The Worst Grammys Looks Of All Time

For music industry movers and shakers, the Grammy Awards are the pinnacle in achievement. The annual award show is also the place for artists to see and be seen. This means walking the red carpet in their most stunning or artistically-inspired ensembles. Artists are known for their creativity, and, while this creativity can sometimes be admired, other times these more "artistically-inspired" outfits tend to veer more toward the garish and outlandish, leaving critics and viewers dumbfounded, questioning, "Why in the world would they wear that?"

Join us as we take a walk down Grammys memory lane and even provide some insight as to what went through these artists' minds when they chose their red carpet looks. From the excessive 1980s (where more was more and in which the majority of the fashion was bad anyway) to the skin-baring 2000s to today, we're pointing out some of the worst-ever looks we've seen paraded down the Grammys red carpet.

Also in 2023, Blac Chyna walked the Grammys red carpet looking like she stepped out of a nightmare. She appeared in a black corset leotard covered in sequins, fringe, and feathers — which extended to her head and entire upper body — and matching black gloves, black stockings, and black heels. Adding to the frightening look was her smudged black eye makeup. In a fan chat room (via The U.S. Sun), the comments ranged from referring to her look as "Kris [Jenner]'s sleep paralysis demon," a "Gothic big bird," and "the doofy version of Natalie Portman in ['Black Swan']."

Chyna's outfit also didn't rate with her own mother, Tokyo Toni, who used the words "terrible," "horrible," and "horrendous" to describe her daughter's Grammy Awards outfit when speaking to both TMZ and Chyna herself. While Chyna is not typically known for her stunning red carpet looks, we're still shaking our heads over this one.

For the Grammy Awards in 2002, Alicia Keys decided to go for lots of fabric and a sort of Cleopatra vibe (though it was done all wrong). Her outfit consisted of a plain white tank top and dark denim jeans embellished with colorful beadwork. Over top of it, she wore a sheer green floor-length sari placed over her head and extending halfway down her right arm.

Nothing about this look bared any symmetry at all, which totally drives us nuts. It appears the sari was possibly just thrown on over her casual outfit at the last minute, perhaps even being worn incorrectly. Or, the outfit could have been a take on the dress-over-pants look. We're seriously questioning how her stylists let her out of the house in this getup. From the smile on her face, though, it appears she was none the wiser, which was probably a good thing.

Then there's CeeLo Green who didn't even appear human on the Grammys red carpet in 2017. Dressed in gold from head to toe (and we literally mean head to toe, as you can see from the pic — his face was even covered with a coordinating gold mask), he looks like he belongs in the latest "Star Wars" movie. James Corden, then-host of the "Late Late Show," called out Green's ensemble (via NME), saying, "Do we call it 'C3-P-LO,' or we thought 'C-LO-3O'? Or maybe we should just call it what it is: a cry for help."

Green himself actually denied it was him in that costume. Speaking to TMZ (via XXL Mag), he said, "That's somebody else altogether, man. I heard a lot about the guy, all the trouble he's making... I'm becoming a fan, he doesn't like me as much though." He later explained that underneath all that gold armor was his alter ego, Gnarly Davidson, whom he planned to release music under.

Twitter apparently blew up with tweets about the gnarly costume, err outfit, comparing it to everything from a "Ferrero Rocher" to a "handbag" to a "Power Ranger ready to battle." Clever, we have to say.

In 1995, Annie Lennox also donned what appeared to be a costume on the Grammys red carpet. She arrived dressed to impress as Minnie Mouse, wearing a very short and shiny black vinyl dress, black stockings, and over-the-knee black boots. She completed the look with a choker around her neck and, of course, black mouse ears and a red and white bow on her head. Commenting on her ensemble for the event, she said (via Entertainment Weekly), ”What else is a girl going to wear to the Grammys?” Umm, we could probably come up with more than a few ideas.

It turns out there was a method to her madness. Lennox, who tended to lay low, had an new album coming out, so when asked to present an award, she accepted the opportunity but wanted to make a statement. "I think Mickey Mouse is very sinister. My children love him, all children love him, but Mickey Mouse is big because of dollars," she told The New York Times that year. "I wore the ears and the leather dress to connect the Mickey Mouse crown, if you will, with the fetishistic dark underworld ... that the Grammys represent."

Perhaps she had enough Minnie and Mickey to last her a while, since she did a total 180 when choosing her Grammys look the following year – a red maxi dress, long black button-down coat, and black shoes — similar colors but much more understated.

In 2008, Cher also didn't wear to the Grammys what we may have expected her to — she was much more covered up. However, she went the opposite extreme from showing too much skin that year. The superstar's Goth-inspired gown in black and charcoal, which was designed by Julia Gerard, consisted of way too much material, so much that she appeared weighed down by it.

We almost feel sorry for the iconic singer and actor in this photo, as it seemed she was struggling to drag this ensemble around all night. Perhaps Cosmopolitan described her dress best by referring to it as something out of a "zombie prom movie." Cher's hair for the evening was red and shaggy — her bangs even appeared to be in her eyes, and she looked as if she needed a haircut just as much as a way lighter dress.

What's black, white, and red all over? Why, that would be Shania Twain, of course.

While we may not have been a fan of Shania Twain's 2023 Grammys red carpet ensemble, we admit she looked gorgeous — albeit in a wild way. Her white suit by Harris Reed featured large sparkly black polka dots all over and bell-bottom pants — altogether, the black-and-white look gave off some serious cow vibes. She wore her hair long and dyed bright red, which popped underneath her huge hat that featured the same pattern as her suit.

While the country-pop singer's outfit that year was compared to the likes of Cruella Deville of "101 Dalmatians" and a character from Dr. Seuss books, Twain had this to say on Instagram regarding her ensemble and its purpose: "I came out to play and have fun on the @recordingacademy #grammys red carpet."

Her playful red carpet attitude and look this year may be explained by the feel of her latest album, "Queen of Me," released February 3, 2023. "There's a lot more 'get up and want to shake your body' kind of thing," Twain described the album to InStyle. "There's still some stomp in there, though. It's almost like everything is there, but a new dimension I just really want to get up and dance to it myself."

Someone wanted to be comfy at the Grammys in 2016. Newcomer Dencia wore a bedazzled pink Hello Kitty onesie with platforms to match. She wore her voluminous blond hair crimped with two small pink and white bows added near the top of her head. She completed her way-out look with glittery pink cat-eye glasses, a necklace featuring two giant pearls, and pink lipstick to match.

Dencia shared a video of herself wearing the outfit to her Instagram feed along with the caption, "#grammys in my Jammies." In another post to Instagram which appears to have since been deleted, the singer wrote (via E! News), "When I moved to [LA], my dream was to one day get to a point where I can wear my Pj/On[e]sie everywhere & I just rocked my Jammy to the #grammys #Goals #lastMinu[t]eOutfitChange."

While the look may not have landed her on many (or any?) best-dressed lists, at least it made her happy to accomplish one of her goals.