Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars was in the first of many impressive performances at the American Music Awards on Nov. 20, 2016 in Los Angeles. Getty Images

Co-host Jay Pharoah told viewers of the 2016 American Music Awards that the show would be “all about the music,” and he followed through on that promise. Sunday night’s show, which had its fair share of political references, was jam-packed with performances from over a dozen artists. These were some of the best performances of the night:

“Side by Side” by Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj

The pop star’s single took on a jungle theme in her AMAs performance at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Grande showed off her fancy footwork with her dancers while Minaj performed from a throne.

“Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga

No meat dress. No egg. No fake blood. This was just Lady Gaga with her guitar. The low-key performance allowed her to show off her impressive pipes.

“Love Me Now” by John Legend

Chrissy Teigen’s husband added a personal touch by having videos of loving families, including his own, in the background of his performance. It made the already-wonderful performance even more moving.

“That’s My Girl” by Fifth Harmony

The pop group brought the girl power with their performance. The “Mad Max”-inspired set could have been distracting, but their powerhouse vocals immediately brought the focus back to the women, not the big set pieces.

“Bang Bang” by Green Day

Green Day brought the punk element that the American Music Awards needed. The band rocked out and sent a political message. They made make their distaste for President-elect Donald Trump very clear by adding some new lyrics to their song: “No Trump. No KKK. No fascist USA.”

“24K Magic” by Bruno Mars

The artist’s high-energy performance was perfect for the opening number and helped set the tone for the 2016 AMAs.

Which performances did you think were the best? Sound off in the comments section below!