't remember exactly what they were, but it was something having to do with making room for the vocal. It was really in passing, but it was important knowledge.

The session that really was the hardest one that I ever did was [when] I was working with Ray Charles before he passed away. I played on his "God Bless America [Again]" record [on 2002's Ray Charles Sings for America], just doing my thing. It was no big deal. But he asked me to play some standards for the biopic on him [2004's Ray], and he thought that I could just sit in with his band playing all these Ray Charles standards.

That was something that they gave me the chord charts for, and it was over my head. It was all these chord changes. I wasn't familiar with the music, and most of it was either a jazz or bebop kind of a thing, and it wasn't my natural feel.

I remember taking the chord charts home, those kinds you get in a f—ing songbook. They're all kinds of versions of chords that wouldn't be the version that you would play.

That was one of those really tough sessions that I really learned when I got in over my head with something. But a lot of the other ones I fall into more naturally because I have a feel for it.

That's how those marriages happen in the first place — you have this common interest of a song, so you just feel comfortable doing it because it's in your wheelhouse, even though it's a different kind of music than what everybody's familiar with you doing. You find that you can play and be yourself in a lot of different styles. Some are a little bit challenging, but it's fun.

Are there any people you'd like to collaborate with? Or any styles of music you'd like to explore?

When you say styles, I don't really have a wish list for that. Things just happen. I was just working with this composer, Bear McCreary. We did a song on this epic record that's basically a soundtrack for this whole graphic novel thing, and the compositions are very intense. He's very particular about feel, and about the way each one of these parts has to be played, and so on. That was a little bit challenging. We're going to go do it live at some point coming up.

There's people that I would love to play with, but it's really not like that. It's just whatever opportunities present themselves. It's not like there's a lot of forethought as to who you get to play with, or seeking people out. Except for when you're doing a record where you have people come in and sing on your record, and you have to call them up and beg and plead — "Will you come and do this?"

But I always say Stevie Wonder. I think everybody would like to play with Stevie Wonder at some point.

Incubus On Revisiting Morning View & Finding Rejuvenation By Looking To The Past

What do you expect Aerosmith to do when they win big at the GRAMMYs? Bow reverentially in black-tie attire and retire to the parlor for a spot of English Breakfast? 

No, when presenters Vanessa Williams and Meat Loaf announce that the Bad Boys from Boston won the GRAMMY for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Livin' On The Edge," the fivesome stroll onstage looking like a biker gang—as if they're ready to rock Madison Square Garden.

"Why do I love rock 'n' roll? Because it gets me off!" Steven Tyler announces to the crowd, scowling in a black tank-top with his hair teased and tangled. "Everything I've ever loved was immoral, illegal, fattening or grew hair on your palms."

See above for more quotable moments from the Bad Boys from Boston in the newest episode of GRAMMY Rewind. Bring a little rock 'n' roll into your workday and click here to enjoy more episodes of the throwback video series.

Daniel Lanois On Why A 1,000-Year-Old Tree Informed His New Album, 'Heavy Sun' & Working With Bob Dylan, U2

Thirty years on, "Janie's Got a Gun" remains one of Aerosmith's most infectious, swaggering tunes. 

So, it's fitting that when they won a GRAMMY for the now-classic song, they maintained that energy, strutting to the stage when the B-52s and Cyndi Lauper announced their victory.

In the latest installment of GRAMMY Rewind, watch the Bad Boys from Boston win Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for "Janie's Got a Gun" at the 33rd GRAMMY Awards in 1991.

Check out the throwback clip above and click here to enjoy more episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

"Dream On": 7 Facts About Aerosmith's Classic Song | GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

The 2020 GRAMMY Awards were a sight to behold on Sunday, Jan. 26, opening with a brilliant performance from Lizzo and Sasha Flute and closing out with multiple wins from 18-year-old pop wunderkind Billie Eilish, who swept the major categories (Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Album Of The Year, respectively). Though the night had an unexpected dark cloud overhead with the recent news of basketball legend Kobe Bryant's passing, host Alicia Keys and the night's many performers came through with both respectful tributes and still-celebratory vibes. Relive the magic below with our roundup of 10 unmissable moments from the 2020 GRAMMY Awards.

Lizzo Opens The Show

Singer/songwriter, rapper and flutist Lizzo, who took home three GRAMMYs—Best Pop Solo Performance for "Truth Hurts," Best Urban Contemporary Album for Cuz I Love You and Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Jerome"—opened the show with a stellar performance of "Cuz I Love You," which she dedicated to Kobe Bryant. Backed by a group of all-female string and horn players and all-female backup dancers, Lizzo, dressed in a floor-length black sparkling gown before switching into a futuristic leotard for "Truth Hurts," delivered a powerhouse performance, replete with her flute delivered to her onstage on a silver platter which was fitting for this queen who, like her "Truth Hurts" lyrics express, clearly won't ever be anyone's "side chick."

Alicia Keys & Boyz II Men Pay Tribute To Kobe Bryant

GRAMMY host Alicia Keys, with her hair tightly pulled back into a bun and dressed in a silver gown, adopted an appropriately somber tone when she opened the show and addressed the audience, paying her deepest respect to the tragic loss of basketball star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash earlier in the day. Standing in the Staples Center, home to the GRAMMYs and Los Angeles Lakers, Keys referred to the center as "the house that Kobe built" as a photo of Kobe was displayed on an overhead screen. Keys asked the audience to hold Kobe, Gianna and all those who were lost in the helicopter crash in their thoughts, prayers and spirits. Keys was then joined onstage by Boyz II Men with whom she sang a beautiful rendition of "It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye."

Read More: Alicia Keys & Boyz II Men Give A Moving Tribute To Kobe Bryant At The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Tyler, The Creator Burns Down The House

Rapper, singer/songwriter and record producer Tyler, the Creator, who won a GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for Igor and brought his mom onstage for his acceptance speech, wore his signature platinum blond wig (for his character Igor) and a pink and magenta suit and brought sizzling, amped up energy to a charged-up performance of "EARFQUAKE" and "NEW MAGIC WAND." As he sang and danced on a simulated street, with rooftop flames coming out of surrounding houses, he was joined by an army of Tyler, the Creator lookalikes, R&B artist Charlie Wilson (his Igor collaborator) and Boyz II Men as he rose up on a platform above the stage bringing the energy to a fired-up frenzy before taking it back down again. He ended his fiery, magnetic performance appearing to fall backwards on to the ground as flames burned all around.

Camila Cabello Honors Her Father

Singer/songwriter and actress Camila Cabello, who, in 2019, was the first Latina woman to open the GRAMMYs, wore a pink gown as she sang "First Man," which she wrote about her father Ajelandro. As Cabello delivered a tender and beautiful performance, home video from her childhood played on a nearby pink curtain that was erected next to her onstage. She ended her performance by singing directly to her father who was seated in the front row of the audience. Holding his hand, as tears streamed down his face, Cabello’s father kissed his daughter’s hand before standing up and hugging her. With the two locked in a heartfelt father-daughter embrace, it was an especially powerful moment given the sudden loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. 

Demi Lovato Gives A Heartwrenching Performance Of "Anyone"

Singer/songwriter and actress Demi Lovato, dressed in a sweeping white shimmering floor-length gown, became so choked up when she began to sing "Anyone," her new song which was written several days before she overdosed in 2018, that she had to stop her performance to begin again. Her emotionality and false start, however, added further sentiment and poignancy to her heartfelt and stunning delivery as tears streamed down her cheeks while she sang. While powerfully singing "Anyone"'s painfully naked lyrics "No one is listening to me," it was clear that everyone in the audience was absolutely listening. Lovato's performance, her first return to the stage since 2018, received a standing ovation from the audience.

Lil Nas X Takes Us To The "Old Town Road"

Rapper and singer/songwriter Lil Nas X, who won two GRAMMYs—Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Old Town Road"—made his GRAMMY debut performing the smash hit. Starting off solo, strumming his guitar and singing seated on a couch next to a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey spread across a nearby armchair, Lil Nas X, wearing a black and silver sparkly cowboy hat and silver outfit, moved through a variety of ever-changing colorful sets where he was joined by  Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, K-pop seven-piece BTS, and 13-year-old viral yodeling sensation Mason Ramsey for a high octane and compelling performance before diving into "Rodeo" with "Big" Nas.

Billie Eilish Gives A Raw Performance Of "When The Party's Over"

18-year-old singer/songwriter Billie Eilish, who won five GRAMMYs (Song Of The Year, Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album) and her collaborator and brother FINNEAS delivered a stripped down, anguished performance of "when the party’s over" driven by Eilish’s emotional, raw and gut-wrenching vocals. Eilish, seated on a stool and dressed in sparkly Gucci pajamas with matching sneakers, kept her eyes closed throughout her anguished and mesmerizing performance as Finneas accompanied her on piano. 

Read More: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: FINNEAS On Billie Eilish & "Doing Production That No One's Ever Done Before"

Nipsey Hussle Gets A Worthy Tribute

L.A.-born rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was shot and killed last year at just 33 years old, won two posthumous GRAMMYs—Best Rap Performance for "Racks In The Middle" and Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher." DJ Khaled, John Legend, Meek Mill, Kirk Franklin, Roddy Ricch and YG paid an all-star tribute to the slain rapper in a hip-hop, R&B and gospel-infused performance that began with Mill performing a rap tribute to Hussle before being joined by Ricch for a new song called "Letter To Nipsey" followed by a powerful and affecting delivery of "Higher" by Khaled, Legend, Franklin, YG and video footage of Hussle. Photos of both Hussle and Bryant were shown at the end of the incredibly spirit-lifting performance. 

Rosalía Owns The GRAMMY Stage

Spanish singer/songwriter Rosalía, who won a GRAMMY for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for El Mal Querer, performed "Juro Que" and "Malamente (Cap 1: Augurio)." Dressed in a white fringed, form-fitting bodysuit, Rosalía started her strong vocal performance standing next to full-length mirrors and accompanied by flamenco guitarists before breaking into a captivating solo flamenco dance. The charismatic and powerful Spanish singer was then backed by a bevy of red outfitted male dancers for a red-hot, memorable performance.

Aerosmith Prove Rock's Not Dead

Aerosmith, who were honored during GRAMMY Week with the MusiCares Person Of The Year award, took it back to the '90s with their GRAMMY-winning hit "Livin’ On The Edge"—with Steven Tyler walking off the stage, directly into the crowd and running right up to Lizzo to join in for the chorus—before being joined by legendary hip-hop trio Run-D.M.C., who broke through and emerged from a graffiti-covered wall onstage, for a rocking rendition of "Walk This Way." Originally recorded in the '70s by Aerosmith and re-recorded in the '80s by Run-D.M.C. with Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry, the infectious energy of the collaborative performance and Tyler's signature stalking the stage like a panther provided a great throwback touch to the evening.

Read More: Check Out The Full 2020 GRAMMYs Nominees And Winners List