A festival wouldn't be a festival without the unexpected taking center stage. Jaws drop in stupor, transcendence achieved. These moments are what turn a bunch of kids standing in a field into a culturally defining moment.  When Tupac "performed" as a hologram with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at Coachella in 2012, the future brought the past to life for a new generation. When a rogue attendee burned down The Man five days early at Burning Man in 2007, the aftermath proved that there are always rules, even on the allegedly lawless playa.

At Bonnaroo, those glorious moments go down in the SuperJams: loosely drawn sets featuring musical giants whose careers span decades and genres, uniting for performances that reach beyond those who witness the magic in person and into cultural lore. It's the annual homage to the festival's jam-band roots. According to Bonnaroo organizers, “The group that gathers on stage creates a one-night-only experience in which the band gets no second chance to do it right. Only the best in the business can live up to the mantle." 

SuperJams are essential to that Bonnaroo magic, and they're one of the most anticipated events for Roovians every year. From humble, heady beginnings in 2002 to today, the Jam's had 16 years to bring the heat. Star-powered lineups come and go, but insane collabs like these could only happen here.

SuperJam 2015: 80s Throwback Edition

To the generous soul who uploaded this entire set, thank you. With a thematic nod to the 80s, 2015's Jam changed it up with remixes of the decade's finest hits from Pretty Lights, DMC of Run DMC (!), Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo (!), Jack Antonoff (of Bleachers fame, later of fun.), a fresh-faced Chance the Rapper, Reggie Watts, John Medeski of Medeski Martin &Wood, Karl Denson (these days he plays with a Tiny Universe), and Jamie Lidell. Not to be outdone by that collection of living legends, actors Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis opened the Jam with an impassioned stab at "We Are the World."

SuperJam 2012: Questlove and D'Angelo Do Prince's "My Summertime Thang"

Go behind the scenes with three-time SuperJam headliner Questlove as he takes us along for the ride – from his ride to the airport, all the way to the the moment D'Angelo popped on stage for his first American performance in twelve years (at the time). Joined by Pino Palladino, Jesse Johnson, Kendra Foster, Eric Leeds and various members of his band The Roots, Questlove and friends delivered a funky set, made all the more epic by D'Angelo on the keys for Prince's "My Summertime Thang."

SuperJam 2002: Bela Fleck, Robert Randolph, Jeff Raines and Michael Kang Kick It Off

The first SuperJam ever featured electric-synth banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck (sans The Flecktones), who paired up with then-hot newcomer Robert Randolph, Jeff Raines of Galactic, and String Cheese Incident's mandolin maestro Michael Kang. It was clearly the start of something special, as the guys eased in and out of an eclectic selection of 10 tunes. Soaring to the finish line with a 15-minute jam to The Temptations' "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone," the set's final words were a nice little reminder to not let the cops nab you on the way home. Listen to the entire set here.

SuperJam 2007: Questlove, Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Ben Harper