On Jan. 26, 2014, music’s finest flooded the Staples Center to celebrate the Grammy awards. L. L. Cool J hosted the 56^th annual show and said, “music has the power to bring us together like nothing else.” 

After the star-studded red carpet, Beyoncé and Jay Z opened the three and a half hour show with a performance of “Drunk in Love.” One of music’s greatest couples performed with a combination of strobe lights, fog—and chemistry, of course.

Anna Kendrick and Pharrell Williams presented the first Grammy, Best New Artist, to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Shortly after, Lorde performed her hit “Royals,” and Hunter Hayes debuted his new song, “Invisible.”

Daft Punk won their first of three Grammy awards for Pop Duo Group Performance, beating “Just Give Me a Reason,” “Stay,” “Blurred Lines” and “Suit And Tie.” Pharrell Williams accepted the award on behalf of the robot-esque group. Daft Punk also won Record of the Year for “Get Lucky” and Album of the Year for “Random Access Memories.”

Steve Coogan introduced Katy Perry and Juicy Jay’s chilling performance of “Dark Horse.” Next on stage was Robin Thicke and the classic band Chicago. This was one of many cross-generational performances. Another noteworthy team-up was Willie Nelson and Chris Kristofferson.

One of the most noteworthy performances was Paul McCartney and Ringo Star’s reunification for “Billy Shears” and “Hey Jude.” John Legend and Taylor Swift performed emotional ballads on the piano— exhibiting their immense vocal talent. Pink also showed her strength and vocal acuity with her highflying performance.

Towards the end of the show, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performed their gripping song “Same Love.” During the performance, 32 couples got married on stage. One Archer senior later commented, “The song itself is inspiring and [the] marriages added to the message.”

When the camera spanned the audience after, Keith Urban wiped a tear off his face.

The Music Educator Award was a new addition to the Grammy’s list. The Grammy Academy wanted to highlight music teachers who teach K-12 for going above and beyond. This award encourages students to appreciate their music teachers, but also pays homage to the teachers who help people discover their love of music. Kent Knappenberger won the first award this year.