Britney Spears' Most Memorable MTV VMA Moments: Madonna Lip-Lock, The Strip Tease, Snake & More

If you do a quick Google Image search for the term "VMA iconic," almost half of the results on the first page are dedicated to Britney Spears. Since the beginning of her career in 1999, the singer has been involved in all but five MTV Video Music Award ceremonies. It's inarguable the pop titan's stomping grounds. I mean, she is responsible for some of the show's most memorable moments. In four days, Spears, who is on the verge of releasing her brand-new album, Glory, will return to the award show stage for a performance of "Make Me," her lead single from the new set.

Executive producer Jesse Ignjatovic revealed to EW that her performance will be "something you've not seen her do before," and while we wait in anticipation, iHeartRadio took a skip down the glittery pop lane to revisit Spears' most career-defining moments on the MTV stage. Take a look below!

1999: Teaming Up With *NSYNC

Let's put this into context. It was 1999 and the biggest female pop star and boy band teamed up for a collaborative performance in the middle of the bubblegum pop explosion. It was nothing short of teen pop magic!

2000: The Striptease

With a black suit, matching fedora and one little ol' sparkly flesh-covered ensemble, Brit ripped away (literally) the minuscule shreds of innocence that she had left and pulled off one of the most memorable moments of her career. Not only did she serve (partially) live vocals, but this was when she showcased her performance ability, delivering an intense mix of athleticism, choreography and straight-up ferocity.

2001: The Snake

Britney and Banana (that's the name of the snake) are like peanut butter and jelly when you think back to the 2001 MTV VMAs. Still, their slithery dance didn't come without consequences since B initially got hives after she touched the python in rehearsals.

2003: The Kiss

Whether you like to refer to it as the passing of the pop torch or simply as "the kiss," the surprise "Like A Virgin"/"Hollywood" medley is memorable for all kinds of reasons. Look at Mary J. Blige's disgust. Look at Justin Timberlake's face immediately after the Britney/Madonna lip-lock. Look at Snoop Dogg acting like he hasn't dreamt of that very moment.

2007: The Comeback Performance

Britney's comeback performance at the 2007 MTV VMAs is memorable for all the wrong reasons. In what was meant to be her big return to the stage (and partial tribute to Elvis), the singer walked around, missing her marks and offering the laziest lip-sync of your life. RuPaul (and the rest of the world) was thoroughly disappointed.

2008: Her First VMA Win

Believe it or not, MTV never paid Britney the proper respects for her contributions to the music video world, failing to award clips like "...Baby One More Time," "I'm A Slave 4 U" and "Toxic" with Moonmen. That all changed in 2008 when she returned to the show to accept three awards for "Piece of Me."

2011: The Video Vanguard Award

Before Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and Kanye West took home the Micheal Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Britney was honored with the accolade in 2011 with a special dance tribute to her videography. "When I used to perform at open mic nights for free, at small clubs in New York, one of my biggest inspirations was Britney Spears," Lady Gaga said during the award introduction. "Britney taught me how to be fearless, she taught us all how to be fearless. She's a pop music legend, and the industry would not be the same without her."

Catch Spears and other chart-toppers at our iHeartRadio Music Festival, which goes down September 23rd an 24th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Click here for more information!

Photo: Getty Images