The first Super Bowl halftime show was in 1967 and featured a jazz trumpeter by the name of Al Hirt and his marching band. For years after his debut, the ultimate Super Bowl half time show featured performances from college bands around the country. It wasn’t until the early 1990’s that major superstars from the music industry began to take the stage.  In 1991, New Kids on the Block were the first commercial band (artist) to perform at the Super Bowl. After their debut on the massive, televised spectacle, other artists like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Aerosmith, Justin Timberlake and Diana Ross gave us twenty-minute, explosive and wild performances that are still talked about today. So which ones left a mark on the planet and we’re truly an entertainment extravaganza? Below are my top five favorites, in no particular order.

Beyonce & Destiny’s Child

On February 3^rd, 2013, Beyonce was pretty much at the top of her game. She had several number one albums, multiple Grammy’s, sold out arenas around the globe and proved she actually was the Queen B, a nickname given to her by the fans. I had the privilege of seeing Beyonce live in concert in Dallas back in 2009 with my sister and still do this day, I think her entire show was the most exhilarating, entertaining entertainment I have witnessed. Oh yeah, the Super Bowl. Beyonce put on a non-stop, thrilling performance and surprised us with Destiny’s Child over a decade ago for Super Bowl XLVII. When Destiny’s Child came up from under the stage, their smash hit and one of my favorites, Bootylicious started thumping. It was incredible and wish there was a girl group like them today! No one will ever compare to them, especially Kelly and Beyonce.

Aerosmith, *NSYNC, Mary J. Blige & Britney Spears

Aerosmith brought the biggest pop stars (yes Mary, you were poppy, too) at the time to accompany him in headlining Super Bowl XXXV. Britney and Justin were dating, the boys of NSYNC were on fire with girls (and boys) across the world obsessed with them and Mary J. was at her prime. These famous faces and talented musicians combined their love of music which provided one hell of a show with the legendary Steven Tyler and band. It was high energy, full of dancing to pop, rock and R&B tunes. It was visually appealing, and the mixture of different genres worked well together. If Britney were to ever come back, I think teaming up with Justin and Steven Tyler would be phenomenal. This was the first Super Bowl half time show to make headlines and waves on the Internet, before MySpace and Facebook.

Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake

Who can forget the unbelievable wardrobe “malfunction” during Justin’s song, And She Said (Take me Now) where he “accidentally” ripped Janet Jackson’s blouse revealing her breast. I put those words in quotes as it probably wasn’t an accident. This was a huge glimpse at how the sports and entertainment can be rigged, staged even. The year was 2004 and pop music was at the top of all the charts. It was a pop culture, historic and the craziest moment of television in years, at the time. People were appalled that it happened, while others said it was a PR stunt for Justin and his debut album, Justified. Janet Jackson received backlash, even though it was Justin who ripped it off so aggressively. Justin sabotaged her career, and Janet didn’t really bounce back after that. Sure, she had some great songs and a few banger albums in the late 2000’s, but it wasn’t the same. Rumor has it that Timberlake did it on purpose to expose Janet to ruin her career. In Timbaland’s song, Give it to Me, Justin’s sings “I saw you trying to look cute on TV, but let me clear the air. Missed you on the charts last week, that’s right you weren’t there.” Great song with Nelly Furtado on it too, but brutal right?

Katy Perry & Missy Elliot

While Katy Perry was the official headliner of Super Bowl XLIX and did a fantastic job, Missy Elliot and Lenny Kravitz held their own, too. It was a colorful, bright and eye-popping medley of some of Katy’s biggest hits. When Missy surprised us and took the stage with Katy, it was the ultimate nostalgic throwback we needed. This was the last time Missy Elliot performed live on television, but then recently toured last year with Timbaland and Ciara, making it Missy’s first time headlining a tour, which I was bewildered by that. Any event, this was a milestone for Katy’s career and proved why Missy is one of the best and most influential female rappers of all time. Big, colorful and the overall stage production was incredible. Definitely one of the most entertaining half time shows in the past twenty years.

The Black Eyed Peas

In 2011, Dallas hosted Super Bowl XLV and it was an icy mess. I didn’t go, but I remember everyone freaking out about the ice storm, especially since that does not happen often, like at all. The Black Eyed Peas were also at the top of their game and the biggest, hottest group of the decade, especially in the late 2000’s. As expected, Fergie, will.i.am and crew put on an energetic, loud and vibrant set, singing their biggest hits. Whether you’re a fan of them or not, everyone was entertained by their showmanship and outrageous costumes and background.

So, which half time shows are you going to Google? Who are you rooting for, betting on or hoping who wins? Tune in this Sunday to witness Kendrick Lamar perform and see if Mahomes can get his threepeat. Travis Kelce may propose to Taylor Swift; there are literally bets going on for that specifically.

Photo: Billboard | Justin Timberlake | Steven Tyler | Britney Spears | Nelly