9 Terrible Live Performances By Good Singers

As attention spans dwindle, artists often find themselves implementing as many moving parts and stage pieces as they can to invigorate their live performances. From the twerking of Miley Cyrus to the lighting used at Coldplay concerts, shows that focus on an artist’s voice are increasingly rare—so, too, are popular artists with voices worth highlighting.

More common than ever before are acts who can’t match the vocal chops as presented on wax; vocal stacking, Auto-Tune, and poorly disguised lip-syncing are the new normal for many crooners.

Everyone endures bad days, though, and plenty of good singers experience their fair share of woes while performing live for a crowd. Chalk it up to exhaustion, onstage multitasking or nerves, artists from Oasis to the Weeknd are far from flawless outside of the studio booth.

Here are 9 Terrible Live Performances By Good Singers.

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Event: M.D.N.A. Tour in Nice, France
Date: August 21, 2012

A telltale sign of an abysmal vocal performance: the artist hardly sings his or her own material. Undeniable pop legend Madonna embarked on a world tour in 2012, grossing more than $300 million over the course of 88 global stops.

From Israel to Illinois to Italy, millions paid in the hundreds of dollars to see an industry veteran prove that it really is wise to bow out when you're still ahead. The above clip of Madonna's stop in Nice, France, offers a brief glimpse into what those fans witnessed: backup dancers and singers running the show, and a saddening, slowed Madonna singing poorly—when she sang at all.

Event: Saturday Night Live
Date: October 30, 2010

Rihanna visited Saturday Night Live in the weeks leading up to the release of her 2010 album, Loud. Dressed in red, she moved around a small area of the stage as a team of backup singers and instrumentalists offered supported, and, it's a shame to say, Rihanna needed the help.

Almost every section of “Only Girl (In the World)” saw its share of difficulties. Rihanna's voice cracked during the intro, distorting the melody. Poorly paired harmonies sunk the booming hook, and the final verse felt flat. Nobody's perfect.

Event: Saturday Night Live
Date: January 18, 2014

Drake ruled the airwaves last summer with the '80s-inspired love song “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” but that same track undid him months later on the Saturday Night Live stage. Illuminated by a lonesome blue light, Drake had trouble carrying notes while nothing but a lightly twinkling piano played behind him.

Drake can do better than this. His live performance of "Hold On" at the 2013 MTV VMAs showed stronger singing.

Event: Mod Club
Date: July 24, 2011

For an artist who was once set on remaining elusive, the Weeknd's rocky inaugural concert at the Mod Club in Toronto was his first step into the spotlight. The reclusive artist had dropped his critically acclaimed debut, House of Balloons, several months prior, and its follow-up tape, Thursday, was on the horizon.

With early supporter Drake in attendance, a visibly nervous Abel Tesfaye sang a full set. Though a loud hometown crowd showed support, energetically echoing the Weeknd's every word, he struggled to deliver a live performance that rivaled his chilling recordings. Thankfully, his performances have gotten better since.

Event: The X Factor
Date: October 16, 2011

Talent shows like American Idol and The Voice have recruited established singers to perform for many years now, not just to please the millions watching but to guide the competitions’ candidates, too. The X Factor enlisted Katy Perry in October of 2011, but the show’s hopefuls would have done better to not take notes. From the very first note of “Fireworks,” Perry flutters. Her voice cracks and she ends up screaming, not singing during what might be the most dismal performance of her career.

Event: Billboard Music Awards
Date: May 19, 2013

Whenever Chris Brown takes the stage and doesn’t deliver a performance up to snuff, it’s tempting to hand him a free pass. After all, the man might move better than any other artist in the game today. Such disappointments have become a trend, though, and no live effort might convey this better than CB’s rendition of “Fine China” at the Billboard Music Awards last year.

Breezy started smoothly, twisting and turning his feet to the guitar-infused beat. However, his vocal chords didn’t treat him as kindly as the dance floor—disappointing to hear from an artist capable of this. More often yelping and curtly ending lines than truly singing, Brown could only bow out during the demanding hook and let his recorded double do the honors.

Event: Campo de Polo
Date: March 10, 2006

Only several years before the 2009 demise of Oasis, The UK band led by frontman Liam Gallagher traveled to Argentina in 2006 to perform at the Campo de Polo stadium in Buenos Aires. But when the time came to perform their international hit "Wonderwall," Gallagher was leaning into the mic, solely singing in a grating drone that made his lyrics hardly understandable, let alone listenable. The tone, when more subdued, is a trademark of Gallagher’s voice but painful in excess. Thank the guitarists for saving this one.

Event: National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C.
Date: December 6, 2013

One of the strongest vocalists in the history of recorded music, Mariah Carey boasts a reliably impeccable range few can best. The songstress faced rare difficulty, though, when she sang the Christmas classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” at the 2013 National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C. The misstep made waves online as fans and writers expressed their surprise.

Carey’s voice, normally able to sustain swirling, ascending melodies, constantly quivers, fading to a premature second of silence before she fails to properly deliver the next line. A rough evening for a legendary artist.

Event: Hot 97's Summer Jam
Date: June 1, 2014

Easygoing songstress Jhene Aiko carved out a niche for herself early on with the free release of Sailing Soul(s). Her vocals floated over atmospheric, airy production; the style quickly garnered a loving audience. But that didn't translate to the stage at Summer Jam last month. Aiko sounded uncomfortable, contorting line after line.