RuPaul's Drag Race is the gift that keeps on giving.
From elaborate costumes to cheeky wordplay and flamboyant musical numbers, the show is a rhinestone-covered spectacle topped with sass, a little crass, and plenty of big hair. But the reality series' best moments often come at the end of the hour, when the weakest performers are pitted against each other in a lip sync duel that determines who is worthy of another chance. Who could forget that time Valentina refused to remove her mask and was sent home for not knowing the words to the song? Or when Season 1's Shannel turned her headpiece mishap into a defining moment that set the stage for wig reveals in the seasons to come?
Now that the show has more than a hundred lip syncs under its belt, we're spotlighting the best of the best in Drag Race herstory. Here are the top 13 lip syncs, ranked.
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13. Trinity K. Bonet vs. Milk
Trinity K. Bonet's sultry performance of Salt-N-Pepa's "Whatta Man" will be forever ingrained in our minds. By perfectly embodying the classic jam's laid-back vibe while adding her own spin, she really owned the lip sync and delivered something worth remembering.
12. Joslyn Fox vs. Laganja Estranja
68. Joslyn Fox vs. Laganja Estranja - Stupid Girls pic.twitter.com/kZ1oKEiiOF
— π ππππ' π'ππ"ππ'π π (@lgbtvelour) March 23, 2017A relatively uneventful battle quickly became an unforgettable affair when, at the song's apex, both Joslyn Fox and Laganja Estranja simultaneously dropped into dramatic splits without even looking at each other. It was a standout moment that had the entire judges' panel -- and everyone else watching -- gagging.
11. Sahara Davenport vs. Morgan McMichaels
12. Morgan McMichaels vs. Sahara Davenport - Carry On pic.twitter.com/HclI54tDPV
— π ππππ' π'ππ"ππ'π π (@lgbtvelour) March 22, 2017Relying on her background as a classically trained dancer, Sahara Davenport delivered a powerful yet graceful performance to Martha Wash's "Carry On" that left us awestruck. Morgan McMichaels put up a strong effort, but Sahara operated in a league of her own.
10. Manila Luzon vs. Delta Work
We love a theatrical queen, and these dueling divas put on the Broadway show of their lives to Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park." Delta worked that beach tee and house slipper ensemble to her best abilities, but Manila Luzon's exaggerated expressions and Big Bird aesthetic really brought it home.
9. Carmen Carrera vs. Raja
We straight-up lived for Carmen Carrera and Raja's raunchy strip down to this Paula Abdul classic.
8. Jinkx Monsoon vs. Detox
59. Detox vs. Jinkx Monsoon - Malambo No. 1 pic.twitter.com/GJyf9CgcVa
— π ππππ' π'ππ"ππ'π π (@lgbtvelour) March 23, 2017Even after we've rewatched it a million times, Jinkx Monsoon and Detox's quirky rendition of Yma Sumac's "Malambo No. 1" still sparks pure joy.
7. BeBe Zahara Benet vs. Nina Flowers
7. BeBe Zahara Benet vs. Nina Flowers - Cover Girl pic.twitter.com/YpsX3DY52X
— π ππππ' π'ππ"ππ'π π (@lgbtvelour) March 22, 2017BeBe Zahara Benet and Nina Flowers brought their A-games to this simple but effective take on RuPaul's "Covergirl." No kicks and splits were necessary for this purely fun performance, which still holds up.
6. Aja vs. BenDeLaCreme
116. Aja vs. BenDeLaCreme - Anaconda pic.twitter.com/ViWQYIVOcx
— π ππππ' π'ππ"ππ'π π (@lgbtvelour) January 26, 2018Aja and BenDeLaCreme were operating on two completely different wavelengths during this endlessly entertaining battle to Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda," and it somehow worked. Aja's spot-on Nicki impression combined with BenDeLaCreme's quirky dance moves and over-the-top expressions made for a jarring yet unforgettable minute and a half.
5. Alyssa Edwards vs. Coco Montrese
Long after Drag Race sashays away, the memory of Alyssa Edwards and Coco Montrese channeling their intense rivalry into an astonishing performance of Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted" will endure. In the showdown to end all showdowns, both queens came for blood with spinning jump splits, fierce arm flaring, and cutthroat lip syncing. It was breathtaking.
4. Sasha Velour vs. Shea Couleι
Everybody remembers where they were when Sasha Velour made it rain rose petals while removing her wig mid lip sync. Oh, and Shea Couleι was great, too.
3. Jujubee vs. Raven
In Drag Race's most emotional lip sync to date, best friends Jujubee and Raven delivered a raw, vulnerable performance of Robyn's "Dancing on My Own" that had us drowning in our feelings.
2. Roxxxy Andrews vs. Alyssa Edwards
Roxxxy Andrews and Alyssa Edwards pulled out all the stops for this mind-blowing rendition of Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair." From dizzying head spins to Andrews' epic wig reveal that left RuPaul's mouth agape, both queens delivered a show-stopping performance that will go down as one of the greatest in Drag Race history.
1. Alyssa Edwards vs. Tatiana
Is it any surprise that this iconic lip sync topped the list? Usually there's a clear winner, but Alyssa Edwards and Tatiana were equally matched -- down to their complementary outfits -- which made their stunning performance of Rihanna's "Shut Up and Drive" all the more thrilling. Climaxing with a jaw-dropping double stunt (Alyssa's jump-spin into a split and Tatiana's death drop), this lip sync wasn't just fierce -- it was legendary.
Watch a new crop of queens lip sync for their lives when Season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race continues Thursdays at 9/8c on VH1.
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