By Nick Neofitidis
It's Super Bowl time, and while some of us watch the game intently, all of us wait in high anticipation for the commercials, and unless you really wanted to throw away $10 for the annual pay-per-view Lingerie Football event, chances are your glued to your TV waiting for the official mid-game performance. The past decade or so has represented what could be considered the Golden Age of Half Time Shows, which is in stark contrast to the generic marching bands and "Up With People" performances from the event's early years. The Who will headline Sunday night, but will they be able to crack the top five performances in Super Bowl half time history?
5: Super Bowl XXXVII (Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21
What could liven up one of the worst Super Bowls ever played? Shania kicked off half time in 2003 with "Man I Feel Like a Woman." Sure, it was radio-friendly, but maybe not the best way to jump-start a Super Bowl crowd. Bring in No Doubt and a push-up crazy Gwen Stefani singing "I'm Just a Girl" — well, that's more like it! Cap it off with an awesome duet with Sting on "Message in a Bottle" and Gwen pretty much guaranteed herself a spot in Super Bowl history.
4: Super Bowl XLI (Prince)
Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17
The Purple One faced an uphill battle: Not only was it pouring rain in Miami, but he also didn't have any other acts surrounding him to pick up the slack. But clearly, nothing could stop him, as he busted out guitar solo after guitar solo on classics like "Let's Go Crazy," "1999" and "Proud Mary," as well as a cover of Foo Fighters "Best of You." His show-closing "Purple Rain" made even the most hard-edged Bears fan swoon.
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