Grammys 2015: We grade all 23 performances

Four decades in, AC/DC still have no interest in subtlety, and they opened up the Grammys with a double-shot performance that loaded up on volume, bombast, and most importantly, pyrotechnics. The Aussie vets began their Grammy debut with a workmanlike run through the title track of last year’s "Rock or Bust," then cranked up “Highway to Hell” while the crowd donned their complementary light-up devil horns. It was a welcome spectacle and refreshingly loud (Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett seemed especially bamboozled in the front row), but it also came across labored and a little sluggish, as though everybody in the band left their vitamins Down Under. An inauspicious start. B —Kyle Anderson

Grande materialized to the icy tones of her Harry Styles-penned ballad in a purple and blue cathedral of glowing tubes–in its own way every bit as sci-fi stylish a visual as her “Break Free” video. The booming piano, the string section arranged around her, and the hardworking smoke machine provided a suitably dramatic setting, but having a slow jam right at the beginning of the show didn’t do its momentum any favors, and Grande's fancy bedazzled in-ear monitor couldn't keep her from hitting a couple of bum notes. B- —Miles Raymer

With their swooning performance, Tom Jones and Jessie J attempted to unseat Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga as the May-December duo of the moment. It started off a little rocky, but as the tempo picked up and Jessie J cut back on all that unnecessary vibrato (we know you can sing, honey—you hit the high notes Ariana Grande missed), it was an sweet, upbeat tribute to songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. B —Isabella Biedenharn

How is it that Miranda Lambert’s appearance at the Grammys was more explosive than AC/DC's? That’s the power of Lambert’s unshakeable charisma. Staged in front of a giant red industrial fan, she stalked the stage and cooed her way through hooks like “You can’t ride in my little red wagon / The front seat’s broken and the axel’s draggin’” as fireworks (and her crack band) ignited behind her. “Little Red Wagon” isn’t much of a song, but Lambert’s electricity sold it anyway. A- —Kyle Anderson

Kanye’s recent collaborations with Paul McCartney have been notable for their understated, straightforward simplicity, so the decision to forego the arena-filling bombast of his Yeezus tour in favor of a strikingly minimalistic set that placed him in a solitary beam of light in an otherwise darkened auditorium was brilliant. ‘Ye’s performance—seemingly flubbed line and all—suffused the tenderest song of his career with fiery emotion. A —Miles Raymer

When Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj introduced their "bitch Madonna” (with Miley giving the sheepish apology of an embarrassed daughter: “She made me call her that”), we knew we were in for a treat. Madge’s latest incarnation seems to be some sort of sexy bullfighter at the center of a satanic ritual, complete with bull-horned men with bedazzled masks stolen straight from Kanye’s Yeezus Tour trailer. The arrangement didn’t lend anything new to the song, but Madonna’s strength has always skewed toward performing, not singing. Tonight's show, while bizarre, was definitely captivating. There were a few sleepy moments, dangerously reminiscent of Britney’s soporific 2007 VMA performance of “Gimme More,” but once the full gospel choir emerged in red robes, we were pulled right back into the devil's lair. B+ —Isabella Biedenharn

Ed Sheeran made his bones busking by himself for years, but when you break as big as he has, you might as well bring some friends along. Flanked by John Mayer, Herbie Hancock, and Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, Sheeran jangled and crooned his way through “Thinking Out Loud,” one of the loosest, most charming tunes from his Grammy-nominated album 'x.' Sheeran’s Superfriends all put in fine work (though Herbie Hancock seemed a little bored), and “Thinking Out Loud” sounds like a surefire springtime smash. He even harmonized nicely with Jeff Lynne on ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky"! All in all, a fine showing for everyone’s favorite folkie hobbit. A- —Kyle Anderson

The reasons why classic rock maximalists ELO were even playing were deeply obscure—something to do with Jeff Lynne’s new co-writing credit on golden boy Sam Smith’s record? Or because they’re recently reunited and available?—but the medley of two of their best-loved songs got the job done, to the visible delight of Sir Paul and members of Haim. Ed Sheeran’s appearance made more sense, considering how few people under AARP qualifying age would have recognized anyone on stage otherwise. B —Miles Raymer

Former "The Voice" buds Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani paired up to sing Maroon 5’s blandly emotional ballad in what might have been the night’s sleepiest performance. Don’t get us wrong, it was beautiful to look at: The whole setup was draped in classic Hollywood, from the swelling string section and warm marquee lights to Stefani’s ruby lips. But as love songs go, this one is a bit of a “Say Something” rip-off, and the vanilla delivery didn’t lend any personality to the show. C+ —Isabella Biedenharn

There’s no denying the power of “Take Me To Church,” and Hozier probably could have played it on solo kazoo and still raised a few goosebumps. But it didn’t really pick up until Annie Lennox took the stage and utterly lost her mind. She channeled that same level of visceral intensity into her cabaret-kissed cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell On You.” Whatever demons Lennox walked on stage with were completely exorcised by the time she ripped out an air harmonica solo and belted her way to a well-earned standing ovation. A —Kyle Anderson

Pharrell’s deluxe version of “Happy” had street dancers, a gospel choir, Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang, a “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” #BlackLives Matter shout-out, film composer Hans Zimmer wailing on a guitar, and a Mickey Mouse-ish bellhop outfit for the man in charge that should provide social media with a couple weeks' worth of memes. What it didn’t have is a clear reason for all those things to be in the same place at the same time. From the weirdly dissonant and dark intro onward, the kitchen-sink concept never managed to cohere, and the song’s dead simple appeal got lost in the mix. C —Miles Raymer

Katy Perry appeared, a vision in a caped white gown, after some heavy domestic violence PSAs and a surprise message from President Obama. Refreshingly, her performance was the polar opposite of last week’s Super Bowl show (though more than a few Tweeters prayed for the return of Left Shark)—as Perry sang, some independent shadows (a la Peter Pan) danced on the stark white backdrop behind her, swaying and multiplying with swooning emotion. Given the gravity of Obama’s call-to-action, it was an appropriate follow-up. B+ —Isabella Biedenharn

There’s still something a little odd about this pairing, but on balance, Bennett’s cool stillness and Gaga’s hyperactive theater kid-stylings average out to something that felt competent and professional, if somewhat unremarkable. Sure, Gaga sounded good and Bennett still charms at 88 years old, but in a show that is gloriously overstuffed, this probably could have been skipped in the running order with nobody noticing. B- —Kyle Anderson

When you’ve got a super-catchy and under-performing—not to mention Grammy-nominated—single like Usher has with “Good Kisser,” it doesn’t make much sense to use your Grammy telecast slot to play an understated ballad. Unless, perhaps, you’re Usher, and you want to do a gorgeous Stevie Wonder cut backed up by nothing more than a classical harp and the legendary mouth harp of Stevie himself, a comfort-food-familiar sound that’s still more than capable of sending chills down the spine. A —Miles Raymer

This year’s installment of the Grammys is even heavier on clumsy social messaging than usual, but even in that context the civil rights video montage playing behind Church’s latest great addition to the country music breakup songbook seemed exceptionally clumsy. Still, country’s representatives to the show have brought it harder than any other genre, and overall Church’s contribution kept it up. B —Miles Raymer

This was a case of song selection saving everything: Even though she was placed in a death spot on the lineup (over two hours in and right after a laborious Eric Church performance), Clark saved herself with “Hold My Hand,” a sweet, understated narrative from her excellent debut ''12 Stories.'' Yoakam and Clark sounded like old friends harmonizing on the back porch, and though it only added to the Grammys’ big ballad problem, the breezy melody acted as a relieving cool breeze. B —Kyle Anderson

The best-dressed trio of the night took the stage in sleek black suits, with Kanye and Rihanna opting for matching cleavage. Ri’s voice sounded just as raw and powerful as it does on the studio version—an impressive surprise—and her rock-star facial expressions said she knew it, too. Perhaps more surprising? Kanye’s singing voice sans Auto-Tune is actually... wonderful. Macca lent background vocals, guitar, and hilariously chipper facial expressions. But the highlight of this superstar match-up had to be ‘Ye yelling, “PAUL!” with the spirit of a kid waking Grandpa up from his nap. A —Isabella Biedenharn

String sections and gospel choirs were an unexpected theme tonight, but nowhere were they more fitting than on Grammy darling Sam Smith’s sweet duet with Mary J. Blige. Singing amidst a smattering of living room lamps, Smith's voice was as smooth and heartbreaking as it always is, and Blige gave the radio staple some welcome garnish, despite a couple minor vocal flubs. Make no mistake—this Best New Artist Winner is definitely staying with us. A- —Isabella Biedenharn

It’s easy to see how Juanes became an international sensation: He has an innate star power and an Everyman presentation. Also, he’s clearly got chops that blend his Columbian roots with bluesy rock. But the first ever Grammy performance delivered entirely in Spanish was a little anticlimactic, as the ambling “Juntos” never really found its momentum. If only AC/DC had left some pyro behind. B- —Kyle Anderson

Obviously Sia, queen of the anti-publicity campaign, wouldn’t do something so mundane as come out and just play a song. Instead, blonde-wigged proxies Kristen Wiig and Maddie Ziegler performed an intriguing interpretive dance duet on a set made up to look like a cramped, grungy apartment that was more self-consciously artsy than anything else tonight, but also more flat-out fun too. Whether or not that was actually Sia herself with her back to the audience singing “Chandelier” at a wall, we’ll probably never know. A —Miles Raymer

We didn’t expect to love this one so much, but Beck's voice combined with Chris Martin’s in a feat of shockingly gorgeous harmony. The performance itself was a bit of a snoozer (How many white guys with guitars can you fit on one stage? And what were those lantern-pillars?), but the duet was a lullaby we’re itching to hear again. B+ —Isabella Biedenharn

You won’t find “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” on Beyoncé’s multi-platinum self-titled album—it’s a gospel tune composed in the 1930s and made popular by Mahalia Jackson in the 1950s. It was also a favorite song of Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s a composition that comes with an awful lot of history, and the introduction given by LL Cool J and Gwyneth Paltrow only added to the heft. Luckily, Bey rose above it all to deliver one of her most powerful and assured TV performances in recent memory. It wasn’t completely stoic, either—she threw in some quick head whips just to remind everybody that even when she’s taking us to church, she’s still Beyonce. A- —Kyle Anderson

With the show’s producers uncharacteristically obsessed with generating gravitas, closing the ceremony with the most solemn and dignified message song of last year must have been a no-brainer. Legend, Common, and the men’s choir backing them up were in fine form, and it’s not their fault that they got booked to bat clean-up after three and a half hours of muted energy. “Glory” is a fine song, and it deserves a Grammy nod next year when it’s eligible, but it ended the show on an unexpected down note. B —Miles Raymer