Britney Spears, October 13, 2003

Getty Images

The Performance: Britney executed her 'Me Against the Music' dance moves well, but failed to bring the same level of precision and enthusiasm to her lip-synching. At one point, she even appeared to be mouthing the words to Madonna’s part in the song. 'Everytime' is probably one of her better showings as a live vocalist, but it’s awfully breathy and occasionally, in the parlance of 'American Idol,' pitch-y.

Career Impact: Considering everything that happened to Ms. Spears in the following years, including meltdowns, questionable marriages, erratic public behaviour and her conservatorship, the 'SNL' misfire barely registers as a Spears scandal. And if her listless and zoned-out comeback performance of 'Gimme More' at the 2007 MVAs couldn’t stop Brit Brit’s current success with 'Circus' and 'Femme Fatale,' it’s unlikely that anything can.