U2, 2002
It was a few months after the 9-11 attacks, and this song set from Dublin’s finest did a heroic job of honouring those who died that day. It also saluted the country U2 has always wished it was from, as Bono revealed an American flag close to his heart. Criticize Bono all you want for pandering, but it’s hard not to get misty as the names of victims scroll down a huge screen as U2 plays.

Prince, 2007
His royal purpleness has always been known for a stadium-sized ego. What made this performance unique is that despite performing on a stage shaped like the symbol that once served as his name, the dude did a medley of songs, only three of which were his. He touched others by Queen, Bob Dylan, the Foo Fighters and more. But, being Prince, made all of them his own.

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, 2009
To condense a Springsteen concert experience into 13 minutes sounds preposterous. But the Boss was able to fill a four-song suite with a whole lot of hokey fun, including a gospel choir, a flag-throwing ref, a knee-slide across the stage, some mic-stand gymnastics and the return to the stage of Big Man Clarence Clemons.

Michael Jackson, 1993
This show by the King of Pop would change the way networks programmed halftime. This was MJ just before he was accused of sexually abusing children. It’s eerie now to hear him say, “no one should have to suffer, especially our children,” but the performance itself was touching (not the bad kind) as he sang Heal the World, and the crowd held up placards to form drawings by kids.

Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake, 2004
Seriously, we were really supposed to believe that Janet Jackson just happened to be wearing a metal sunburst around her areola? Regardless of how planned or unplanned the “bet I’ll have you nekkid by the end of this song” ending was, the duet with Justin Timberlake on Rock Your Body definitely still holds up a whole eight(!) years later.