Opening Ceremony 2012: Moments That Will Never Be Topped in Future Ceremonies

The Opening Ceremony for any Olympic Games is always entertaining for at least the first of the four hours, but London's had some really special moments that won't ever be outdone. Let's take a look at the most epic moments from this Opening Ceremony.

Marchers in Sgt. Pepper Garb

Everyone knew that Great Britain was going to play The Beatles card at some point during the ceremony, and they did it splendidly.

The marchers were decked out in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band outfits, and it was a great sight to see. There were countless references to Britain's well-documented rock 'n' roll history and all their great bands, but none are bigger than the fab four.

Ceremony director Danny Boyle found a great way to bring the band's impact on pop culture into the ceremony with this act. While I'd argue there are better Beatles albums than the iconic Sgt. Pepper's, this was a nice touch by the filmmaker to add to the spectacle.

Teenage Torch Lighters

There was plenty of speculation regarding who was going to get the honor of lighting the 2012 Summer Games torch, but Great Britain threw the world a curve ball by having several teenage athletes do so.

While it would have been expected and just fine to have a David Beckham or Roger Bannister light the torch, Great Britain decided to give some lucky youth athletes a moment they will never forget.

Given that the Summer Games are held every four years, there is always new young talent coming in from Olympics to Olympics, and having these teenagers light the torch serves as a celebration of all the new young talent that comes into the games every four years.

While many photojournalists would have preferred to see one of Britain's past great athletes do the honors, it was far more memorable and classy to go in a different direction.

Sir Paul McCartney's Performance

While my love of The Beatles may be jading my journalistic abilities, it doesn't get any better than seeing Sir Paul take the stage at any event. 

Great Britain chose to celebrate their musical heritage for much of the ceremony, and in order to do that theme justice you have to have your living legend, Sir Paul McCartney perform.

It was great getting to hear the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer sing some of his classic hits like "Hey Jude." Even in his old age he continues to have a stage presence that makes any audience light up with enthusiasm.

While it was nice to hear some of the newer voices like Michael Buble perform during the Vancouver Winter Games back in 2010, seeing McCartney perform is something nobody in that audience in London will ever forget.

That's a story you can tell your children and grandchildren for years to come.