So apparently Beyonce has something to prove on Sunday to make amends for that whole singing-along-to-a-track at the inauguration thing.

Really, she doesn’t.

We know she’s a solid singer and a terrific performer. Now all we need to see is how she can, in her words, cram a career into 12 minutes.

While I’m praying to the Jersey gods that next year’s Super Bowl halftime brings the boys in Bon Jovi to the Meadowlands (I mean, MetLife) stage – I mean, who else makes more sense, especially considering Springsteen just did it a few years ago? – for now I will be content to reminisce about my five favorite halftime shows.

These are my picks – in order of favorite to less favorite – so feel free to chime in with yours. And go Ravens!

U2- 2002. Five months after 9/11, U2 was handed the unenviable task of asking us to celebrate when most still wanted to stay burrowed in their couches. But few performers can strike that balance between heartfelt and strident like Bono. Even now when you watch that moment before “Where the Streets Have No Name” when he croons “MLK,” followed by a cathartic yell that promised that everything would be OK, it’s impossible not to get chills.

 Aerosmith, Britney Spears, ‘N Sync - 2001. Back when MTV produced halftime, it was a tad edgier (OK, ‘N Sync and “edgy” don’t belong in the same sentence, but they were massively popular at the time), and attracted some interesting pairings, like this one with Aerosmith and Britney Spears, who single-handedly (no pun intended) spurred a trend of arm sweat socks. Or maybe that was just me.

 Prince – 2007. All most people wanted to discuss on Monday morning was that phallic guitar. Eh, whatever. I just wanted to hear “Baby, I’m a Star” and watch that marching band jam along.

 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – 2009. Even though you knew he’d start with “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and end with the schlocky “Glory Days,” it mattered not, because Preacher Bruce was on fire (“I want you to put the chicken fingers down!!). And that was one epic knee (crotch?) slide, even by Springsteen measures.

 Madonna – 2012. Only a handful of female performers have earned the right to be carried in on a dais by shirtless men, and Madonna is one of them (Cher is the other, and maybe Bette Midler). Sure, there was plenty of lip-syncing, but isn’t the point of these 12-minute spectacles exactly that – to be a feast of eye candy and hits? Madge won again, as always.