One of the big arguments that erupted in the wake of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards was who had the biggest and best performance. Was it Linkin Park's big Griffith Observatory-assisted spectacle? Or was it Kanye West's show-closing number? Perhaps it was the funky-fresh showing by Usher or the peppy delivery by Justin Bieber? Each performance had its own signature, memorable moment, but which one dominated amongst the fans?
We asked the audience on Monday (September 13) to weigh in, and we got thousands of responses in return. Now that the votes have been tallied, Eminem stands tall, as his show-opening performance of the one-two punch of "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie" (the latter of which featured a surprise appearance by Rihanna) took home the biggest percentage of the total vote. He took home 34 percent, with Taylor Swift's moving new song coming in a relatively close second place with 24 percent. In a bit of an upset, Nicki Minaj scored third place for her pre-show delivery of "Your Love" and "Check It Out" (she got 13 percent of the vote). Kanye West finished fourth with 10 percent, while Linkin Park finished behind him with four percent.
In a shocking development, the two performers with the least amount of votes were swoon-worthy teen dream Justin Bieber and hip-hop Rookie of the Year Drake. Both are usually fan favorites, but according to the fans, their performances were both blown away by Eminem.
And perhaps that's appropriate, because not only did Eminem come armed with a surprise guest, but he also got to reveal the set (which was extremely impressive) and got to show off his sharp skills as a live performer (those Home and Home shows have clearly done him well).