Rio de Janeiro knows a thing or two about putting on a grand show. At the end of the day most people immediately see a shimmering word “Carnival” in their minds once they hear the name Rio. That makes us extra excited for tonight’s Summer Olympics opening ceremony — Brazilian culture was destined to turn an official ceremony into one hell of a spectacle.

In the meantime let’s recall some of the brightest music moments from Olympics past. The event may be a far cry from American Idol, but it certainly knows how to please not just sports fans, but music lovers, too.

Spice Girls Reunion

2012, London, United Kingdom

The 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was dedicated to the power of British culture, and the closing ceremony continued going down that route by paying great attention to the most prized musicians in the history of the United Kingdom.

While nods to Queen and The Beatles were inescapable and rather lovely, the world really went crazy for that short yet bombastic Spice Girls reunion. Except for several public appearance it was the only time the five-piece was seen together in the last eight years, and by the look of things it was their last performance together. Geri, Mel B and Emma are about to return as a trio but that will be like getting “zigazighas” out of “Wannabe”, wouldn’t it?

Celine Dion Dreams Away

1996, Atlanta, GA, USA

A year before she promised the world that her “…Heart Will Go On,” the Canadian singer was invited to spread “The Power of Dream” across the whole world at the opening ceremony of the Olympics held in Atlanta, GA. With swaying choir and burning Olympic flame behind her Celine took the stadium by storm. Side note: Take a look at Hillary Clinton’s happy face in the crowd — she’s certainly feeling the power of the dream!

Tiesto Illuminates the Path for DJs

2004, Maroussi, Greece

Sure the 2004 opening ceremony went down in history for Bjork’s huge dress with the whole world projected onto it, but Tiesto’s turn during the Parade of Nations was a historical moment for electronic musicians. The Dutch hitmaker became the first ever DJ to play live at the Olympics. No wonder he later released his set as “Parade of the Athletes” mix.

Olympics Go Disco

2006, Turin, Italy

When it comes to Winter Olympics, you gotta keep warm. So the organizers of the opening ceremony of Turin’s Games made a smart move by using '80s feel-good disco hits as the soundtrack for the Parade of Nations: from “Video Killed the Radio Star” to “YMCA” and obviously “I Will Survive.”

t.A.T.u. Reunion

2004, Sochi, Russia

UK may have Spice Girls, but Russia’s biggest pop force has always been t.A.T.u., who made a lot of people nervous with their lesbian shtick (yep, it was all an act, sorry) and a string of shouty hits in the early aughts. Recruiting the now-defunct duo for the opening ceremony was a controversial move for Russia, which found itself in the middle of a huge scandal with the passing of the anti-LGBT law right before the Olympics.

Kylie Vs. 'Jaws'

2000, Sydney, Australia

The 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony had a musical section that was simply called “Let’s Party!” and brought the best Australian artists to the stage. Australian resident diva Kylie Minogue — who at the time just entered her career’s renaissance era with the release of her disco-flavored album, Light Years — couldn’t be excluded from the party. The ceremony also featured the main theme from Jaws, but luckily none of the athletes were harmed by sharks.

Avril’s Olympic Records

2006, Turin, Italy

Performing slots at the closing ceremonies are usually reserved for artists from the hosting country, yet the committee behind the Italian Winter Games of 2006 decided to make an exception and invite Canadian Avril Lavigne and Puerto Rican Ricky Martin. Looks like Avril enjoyed that experience, as in 2010 she performed on Winter Olympics in Vancouver and last year she recorded an anthem for Special Olympics.

Michael Buble’s Satire

2010, Vancouver, Canada

The organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics’ closing ceremony decided to pay tribute to Canadian clichés and asked Michael Buble to perform “The Maple Leaf Forever.” The show included dancers, costume changes and countless jokes about Canadians. That’s how the world learned that they’re not just nice, but also pretty funny.