The 9 Most Memorable Music Performances On ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’

Today marks the end of an era — after 25 years, The Oprah Winfrey Show airs its final episode this afternoon. For those of you already suffering from Empty Oprah Syndrome, let us take you back through the talk show’s Top 9 Musical Performances, from world debuts to jaw-dropping surprises and even stellar diva duets. List below, and  by the way, we find it helps in the grieving process to announce each act in your best Oprah impersonation.

9. Going out with a bang, it’s Beyonce’s kick butt performance of “Run The World (Girls)”.

8. Stevie Wonder surprises huge fan Jake Simpson.

7. Before she was serenading Oprah while atop a large shoe, Lady Gaga performed a medley of The Fame Monster tracks “Monster”, “Bad Romance” and “Speechless”.

6. Speaking of the aforementioned Lady, Oprah goes gaga when she gets a surprise from Tina Turner singing “Simply The Best”.

5. In this amazing blast from the past, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston duet to “When You Believe” from the animated film The Prince Of Egypt for the first time on television.

4. Dolly Parton sings “Livin’ With A Dead Man” a song that mentions The Oprah Show in its lyrics. How meta! Years later, Dolly would bring Mama Oprah to tears with “I Will Always Love You”.

3. Charice performs “I Have Nothing” on Oprah and the media mogul names her “Most Talented Girl In The World”.

2. Patti LaBelle’s first performance on Oprah featured her singing “New Attitude”. She would later go on to sing the infamous “Get with the program, Get with Oprah” theme song we all know and love:

1. What we love the most is when even Oprah is surprised by what happens on her show. And nothing shocked Mama O more than this city-wide flash mob in Chicago, set to The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feelin'”.