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Throwback Thursday: 2003 MTV Video Music Awards [Photocap]

Britney Spears Madonna MTV Photocaps Video Music Awards

I think it's time I do a story on the single greatest moment in television history. I'm talking of course about the "Like a Virgin/Hollywood/Work It" performance from the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. Remember when the VMAs were actually fun to watch? Sadly the quality of the show has dropped dramatically over the last decade. Because lets be real, without Britney Spears - the VMAs are nothing. She's owns them. Why anyone would want to watch the VMAs without Britney is beyond me.

Remember this performance? Remember the media coverage it received? Oh man. I remember going back to school and it was all anyone was talking about that entire week. To commemorate this iconic moment in television and music history, I've put together a little photocap of this performance. 

I was, and still am a huge Britney fan. I remember being so shocked she was performing because it wasn't exactly announced beforehand. So let's go through this performance, shall we? Britney comes out and is fierce as hell, strutting her stuff to "Like a Virgin" in true Madonna circa-1984 attire. 

The crowd goes wild with excitement. 

Then this other girl comes out and starts singing along to "Like a Virgin" with Britney. 

Mary J. Blige does not approve of this unknown singer. Maybe it's because of this.

The music stops and wedding music begins to play. This shocks both Britney and the other girl. 

... Madonna then ascends from a wedding cake, and begins to perform her non-charting SMASH HIT, "Hollywood"

Myah approves of this performance.

So Britney, Madonna, and the fan who won the contest to perform with Britney and Madonna make their way down the stage. 

Justin Timberlake tries to play it cool in the audience. Oh boy, you don't know what's coming. Mary J. Blige continues to be disgusted. 

Britney and Madonna lock eyes, it's about to happen. 

I love the three completely different reactions in the image above. Mortification, disgust, and excitement. 

Missy Elliot then appears and the song breaks from "Hollywood" into "Work It" ... ya'll remember "Work It"? Let me work it, I put my thing down flip it and reverse it, it's YAHFIPPYFIPPYNAHNAH ... I never understood what that lyric was. So after a quick Google search, I learn it's the former lyric reversed. Wow. The song makes so much more sense now, doesn't it? She literally flipped it and reversed it. 

The performance ends. Britney, Madonna, Missy, and the fan do a final bow. 

Over a decade later and this is still one of the most talked about performances in history. Other pop girls can try but they will never reach the magnitude of something like this. This just reiterates the point I made to begin with, the MTV Video Music Awards are nothing without Britney Spears.