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The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are only a few weeks away. The biggest party of the year features nominated clips by Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Ke$ha and Katy Perry and will feature performances by Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Drake, B.o.B and Florence and the Machine (with many more to be announced). In order to properly prepare yourself for what's to come, every day the MTV Newsroom Blog will deliver a classic moment in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards. Today's installment: Diana Ross has her way with Lil' Kim.

The MTV Video Music Awards are a great forum for eye-popping, envelope-pushing fashion. Since the beginning, stars have been wearing the craziest, most extreme outfits their brains (and stylists) can dream up (and in Lady Gaga's case, that happened four or five times at the 2009 show). At the 1999 show, Lil' Kim set a new standard for VMA fashion.

In the middle of the show, three generations of divas took the stage in the form of Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige and Lil' Kim. At the time, Kim was on top of the world, as her work on her solo debut Hard Core and on Puff Daddy's album No Way Out made her the top female MC in the game. She always had an eye for fashion and a willingness to bare her skin, so it made sense that she came out wearing a sparkly purple one-piece jumpsuit with only a tiny stick-on piece over her otherwise exposed left breast. Her outfit was the hit of the show, especially after Ross reached out and played with the boob while the trio were on stage.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

Tags Diana Ross, lil-kim, mary-j.-blige, video-music-awards, VMAs

Vacation season is still in session for most of the late night crowd, so you'll have to wade through a mountain of repeats if you want to get your yuks and music before nodding off to sleep. Perhaps that's for the best, as even the shows that are in session this week are a little soft. But if you're into music, Letterman has got you covered. He will have musical appearances by Big Boi (Monday, August 23), Katy Perry (Tuesday, August 24), the Pretty Reckless (Wednesday, August 25) and the Specials (Thursday, August 26).

The rest of your options this week are all on cable. Jon Stewart will welcome Rod Blagojevich (Monday) and Drew Barrymore (Wednesday) to "The Daily Show," while George Lopez will have great music from Korn (Tuesday) and Fantasia (Wednesday). (He'll also have Lynyrd Skynyrd on the show, if you're into that.)

The morning shows are all on vacation, though it's probably worth catching Tuesday's repeat of "The View" that features Andre Leon Talley as a guest host. But with so many people on hiatus, perhaps this is the week to dive into "Tavis Smiley," the late night show on PBS (no, really). He'll have an eclectic batch of guests this week, including Rufus Wainwright (Monday), author David Finkel (Tuesday) and Louisiana Recovery Authority chairman Norman Francis.

Also an option: Spending the week watching "Chelsea Lately" in preparation for the on-the-horizon 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, which will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, September 12 at 9 p.m. Eastern on MTV.

Tags Big-Boi, Katy Perry, Late Night, Talk Shows

At this point, Madonna is not unlike Brett Favre. In many ways, she has run out of things to accomplish, yet there's still potential for her to be at her peak all the time. (They're not exactly the same, though — Madonna certainly throws fewer interceptions and probably hasn't spent much time in deer stands.) But she does dominate the numbers. Case in point: She holds the record for the most successful solo tour in history, and on this day in 2008, the "Sticky and Sweet" trek kicked off.

Named thematically to coincide with her album Hard Candy, the "Sticky and Sweet" tour was a massive undertaking that seemed to go on forever. Madonna was absolutely at her peak, as she tore through most of her classics as well as the choice cuts from her more recent work. And of course there were plenty of costume changes, special effects and her totally reasonable guitar playing. Madonna sold most every ticket made available, and she played in front of 3.5 million fans in 32 different countries. All told, she brought in $408 million, which earned the "Sticky and Sweet" tour the top position in the list of the biggest solo tours ever (in typical Madonna fashion, she displaced herself on the top of that list).

The tour ended up being a great showcase for the Hard Candy songs, which are excellent and are among the best of her 21st century work. Madonna has managed to make just about any piece of music her own, as she did with "4 Minutes."

Tags Madonna, video

Armed with a guitar and a vintage Polaroid camera, Australian singer/songwriter Ry Cuming documented his brief stint as opening act for Maroon 5 with a collection of casual snapshots that catch him and his good pals enjoying life on the road. And he decided to share them with us right here!

Cuming told MTV News that scoring a supporting slot on Maroon 5's latest tour was a blast. "Getting to walk out and play for 10,000 people, and people being really excited to hear you straight off the bat, it was pretty wonderful," Cuming gushed.

Ry, currently promoting his self-titled debut album, was first introduced to the Maroon men almost eight years ago through a mutual friend. Their love of music and surfing bonded them instantly. Or as Ry puts it, "We just became bros."

Their continuing bromance is evident in Ry's off-the-cuff tour pictures. One portrait captures keyboardist Jesse Carmichael backstage in a silly hat trying to light up a honey pot. "He was pretending like he was an old school settler with his pipe," Cuming explained.

Another pic shows frontman Adam Levine post-show, gesturing toward the camera with the hand-written caption "Gimme some" scribbled underneath. "He was standing in front of me, and I was just trying to snap a candid without him realizing, and then he turned around and gave me that [pose]. It's just that energy after you get offstage." Cuming said.

Ry also had a good time rocking out with Maroon 5's other tourmates, Guster. (You'll notice Guster singer Ryan wearing a Maroon 5 T-shirt in Ry's photo collage.) "It was really nice to be on the road, playing with a group of people [where] every night you're [as] excited to get offstage so you can hang with everybody as much as be onstage."

(Ry's photos and more tour stories, after the jump!)
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Tags maroon-5, photo, Ry Cumming

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are fast approaching, which means that in only a few weeks you'll be treated to an excellent night of performances and appearances by the likes of Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence and the Machine, B.o.B and Deadmau5 (who will serve as the house DJ at the show). While people tend to remember the classic performances and the unhinged moments, the coveted Moonman is the reason why people show up and tune in. This year, there are 16 categories wherein some of the biggest music stars in the universe will compete for the coolest trophy in awards shows. Today, we take a look at the nominees in the Best Editing category.

Editing is a misunderstood science that is extremely important in the realm of music videos. Since there's such a compact time frame in which to work, there can be no wasted footage or sluggish shots. Everything has to blend together to match the vibe of the song and tell whatever story the artist hopes to get across in the three minutes available. Need proof that editing is important? Just look at past winners Scott Grey (for the multiple-personality cross-cutting in Alanis Morissette's "Ironic") or Jonas Akerlund (who won the prize for his sharp, kinetic work on Madonna's "Ray of Light").

This year's slate of Best Editing nominees include a pair of past winners: Ken Mowe (who cut Eminem's "Not Afraid" and also won for Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and "Smiley Faces") and Jarrett Fijal (who edited Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" and will try to make it two in a row after winning in 2009 for Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"). Also nominated are Frank Macias (for Miike Snow's "Animal"), Chris Davis (for Pink's "Funhouse") and Clark Eddy (for Rihanna's "Rude Boy"). Of the five, the clip most dependent on sharp editing is "Rude Boy," but it could easily be a trifecta for Mowe, who seamlessly incorporated the complicated effects shots into the Eminem clip.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

Tags Eminem, Lady Gaga, Miike Snow, Pink, Rihanna, video-music-awards, VMAs

By Peter de Saint Phalle

WANTAGH, New York — Little of Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs' performance at Jones Beach on Thursday night was directed towards the audience. There was no playful banter, no light shows or disco balls. Without rock-star glitz and glam, the artist and his new collaborators forced the crowd to contemplate the music on its own — a rare thing during summer concert season.

As the sun set behind the Jones Beach Amphitheater, Ray LaMontagne made his way to center stage. Although backed by the extensive Pariah Dogs band (Jennifer Condos on bass, Patrick Warren on keyboard, Greg Leisz on steel guitar, Eric Heywood on lead guitar and Jay Bellerose on percussion) LaMontagne was quiet and reserved, offering a brief "hello" before beginning his 55-minute set.

LaMontagne started his set with "Beg Steal or Borrow" and "Old Before Your Time" off his new album, God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise (released this week), followed by the older favorite "Trouble." At first, the audience was mildly attentive, offering little more than polite applause after each song's conclusion.
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Tags Concerts, jones beach, pariah dogs, ray lamontagne

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are only a few weeks away. The biggest party of the year features nominated clips by Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Ke$ha and Katy Perry and will feature performances by Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Drake, B.o.B and Florence and the Machine (with many more to be announced). In order to properly prepare yourself for what's to come, every day the MTV Newsroom Blog will deliver a classic moment in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards. Today's installment: Howard Stern's alter-ego crashes the party.

Remember the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, which saw Sacha Baron Cohen descend from the ceiling and land with his butt right in Eminem's face? The roots of that stunt date back to the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, which saw radio shock jock Howard Stern (who at the time was building himself into the self-proclaimed "King of All Media") flew in from the rafters as Fartman, a longtime character from his show. Using the power of his exposed buttocks, Stern unleashed such an intense batch of flatulence that it blew up a piece of the podium where the members of Metallica were accepting an award for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video (for the classic clip "Enter Sandman").

Stern's appearance brought a lot of laughs from the crowd, though Metallica seemed a little miffed (Stern formally apologized to James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich a few years later). It was a remarkable clip that was shocking, surprising, funny and unpredictable — all the things that make the VMAs (and Stern himself) great.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

Tags howard-stern, video-music-awards, VMAs

The "Jersey Shore" in Miami is a tale of two emotions: love and hatred. Sammi and Ronnie's on-again-off-again-crying-and-fighting-again relationship has become the show's defining narrative. As these lovesick lovebirds go, so goes the show. The numbers don't lie.

Four weeks into our "Jersey Shore by the Numbers" experiment — a quest to glean insight into the cast's hearts and minds by tracking their favorite words and phrases — and we know that, whether Sam and Ron are talking about love and cuddling or hatred and betrayal, their shenanigans are going to be all-consuming. And hilarious. And heartbreaking.

No sooner would they profess their love than someone would turn around and drop some hatred. Ronnie summed it up best when he intoned, "I hate you so much because I love you, you realize that?"

They just can't quit each other (despite their best efforts). Meanwhile, Vinny was busy pleading for a drama-free household. Not gonna happen, Vin. On last night's episode, naked girls were discussed, fools went on being foolish, farts were let loose and Emilio, Snooki's boytoy at the time, pulled one seriously unfunny prank. Take it all in with another installment of MTV News' "Jersey Shore by the Numbers."

Tags Jersey Shore, photo, video

It's a special day for birthdays, and not because Fred Durst is celebrating (though you know that he is). No, today is the day that actress, musician and "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" star Demi Lovato turns 18 years old. For a girl who is only now just old enough to vote, she has certainly accomplished a great deal, starring in the Disney Channel hit "Sonny With a Chance" as well as the first "Camp Rock" film (which was one of the most-watched Disney Channel movies of all time). But it's her music career that has been the most impressive aspect of her young career, as she has released two well-received albums and has performed for tens of thousands of fans (including on this summer's "Camp Rock 2" tour with the Jonas Brothers).

Lovato's first album, 2008's Don't Forget, came on the heels of the first "Camp Rock" film. With some assistance from the Jonas Brothers (they co-wrote six of the album's 11 tunes), Don't Forget is a super-charged batch of pop-rock tunes that take advantage of Lovato's versatile voice and knack for wrapping herself around sweet melodies (especially the hit single "Get Back" and the punchy "La La Land"). She followed up that album with Here We Go Again a year later, which debuted on top of the Billboard album chart. Her second album strips away some of the layers of sound of her debut and breaks the songs down to simpler forms (it's especially prevalent on "World of Chances," which she co-wrote with John Mayer). And, not surprisingly, her tunes are some of the best on the recently-released soundtrack album for "Camp Rock 2," highlighted by "Brand New Day" and "Different Summers." In honor of her birthday, we'll be cramming 18 candles onto a single cupcake (or, short of that, we'll just present her video for "Here We Go Again").

Tags Birthdays, Demi Lovato, video

Spoon's rise to prominence in the indie rock world has been nothing short of workmanlike. They become a little bit bigger and pick up a new batch of fans with each album. Frontman Britt Daniel and his band of merry men churn out an album every two years or so like clockwork, and every new single, tour and appearance on talk shows make them just a little bit bigger. They have become the indie band that the rock community can rely on, and they've been rewarded with ever-growing crowds, exposure and critical acclaim. Their ascent (which recently peaked during an extremely well-received set on one of the main stages at Lollapalooza) can be traced back to the beginning of the decade, and the band took a huge step on this day in 2002 when they released their universally loved album Kill the Moonlight.

Spoon's 2001 album Girls Can Tell gained the band a larger following, but Kill the Moonlight put their name on the lips of an exponentially larger number of people. The songs (especially "The Way We Get By") became popular picks for inclusion in television shows, movies and trailers (it most notably showed up on the indie-centric teen soap "The O.C."), and Daniel suddenly became the arbiter of indie rock cool, a career fringe guy from Austin, Texas who served as an example of how to do it right.

Kill the Moonlight ended up on dozens of year-end and decade-end lists, which makes it Spoon's most critically-acclaimed album to date. The band would see their sales increase to much greater levels with their next two albums (2005's Gimme Fiction and 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga), and it all began with "The Way We Get By."

Tags spoon, video