Atlanta's 2 Chainz received great visibility on the show. Photo: Getty Images

Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz continued his current sunshiny ride – his album “Based on a T.R.U. Story” opened at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart its week of release last month – with his inaugural performance on the VMAs.

Decked out in a black fedora, his namesake chains clanging around his neck, 2 Chainz kicked off “Yuck!”, awaiting the arrival of partner Lil Wayne, who took over for his new “No Worries.”

It was a clamorous performance and unmemorable in every sense, but great exposure for the suddenly ubiquitous 2 Chainz.

Green Day showed up to inject some much-needed punch into the show with the Ramones-y “Let Yourself Go” from their upcoming album “Uno!”.

Billie Joe’s inviting the surrounding crowd to mob their mini stage seemed like a good spontaneous rock ‘n’ roll moment, but surely they knew it would turn into a claustrophobic train wreck, no?

The VMAs also had a fleeting nod to its past glory days with a brief tribute to fallen Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, showing a few pictures of the rapper while heading into commercials, “No Sleep Til Brooklyn” blaring in the background (another sad reminder that the show isn’t in New York).

And did it surprise anyone that One Direction took the fan-voted best new artist trophy? The humble fivesome thanked their fans and their backstage crew, while the ever-smooth Harry Styles noted, “To win one moon man is amazing, to win two is incredible and to perform is absolutely ridiculous.”

Personally, I’m just thankful Kevin Hart has been kept off the stage.

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By Melissa Ruggieri, Atlanta Music Scene