Introduction
During the first few decades of the Super Bowl, the halftime show was treated as nothing more than a glorified restroom break.
The early ‘90s proved to be successful for the SuperBowl intermission, as big names like Michael Jackson, Gloria Estefan and Patti Labelle took the halftime stage to impress eager audiences.
This year, Dr. Dre is headlining the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, which is taking place in Inglewood, California and is featuring Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and the queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige (it’s about time she came back).
In celebration of the brand new names taking the halftime stage, let’s take a look at some of the most iconic SuperBowl halftime performances to date.
10. Madonna – Super Bowl XLVI (2012)
An army of Roman soldiers pulling a throne with Egyptian sphinxes (minor cultural conflation) and none other than the original material girl, Madonna, paraded through the Lucas Oil Stadium to open up Super Bowl XLVI. Madonna sang one of her most popular songs, “Vogue,” prior to jumping on Redfoo’s shoulders to deliver a mashup between “Music” and “Party Rock Anthem.” Madonna then performed “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” which included stellar verses from Nicki Minaj and M.I.A, who found herself in a $16 million lawsuit with the NFL after she flipped the bird to the Super Bowl’s 110 million viewers. The performance ended with a gospel-esque rendition of “Like a Prayer” with CeeLo Green dressed in a fabulous glittering robe-coat. Subsequent to Madonna exiting the stage via falling through the floor, a golden projection of the words “World Peace” glimmered across the stadium’s field.
9. Aerosmith, NSYNC – Super Bowl XXXV (2001)
A starstruck mob chased NSYNC onto the stage where they immediately began performing one of their most well-known hits, “Bye Bye Bye.” The members of NSYNC started to harmoniously sing, “It’s Gonna Be Me,” before Steven Tyler stole the mic to deliver the final line (“It’s gonna be me”) in an incredibly gritty, rock-esque fashion that Aerosmith fans expect from the lead singer. After Aerosmith carried out a stunning performance of “Jaded,” NSYNC, Britney Spears, Nelly, and Mary J. Blige took the stage to rock out to “Walk This Way.” After the crushing finale, Steven Tyler kissed Britney Spears on the cheek, making every single viewer envious of either the “demon of screamin’” or the “princess of pop.”
8. Beyoncé – Super Bowl XLVII (2013)
No, not the time she dropped it low and almost fell backwards before catching herself like the superstar she is—spot #8 is reserved for the time the queen commanded the world with showstopping renditions of “Baby Boy,” “Crazy in Love” and “Independent Women.” Who could forget the moment alarms began blaring prior to Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams being launched on stage for a monumental Destiny’s Child reunion? To top this performance, Beyoncé performed a whisper-to-belt rendition of her hit song, “Halo,” that left the audience screaming until the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers returned to the field.
7. Michael Jackson – Super Bowl XXVII (1993)
Michael Jackson set the standard for what the Super Bowl halftime show should be—and it’s an incredibly hard standard to live up to. Michael Jackson appeared on the stadium’s jumbotron before shooting out of the top of the screen and landing on his feet. Although, this was only a body double; audiences were shocked when Michael Jackson launched upward from the stage into his famous pose. Jackson stood still for two minutes as the audience’s screams grew increasingly louder. Jackson’s set included a medley of “Jam,” Billie Jean,” “Black or White,” and a guitar solo from Jennifer Batten. Members of the audience began holding up thousands of large cards, creating images of children holding hands. “Nobody deserves to suffer, especially not our children,” Jackson said as he began singing “We Are the World” with a choir of 3,500 children. Michael Jackson joined the large crowd of children while hundreds of fireworks were set off, creating a spectacular and emotional finale.
6. Lady Gaga – Super Bowl LI (2017)
When the announcement was made that Lady Gaga would be performing at the Super Bowl, many people proclaimed they were going to opt out of watching due to her political stance. Those who opted out suffered an immense loss that day, as Lady Gaga had given the performance of a lifetime. Gaga began with a stunning rendition of “God Bless America” before jumping off the stadium’s retractable roof and onto the stage. Mother Monster teased “The Edge of Glory” before singing the first half of “Bad Romance.” Gaga jumped off the stage into an aerial backflip, landed perfectly, and began singing “Born This Way,” as backup dancers performed impressive synchronous choreography. Transitioning into “Telephone,” Gaga maintained gorgeous vocals while delivering high-energy dancing.
Gaga picked up a keytar and began rocking out to “Just Dance” while one of her backup dancers held the mic for her. As the stadium faded to black and audience members swayed their candlelights, Gaga asked, “How you doin’ tonight, Texas? America? World? We’re here to make you feel good, you wanna feel good with us?” Gaga began singing “Million Reasons” while playing the piano with her foot kicking in the air. As Gaga then began performing the second half of “Bad Romance,” she yelled, “Super Bowl 51!” and jumped from the stage while catching a football midair. Lady Gaga delivered a performance that met in the magnificent intersection of art and pop, placing a mighty stamp on her already faultless career.
5. Katy Perry – Super Bowl XLIX (2015)
What better way to enter the Super Bowl stadium than on the back of a giant golden mechanical lion? Katy Perry kicked off the show with a mighty rendition of her hit song, “Roar,” prior to leaving her audience of 118 million people flabbergasted at the special effects involved in her performance of “Dark Horse.” Guitar playing was heard as the camera panned over to Lenny Kravitz, who joined Katy Perry in a duet of “I Kissed a Girl.” As if the performance couldn’t get anymore campy, dancing sharks, twirling beach balls, bopping palm trees and jiving surfboards joined Katy Perry on stage as she belted “California Girls” and “Teenage Dream.” The all-too-well-known song, “Get Ur Freak On” began playing as Missy Elliot and background dancers took the stage.
Missy Elliot seamlessly transitioned into “Work it” as Katy Perry shouted adlibs in between lyrics. Missy Elliot concluded her SuperBowl debut with “Lose Control,” when Katy Perry began flying around the stadium on a mechanical shooting star while singing, “Firework.” SuperBowl XLI has gone down in history as one of the most technically-exquisite halftime performances of all time. Katy Perry’s euphonious vocals intertwined with guitar playing by Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot’s unshakable rhythm made for an undeniably superb performance.
4. Prince – Super Bowl XLI (2007)
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” Prince kicked his performance off with “Let’s Go Crazy” as fireworks flew into the sky. A marching band marched onto the field as Prince performed a mashup of “Baby I’m a Star,” “1999,” and a rendition of “Proud Mary.” Prince shredded his guitar that matched his turquoise suit throughout the galvanizing performance. During the show’s climax, Prince sang “Purple Rain,” in which the marching band provided instrumental support once more. Prince played his guitar while his shadow was projected onto a screen that had emerged from beneath the stage as fireworks were once more launched into the sky.
3. Jenifer Lopez and Shakira – Super Bowl LIV (2020)
Shakira and her backup dancers, dressed in red sequin dresses, opened the set with a performance of “She Wolf,” followed by a performance of “Empire,” in which she played an electric guitar. Bad Bunny joined Shakira on stage to perform “I Like it,” following a mashup of “Chantaje” and “Callaíta.” Shakira jumped into her audience, crowd surfing to a different part of the stage as she sang “Hips Don’t Lie.” Jennifer Lopez suddenly emerged from the stage wearing a black leather bodysuit and sang “Jenny From the Block” and “Ain’t it Funny.” J. Lo quickly changed into a silver catsuit and performed “Waiting for Tonight” while twirling on a pole. J Balvin then joined her on stage, performing “Que Calor” and “Mi Gente,” which were assorted with Lopez’s songs “Booty,” “El Anillo,” and “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.” Shakira returned to the stage, playing the drums this time, as Jennifer Lopez revealed a feather cape depicting the Puerto Rican flag on one side and the American flag on the other. Subsequent to performing a salsa number with Swing Latino, Shakira and J. Lo ended their performance with synchronized shimmies. Every divalicious hip pop, hair flip, and foot stomp evoked an electrifying response from the audience, making this halftime performance one of the most exciting to date.
2. Dianna Ross – Super Bowl XXX (1996)
“Come on, world, we’re gonna take you higher at the super super super bowl!” Miss Ross gleefully shouted as she lowered to the stage on a crane shooting out sparklers. Dianna Ross delivered an energetic performance of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” followed by “Baby Love,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” A yellow-robed choir joined Dianna Ross on stage as she belted “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” in a golden robe that spanned dozens of yards. Miss Ross began to sing one of the most commonly known gay anthems, “I Will Survive,” as a helicopter lowered into the stadium. “Oh my, here comes my ride!” Dianna Ross exclaimed as she continued singing. A true queen knows how to make a grand entrance and an even grander exit, which is why Miss Ross hopped on the helicopter with her legs dangling off and flew away to a mashup of “I Will Survive” and “Take Me Higher.”
- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Super Bowl XLIII (2009)
Who would’ve thought a Bruce Springsteen concert would come with a free football game?
“Ladies and gentleman, for the next twelve minutes, we’re gonna bring the righteous and mighty power of the E street band into your beautiful home!” Bruce Springsteen declared a warning to unsuspecting viewers who may be ignorant to the power of The Boss and the E Street Band.
Bruce began singing “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out” while dancing around the stage and greeting members of his exhilarated audience. The E Street Band transitioned into “Born to Run,” which featured Bruce’s superhuman guitar shredding and the chill-inducing saxophone playing from none other than Clarence Clemons.
In typical Springsteen fashion, Bruce yelled, “One, two, three” to introduce the next song while still playing chords from the last. A gospel choir joined Bruce and the E Street Band on stage for an inspiring rendition of “I’m Working on a Dream.” Bruce brought his performance to an electrifying close with “Glory Days;” during which he swung his guitar around his entire body in tune with the final strums of the song while yelling, “I’m going to Disneyland!” Bruce Springsteen had absolutely nothing to prove, as he turned down the Super Bowl for years before he decided to finally perform. Yet, Bruce demonstrated that there doesn’t need to be larger than life effects or high-end projections to rock out on one of the world’s largest stages. This is why Bruce Springsteen is referred to as ‘The Boss,’ for those who didn’t know before. Although, I knew it as a household name by the age of three.
.jpg){kind=link}