Grammys 2014: Best and worst moments

Memo to Seacrest: You have Ringo Starr on the red carpet. Just a few minutes on live TV. Don’t waste those precious few minutes asking about the Beatles. Just don’t do it. “Did you know when you started, it would turn into this?” Seacrest asked, perhaps hoping to uncover some previously untouched angle of the Beatles’ overly documented career. Why doesn’t he just ask Starr if he likes making music?  (Jason Merrit / Getty Images)

Pharrell Williams wins best hat, hands down. Rocking a Smokey the Bear look on the red carpet, he appeared confident in his sartorial decisions. Before the end of the broadcast, Smokey had weighed in on his official Twitter account and the hat itself had begun tweeting.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Madonna and her son, David, showed up wearing matching suits at David’s request. “He wanted me to dress like him,” the singer told Ryan Seacrest. Not only does this give Madonna a cute, maternal edge, it also saves the audience from the risk of seeing her attempt to recapture those old head-turning days by showing up in something risque. America thanks you, David.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Beyonce and hubby Jay-Z opened the show with a duet of “Drunk in Love.” But the song had several lyrics bleeped by censors, leading to big silent gaps in the telecast. At this point, the performers have to know the limitations of broadcast TV. Would it kill them to just write some alternate lyrics that wouldn’t lead to a swiss-cheese version of their song?  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

LL Cool J has carved out a niche for himself as the anti-Ricky Gervais awards show host. If Gervais perfected the art of insulting the nominees at the Globes, then LL has eased into the Mister Rogers of the Grammys, gently imparting positive messages to the nominees such as “The force of music is universal.” And “When I needed to be tough, music allowed me to say, ‘mama said knock you out,’ and when I wanted to express a slightly more vulnerable side, I could admit, ‘I need love.’”  (Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images)

Critics may heap scorn on Macklemore, but that apparently only served to make him stronger as the rapper picked up four Grammys, including best new artist. Mock him more, and he will be back next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. Forever. Seems unlikely? The Beatles are getting a lifetime achievement award this year and who’s there to accept it? The butt of all your Beatles jokes, Ringo. He, too, thrives on your mockery.   (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

The “robots” of Daft Punk won for pop duo for “Get Lucky,” among other awards (more about that later). The robots don’t speak, but collaborator Pharrell Williams did after they won the pop duo award, providing the best beginning to an acceptance speech you’ll hear all year: “On behalf of the robots...”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

There’s been so many positive feelings on stage this year that presenter Steve Coogan’s snark actually broke the mood quite nicely. “The Grammys had a choice between reuniting two of the Beatles and all of the Jonas Brothers,” Coogan said. “That’s a tough one.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Sometimes, big theatrical staging for a live performance can pay off big time. Other times, it comes out looking like something Andrew Lloyd Webber tossed off on a bad day. That’s the only way to describe Katy Perry and Juicy J’s performance of “Dark Horse,” which badly wanted to evoke a Halloween feel with its red-eyed horse, flames, stage fog and creepy trees. When you succeed in making Robin Thicke and Chicago’s performance of “Blurred Lines” seem classy in comparison, there’s something wrong.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

On the other end of the spectrum, the Grammys went overboard with introspective songs sung while seated at a piano. Hunter Hayes, John Legend, Paul McCartney, Carole King, Sara Bareilles and Taylor Swift all hid behind their big grand pianos, forcing the show’s director to try to make that look interesting multiple times. At least Swift did her best to spice up “All too Well” with her best Don Music impression from “Sesame Street.” Check him out here.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

In addition to Paul McCartney reuniting with Ringo Starr onstage for a half-Beatles reunion, Mr. Starr also performed his own song, “Photograph.” Part of the deal to secure a sure-fire ratings draw? Perhaps. But considering Grammy producers would have moved heaven and earth (or at least offered up first-born children) to secure this performance, giving a few minutes to Ringo is probably the least they could do. The oddest thing is that neither Beatle performed any Beatles songs during the telecast. That would have required some kind of human sacrifice situation.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Jay Z accepted the Grammy for best rap/sung collaboration with Justin Timberlake -- and defeating his very own collaboration with his wife, Beyonce, in the same category. After enduring presenter Jamie Foxx’s leering over his wife, Jay Z buffed up his “cool dad” credentials by addressing his baby daughter, Blue Ivy, by showing the Grammy Award and saying, “Look, I got a gold sippy cup for you!” It’s also a pretty good paperweight.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

With their big drums, monochromatic outfits and brightly colored dyes, Imagine Dragons (who performed with Kendrick Lamar) should seriously think of taking up a residency in Las Vegas under the name White Man Group. Just add some toilet paper rolls and they’re set. As payback, they can hire country singer Kacey Musgraves to open for them. For some reason, producers set the performance of her low-key tune “Follow Your Arrow” immediately after Dragons’ high-energy set.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The onstage teaming of Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard and Blake Shelton showed that the tendency of country singers not to opt for plastic surgery only helps them in the long run.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers and Stevie Wonder went with a retro recording studio set for their performance of “Get Lucky,” which might have been good in theory. But it always seemed like Will Ferrell could come busting through the door at any moment with his cowbell. At least the song got all the stars dancing in their seats.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

During his tribute to Lou Reed, Jared Leto strayed uncomfortably into William Shatner dramatic reading territory when he emoted his way through some of the lyrics to Reed’s 1972 song “Take a Walk on the Wild Side.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

One of the highlights of the show was seeing 33 couples -- gay and straight -- married live by Queen Latifah during a performance of Macklemore, Ryan Lewis and Trombone Shorty’s performance of “Same Love.” But the stunt raised way more questions than it answered: Was Queen Latifah ordained? Did she take a class or just sign up online? Why did CBS cut away from the couples kissing after they were married? Originally, it was reported 34 would be getting married, so what happened to the last couple? And finally, who let Madonna in there?  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Daft Punk was the big winner with five wins, including album of the year. Though now that the Grammys have been given over to two robots, the only way they can top this next year is to let some damn muppets win the whole megillah.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Speaking of Muppets, “Rainbow Connection” songwriter Paul Williams may have found a way to top Pharrell Williams while accepting the Grammy for album of the year for Daft Punk. “When I drank, I saw things that weren’t there,” Williams, the guy who wrote songs for the Carpenters and songs on Daft Punk’s album “Random Access Memories,” told the audience. “Then I sobered up and two robots called me to help write a song.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)