Imagine if the world had missed out on these 3 amazing live moments. The Oscars simply would not have been the same without Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson's a battle of the "Dreamgirls" divas, Michael Jackson's teenage serenade to "Ben," or Madonna homage to Marilyn Monroe.
1. Three 6 Mafia, 2006
the Academy Awards as Three 6 Mafia -- and yet there they were, front and center at the 2006 Oscars. The Southern rappers performed their "Hustle & Flow" song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," backed up by the movie's co-star Taraj P. Henson and about a dozen extras who helped recreate the movie's rough-and-tumble setting. The only thing more surprising than the fact that "Pimp" went on to win "Best Original Song"? The fact that Three 6 Mafia made it through this performance without being interrupted by network censors.
2. Celine Dion, 1998
The James Cameron-helmed epic made box office history and walked away with nearly all of the top Academy Awards -- including "Best Original Song," of course, for Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." The beloved Canadian songstress performed the winning ballad with a full backing orchestra and appropriately dramatic fog. Dion wore a Heart of the Ocean-lookalike necklace that would make Rose jealous, and her impassioned glory notes satisfied every "Titanic" fan's desire for a blockbuster-caliber performance.
3. U2, 2003
As fellow Irishman and Oscar presenter Colin Farrell put it, U2's "The Hands That Built America" honors "new Americans who left Ireland in search of a better life, willing to fight for it at any expense." Written for Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York," the song ultimately lost out to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" but provided a rocking awards show performance nonetheless. Footage of immigrants entering Ellis Island splashed across the stage's backdrop while Bono belted "Hallelujah," creating an Oscar moment of epic proportions as only he can.
