The 10 Best Super Bowl Halftime Shows

Strutting across an enormous stage designed as a replica of the Stones' trademark tongue logo, Mick Jagger, at 62, proved that time is indeed on his side. ABC introduced a five-second delay in 2006, and censors cut lines from two of the three songs ("Start Me Up" and "Rough Justice"). "Here's one we could have done at Super Bowl I," Jagger wryly said in introducing "Satisfaction."

With as many famous songs as Paul McCartney has to choose from, it's pretty hard to see how this act could have gone wrong. McCartney rocked out with "Get Back" and "Live and Let Die" before bringing the entire crowd in on a sing-along for "Hey Jude." He made for a thoroughly uncontroversial and entertaining halftime show, exactly what the Super Bowl wanted after the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction of the year before.

Diana Ross sang a few lines from a dozen of her classic hits while making four costume changes. For her exit, she hopped into a helicopter, swung her legs out the side and flew off into the sunset -- to the strains of "Take Me Higher." Now that's a diva!

The Boss brought plenty of energy to the halftime stage and worked seamlessly between older hits like "Born to Run" and "Glory Days" and newer ones like "Working on a Dream." The great showman even gave a powerful knee slide across the stage, crashing into a cameraman. A little too much rock and roll never hurt anyone though.

The worlds of rock, pop and hip-hop collided in an MTV-produced extravaganza. N'Sync and Aerosmith headlined the show, which included spectacular fireworks and constant strobe lights. The collaborative closing number ("Walk This Way") was memorable, as was Britney's ridiculous Barbarella-meets-Mrs.-Jetson outfit.

Billed as the NFL's tribute to Motown's 40th anniversary, The Temptations kicked off the show, followed by a Smokey Robinson medley. Queen Latifah belted out ''I Heard It Through the Grapevine'' before Boyz II Men popped up from under the stage singing ''Motown Philly.'' The cast came together for a ''Dancing in the Streets'' grand finale.

No one seems to recall that Jessica Simpson, Nelly, P. Diddy and Kid Rock also performed at this particular halftime show. That's because Super Bowl XXXVIII will always be remembered for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," when Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Jackson's outfit at the very end of "Rock Your Body" to reveal her bare breast. The incident, dubbed "Nipplegate," led to a widespread debate and a major crackdown on indecency in broadcasting. Consequently, MTV was banned from future halftime gigs and CBS absorbed a $550,000 fine.

The then-undisputed King of Pop moonwalked through smoke and blazing pyrotechnics, delivering a medley of hits: "Jam," "Billie Jean" and "Black or White." Surrounded by 3,500 local children (insert your own joke here), Jackson closed the set with "Heal the World." NBC aired the entire performance live, and never again would a network cut away from a halftime show.

The artist currently known as Prince put on a royal performance. The 1980s icon launched into "Let's Go Crazy" and covered "Along The Watchtower," "Proud Mary" and the Foo Fighters' "Best Of You." Finally, he brought the house down with "Purple Rain" in a coincidental downpour. The phallic imagery caused a minor stir. It's just a guitar, people.

Months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, U2 delivered a moving tribute to America and the victims of 9/11. The Irish rockers opened with "Beautiful Day," followed by the subdued "MLK" and a powerful rendition of "Where the Streets Have No Name." As the Edge played the hypnotic guitar part, the victims' names scrolled to the heavens on a towering backdrop. At the end, when Bono opened his jacket to reveal a stars-and-stripes lining, the whole stadium erupted.