LOS ANGELES – The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, widely recognized as “Music’s Biggest Night” took place last night for what was definitely be regarded as a memorable evening with exciting and memorable performances, as the year’s best and brightest in music congragated in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.

Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine and gospel singer Yolanda Adams kicked off the award show with a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who had surgery for an undisclosed ailment late last year. The Queen of Soul appeared via video and thanked well-wishers for their prayers and cards in a taped segment.

Lady Gaga’s “The Fame Monster” won a Grammy award for best pop vocal album, not long after she emerged from a giant, semi-transparent egg that she was “carried” in as she arrived on the red carpet inside to perform her new single “Born This Way.”

The night also included a huge upset, as Esperanza Spalding beat out Justin Bieber, Florence + the Machine, Mumford & Sons and Drake to win best new artist. She only had only one Grammy nomination coming into Sunday’s show and is the first jazz artist to ever win the category.

But the most elaborate performance of the night came from Cee-Lo Green. Decked out in colorful feathers and a sequined head cap, looked like a one-man tribute to George Clinton as he performed a radio-friendly version of his nominated hit “F— You,” with cameos from Gwyneth Paltrow and Jim Henson Co.’s Muppets as backup singers. Paltrow, in a black suit with a deep V-neck, played the vamp who climbed on the piano.

British rock band Muse performed in its Grammy debut and won best rock album for “The Resistance.” The evening’s other top winners included Jay-Z, John Legend, and Lady Gaga, who each had three trophies and Train took home the award for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.

Other performers included Justin Bieber, Usher, Mick Jagger, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Rihanna, Drake, B.o.B., Bruno Mars, Barbra Striesand, Bob Dylan  and Katy Perry, who debuted video footage from her October wedding to Russell Brand as she sang the ballad “Not Like the Movies.”

Though hip-hop made their single presence felt in the form of Eminem, Country music dominated the night for the most part. Miranda Lambert won for best female country vocal performance while Lady Antebellum took home five awards, including record and song of the year for its crossover smash “Need You Now” from their album “The Suburbs”; They beat out Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” “The Fame Monster” by Lady Gaga and Eminem’s “Recovery” – 2010’s best selling album – to take home the trophy, a surprise win that left the Detroit MC shut out in all the top categories.

This is now the third time Eminem has lost the best album trophy. He led all nominees with 10 heading into the night, but won just two awards: best rap album and best rap solo performance.