Whitney Houston posed with her second Grammy in this abstract black-and-white embellished dress after winning Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." She wore black shoes with sparkly details at the ankle and accessorized with silver jewelry.
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Paula Abdul looked like a beautiful '80s prom queen in this off-the-shoulder metallic gown with extra tulle on the sleeves and skirt. She went on to win her first Grammy for Best Music Video the following year.
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Gloria Estefan wore this shimmery yellow-gold dress with drop earrings to the Grammys, where she was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She kept her makeup minimal, save for a burgundy lip, and left her voluminous hair down. Photo: Getty
Best New Artist winner Mariah Carey wore a classic velvet mini dress with an embellished sweetheart neckline. The singer also took home an award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, although one could argue her best vocal performance is "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
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Natalie Cole's "Unforgettable" album won every category it was nominated in for a total of three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Here, she posed with an award wearing a spaghetti-strap beaded black and white dress with a neck scarf. Photo: Getty
Janet Jackson wore a white suit and accessorized with a white headband, a choker, and a red ribbon to raise HIV and AIDS awareness. Both she and her brother Michael were nominated for awards that year. Photo: Getty
Selena, who won a Grammy for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album, looked amazing in this beaded white gown. The halter dress and her award later went on display at the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photo: Getty
Annie Lennox channeled her Disney fandom when she wore this pair of Minnie ears on the red carpet along with a patent-leather mini dress and thigh-high boots. The ears were a signature of hers — she appeared on David Letterman with a pair and wore a similar outfit in her "Waiting in Vain" music video.
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Salt-N-Pepa — a.k.a. Cheryl James ("Salt"), Sandra Denton("Pepa"), and Deidra Roper ("DJ Spinderella") — were fresh in their matching mint-green pantsuits and clear handbags. Even their shoes matched. Photo: Getty
Céline Dion wore no accessories here, letting her brown, crochet halter dress speak for itself. Her voluminous hair, coupled with the extremely sheer gown, made for a bold, memorable look.
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Aretha Franklin showed up to the Grammys in an all-white ensemble featuring a fur-trimmed collar and hand warmer. It was the year she won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award for her song, "Respect."
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Jada Pinkett Smith wore a beige dress featuring a side cut-out and a leg slit that revealed lace-up heels. She accompanied her husband, Will Smith, who won Best Rap Solo Performance for"Gettin' Jiggy Wit It."
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Jennifer Lopez made this plunging, tropical-printed Versace dress instantly iconic when she wore it to the Grammy Awards in 2000, and it even helped inspire the idea of Google Images. "At the time, it was the most popular search query we had ever seen," said Google executive founder Eric Schmidt. "But we had no surefire way of getting users exactly what they wanted: JLo wearing that dress. Google Image Search was born."
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Destiny's Child wore these green lacy dresses, all of which were made by Beyoncé's mom and the group's costume designer, Tina Knowles. The trio, who were known for their matching outfits, won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Say My Name."
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Pink stepped out in this black and pink getup, which could have been taken straight out of the over the top "Lady Marmalade" music video. It was that song which won her an award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, along with Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, and Mya. But it's hard to say which accessory is better: the garter or the Grammy?
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Missy Elliott had the ultimate hot-pink fashion moment in this rhinestone Adidas tracksuit. She accessorized with a fuzzy hat, gold chain, and white sneakers for a look that was the epitome of cool. Elliott picked up an award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance. Photo: Getty
Mary J. Blige brightened up the red carpet with this neon-yellow outfit. The R&B singer wore a furry coat over her sequined dress and paired it with metallic green heels. Photo: Getty
Alicia Keys took home four Grammy Awards and posed proudly with them in this Grecian-inspired white and gold gown with slouchy knee-high boots. Her wins that year included Best R&B Song and Best R&B Album. Photo: Getty
Christina Aguilera channeled Marilyn Monroe with this silky silver dress, accessorizing with a silver bag and matching peep-toe pumps. She completed the look by wearing her platinum blonde hair in curls and adding a bold red lip. Photo: Getty
Beyoncé was a vision in this silver pleated gown, which she wore the year she won Best Contemporary R&B Album. She matched her embellished bodice to her sparkling bracelet and styled her hair in loose waves.
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At her first-ever Grammys, Taylor Swift wore a custom-made dress by Sandy Spika with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt. Her fashion evolution has definitely come a long way since she being nominated for Best New Artist.
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M.I.A. really emphasized her baby bump in this part-sheer, part-polka dot mini dress. She attended and performed "Swagger Like Us" at the Grammys while nine months pregnant.
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Lady Gaga was out of this world in this space dress by Armani Privé, which she paired with a pointy star that she held the whole time. Now, that's commitment. Photo: Getty
Katy Perry was an actual angel on the red carpet in this Giorgio Armani gown with a Swarovski crystal bustier and feathery wings. It's Katy, so of course her outfit was anything but subtle.
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Fergie walked the carpet in an orange couture dress by Jean Paul Gaultier. Her completely sheer lace gown was hard to miss, despite the fact she she called the look a "safe" choice in an interview.
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Janelle Monáe topped her three-piece suit, which featured gold embroidery on the lapels, with a chic hat. She was nominated for three awards, including Album of the Year, but it was her outfit that was the true winner of the night. Photo: Getty
Continuing the suit trend the following year was Madonna, who wore a matching blazer, white shirt, tie, and hat with her adorable 8-year-old son, David. She even accessorized with a cane and a rhinestone glove. Photo: Getty
Rihanna looked like an actual princess in this tiered pink Giambattista Valli strapless gown. The dress was so large, she took up multiple seats, but in true Rihanna fashion, she told Ryan Seacrest, "I saw this dress on the Internet and I just had to have it."
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Selena Gomez turned heads when she stepped out in this sequined Calvin Klein number, complete with cut-outs and a deep V neckline. She adorably walked the red carpet with BFF Taylor Swift.
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Adele graced the red carpet with this stunning, olive-hued couture Givenchy gown featuring lace details and embellishments. She went on to win all five awards for which she was nominated, including album of the year, which she dedicated to Beyoncé in an emotional speech.
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This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan US.