n an arguably hipster take on the closing ceremonies tradition, the London Olympics wrapped up with an anything-but-fusty tribute to Britain's pop music, one of the nation's most influential exports. With the field of Olympic Stadium transformed into a gigantic Union Jack, musical acts arrived by car, motorcycle, taxi, semi-trailer, and — in the case of Freddie Mercury and John Lennon — video transmissions from the past. From millennial acts like Jessie J. and One Direction to more established artists such as Annie Lennox and the (reunited) Spice Girls, "Britain bid a lyrical farewell to the Olympics... with a bit of self-deprecation, an exhibition of national pride and a genuine desire to show the world a good time."