VMA: Highs and Lows, Ringtones and Clunkers

Sept. 1, 2006 — -- Shakira shook her hips, Justin Timberlake showed us his "SexyBack," and unlike past years, no single artist dominated at the winner's podium.

But the evening lacked one of those notorious moments that have marked previous MTV Video Music Awards.

Madonna, Britney and Christina didn't lock lips. Eminem wasn't there to pick a fight with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

There was no Rage Against the Machine to rage against anyone.

Now that the show passes into our memories, what water-cooler moments did the 23rd edition of the show provide?

Which artists actually advanced their careers with Thursday night's victories and performances, and which ones did not?

What was worth talking about?

OK Go -- The Chicago pop band's performance of "Here It Goes Again" -- the perfectly choreographed dance on a treadmill video -- became a hit by becoming the most watched video on YouTube, with more than 3 million hits. It thus became the first band whose video breakthrough had nothing to do with MTV.

Christina Aguilera -- Her return to the VMAs proved once and for all that the girl has superhuman vocal prowess and is in a league of her own. Smart enough to realize that she did not need pyrotechnics or stage wizardry, Christina belted a beautiful ballad and got a standing ovation.

The Raconteurs -- The most rocking house band ever showed why rock 'n' roll music is one of the greatest art forms. Joined by musical luminaries such as Lou Reed, Jack White of the White Stripes, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, the house band kept the loopy festivities from turning into a train wreck. The best song interpreted by them was the appropriate "Internet Killed the Video Star."

Shakira -- Her performance with Wyclef Jean incorporated Latin and hip-hop elements with Middle Eastern and Indian sounds. This world-beat groove version of "Hips Don't Lie" confirms the Lebanese-Colombian artist's status as a true global artist with a long shelf life ahead.