( InStyle ) -- It 's been almost three decades since the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards . And from the very beginning , stars like Madonna aimed to please their fans by shocking them , with a combination of risqué routines -- remember that `` Like A Virgin '' floor dance ? -- and outré fashion . So , in anticipation of the award show 's 27th iteration , which airs on Sunday , September 12 at 9 p.m. EST , InStyle looks back at five of the most memorable VMA performances and appearances ever , and wonders : Can we still be shocked , or have we seen it all ? We 'll be watching . 1984 At the inaugural ceremony in 1984 , Madonna attained instant superstar status thanks to a scandalous rendition of her already-controversial single , `` Like A Virgin . '' Clad in a lingerie-inspired `` wedding dress , '' complete with veil , `` boy toy '' belt , gloves , and a see-through polka dot skirt , she danced atop a giant cake , writhed on the floor and generally set the bar sky high for all subsequent would-be pop stars . See all of the VMA style shockers . 1999 Lil ' Kim did n't perform at the 1999 show , which may have been for the best , given the extreme precariousness of her glittering purple ensemble . Instead , she presented the award for Best Hip-Hop Video with the help of a slightly nonplussed-looking Mary J. Blige and Diana Ross , who could n't resist reaching over and jiggling the pasty-covered part at the podium . 2000 It was Britney Spears 's second time at the VMAs -- she 'd debuted the previous year , singing a relatively tame version of her first single , `` ... Baby One More Time . '' But in 2000 , she stepped up and changed the game , opening with a cover of the Rolling Stones ' `` Satisfaction '' ( which she performed while dressed in a menswear-style pinstriped suit ) , before segueing into her hit `` Oops ! ... I Did It Again , '' and tearing off her shirt , jacket and pants to reveal a surprising nude-tone two-piece bodysuit . InStyle.com : Britney Spears 's style transformation . 2003 In 2003 , for the 20th Video Music Awards , VMA MVPs Britney and Madonna teamed up ( along with Christina Aguilera ) for a startling performance that nabbed each of them a second spot on our top-five list . The show opened with each of the younger stars paying tribute to Madonna 's first-ever VMA appearance nineteen years earlier , singing `` Like A Virgin '' in not-so-virginal white . Then the Material Girl herself turned up in a suit to sing `` Hollywood '' ... and to kiss Britney , then Christina , on the lips . ( Missy Elliot popped out of a `` wedding chapel '' to rap the finale . ) InStyle.com : Madonna 's transformation . 2009 Lady Gaga began her performance at last year 's VMAs precisely where Madonna ended hers 25 years before : Dressed in white and rolling on the ground . But it 's difficult to imagine anyone -- even Madge -- engineering the spectacle that followed as Gaga ran through `` Poker Face , '' and `` Papparazzi , '' then wrapped things up by rubbing fake blood all over her torso , face and hair . ( She even got some in her eye , for maximum ick . ) The other ensembles she donned that night were only slightly less startling : Her sheer red Alexander McQueen dress , topped with a lace mask and matching crown , was a standout . InStyle.com : Lady Gaga 's most gaga outfits . Want more VMA style shockers ? Visit InStyle.com to see the rest of our picks ! Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE ! Copyright © 2010 Time Inc. All rights reserved .
At the inaugural ceremony in 1984 , Madonna attained instant superstar status . She was a pop star who had been on top of her game for years In 1999 , Lil ' Kim appeared in an extreme glittering purple ensemble .