WWE Survivor Series 2015: Power Ranking Greatest Cards in PPV's History

Ever since its inception in 1987, Survivor Series has produced plenty of exceptional cards.

The last few years may not have been up there with the very best, but the 2015 edition will have to go a long way to beat some of the most star-studded and thrilling shows in history.

The obvious big guns are up near the top of the list, with the Attitude Era getting a big representation in this list. Hall of Fame candidates, both present and future, played a part in some of the biggest Survivor Series shows in history.

Here's a snapshot of the Survivor Series elite, represented by the top five cards in the history of the pay-per-view in order from fifth to first.

5. 1987

Credit: WWE.com

Main Event: Andre the Giant's team vs. Hulk Hogan's team

Other Matches Include: Tag Team Survivor Series match

The inaugural edition of Survivor Series still ranks as one of the very best.

In 1987, the then-WWF was riding on some serious momentum, with big names like Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan at the forefront of the company. 

As expected, those two made up a star-studded match to headline the show. Bam Bam Bigelow and Rick Rude also featured, as Andre pinned Bigelow to secure victory in the first ever Survivor Series main event.

But those Traditional Elimination matches made up the entirety of the card in 1987, with four bouts featuring a massive portion of the roster. Jake Roberts and Randy Savage impressed during the first Survivor Series match, with some big names wrestling in the women's counterpart, too.

It wasn't the best Survivor Series ever owing to some explosive storylines and big names in the years to follow, but the first edition of this pay-per-view still set the benchmark for years to come.

4. 1995

Credit: WWE.com

Main Event: Diesel vs. Bret Hart (No Disqualification)

Other Matches Included: The Darkside vs. The Royals, Team Michaels vs. Team Yokozuna

By the time the 1995 show had rolled around eight years later, Traditional Elimination matches were still high in demand for Survivor Series.

Again this show featured four such matches, although the main event eclipsed all of those with a spectacular bout for the WWE Championship: Bret Hart vs. Diesel in a No Disqualification match. The contest went almost 25 minutes, with Hart eventually triumphing over Nash after a gruelling and encapsulating match.

The star power in the Elimination matches was also high, though, with names like Shawn Michaels and Sycho Sid, two guys who would main event the following year's show, also included.

It was fun and energetic, and almost every match impressed. 

It just wasn't up there with the best three in the history of Survivor Series.

3. 2002

Credit: WWE.com

Main Event: Elimination Chamber match

Other Matches Include: Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination match, Big Show vs. Brock Lesnar

On to the top three, and three cards that are all incredibly tough to split.

They all come from WWE's most exciting and energetic era and are all here for different reasons.

We start with the 2002 edition, a card which looked good even before the cameras began to roll. It was all headlined by the first ever Elimination Chamber match, a bout which has gone on to create drama and excitement aplenty down the years.

The likes of Triple H, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels played their parts in a scintillating battle, which eventually saw Michaels complete his road to redemption from injury and win the World Heavyweight Championship.

Big Show's stunning Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship was another standout highlight of the night, with Paul Heyman turning on Lesnar in spectacular fashion, making for an unmissable moment.

There was an epic six-man tag battle as the prelude to the main event, too. 

It was a Survivor Series that had it all, even without the Survivor Series-style match.

2. 1996

Main Event: Sycho Sid vs. Shawn Michaels

Other Matches Included: Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart

It may seem an overreaction to push this card so high up on the strength of just two matches, but they were two absolute classics.

1996 was all about Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, and the history books still indicate this as one of WWE's finest rivalries. It crafted the career of the Austin we all know and love today and only further cemented Hart's legacy as one of WWE's greatest.

They had several incredible matches throughout their feud in '96, but this was one of the best. Austin was nothing more than an up-and-comer at this time but went up against Hart and more than matched him in a thriller of a bout.

And the main event was just as fantastic, too. Austin vs. Hart maybe just had the edge, but Shawn Michaels' world title fight with Sycho Sid was befitting of a main event tag at one of WWE's biggest shows.

There were also plenty of Traditional Elimination matches, with the best of those featuring Owen Hart.

Throw in another solid and exciting match between Mankind and The Undertaker, and you've got a Survivor Series card that is up there with the very best.

1. 2001

Main Event: Team WWF vs. Team Alliance

Other Matches Included: Six-Pack Challenge for Women's Championship, The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz

Survivor Series is always at its best when the flagship match is unmissable and unpredictable.

In 2001, WWE had crafted an angle that would stand the test of time with a company-wide feud that would begin in March and end at November's Survivor Series show. 

It was, of course, The Invasion. The angle that many wrestling fans still remember as one of the most noteworthy in the history of WWE, it was a feud which culminated with 10 of the biggest names in the business at that time scrapping for the fate of their respective companies.

The star power in that match alone was incredible. Steve Austin, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, Kane...the list goes on. The fact the cameras kept panning backstage to the WWE and Alliance teams watching on monitors only increased the intensity and supposed importance of the match.

But the main event wasn't the whole reason this sits at No. 1. Survivor Series 2001 was a show littered with inter-promotional battles, ones such as The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz's epic battle inside a steel cage to unify the WCW and WWE tag titles. 

The Six-Pack Challenge for the vacant Women's Championship was another standout, as was Edge vs. Test. 

All in all, this was Survivor Series' greatest night. Don't expect it to be beaten anytime soon.