Best Super Bowl Halftime Shows of All-Time
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1. Prince (2007)
Prince was one of the best musical artists of our generation so it’s no surprise he put on a great show at the Super Bowl in 2007. This Super Bowl was at the Dolphins Stadium in Miami and Prince performed through a steady rain shower. The most memorable part of the performance was Prince’s rendition of Purple Rain with all the purple lights and his purple guitar that had fans throughout the stadium singing along in the rain. Given the circumstances, it’s amazing how good this show was.
2. U2 (2002)
U2 is an iconic band with fans all around the world. They performed at the Super Bowl in 2002 only five months removed from the tragedies of September 11, 2001, and when they honored the victims is what garnered the most attention. They performed the song “Where the Streets Have No Name” in front of a background that had the names of all the known victims of the attacks. Another iconic moment is when Bono revealed the inside of his jacket with the stars and stripes at the completion of the song.
3. Beyonce (2013)
Beyonce’s performance in 2013 is a favorite among the millennials who had been starving for a younger performer after years of Madonna, The Who, Tom Petty, and others. She performed all her hits such as “Love on Top” and “Crazy in Love” but the key moment was the reunion of Destiny’s Child. Michell Williams and Kelly Rowland showed up to perform a couple of their hit songs and this was a highly anticipated reunion of one of the biggest music groups of the late 90s and early 2000s.
4. Michael Jackson (1993)
Michael Jackson was one of the first big named performers to make an appearance on the Super Bowl halftime show. It could also be argued that this performance drew so many people and captivated the audience so well it was the birth of what we know as the Super Bowl halftime show today. Jackson performed all of his hits and the finale featured the crowds help using cards to reveal drawings from thousands of children in the Los Angeles area. This will go down as one of the most monumental performances from the King of Pop.
5. Shakira & Jennifer Lopez (2020)
Shakira & Jennifer Lopez performed together at the latest Super Bowl in Miami, and it was a show the whole world could enjoy. Shakira and JLo both took about half the time performing a variety of hits and featured Spanish speaking musical guests such as Bad Bunny. Given the culture of the South Florida area, this was a perfect performance that brought the energy throughout and left fans at home and in-person happy knowing they just saw one of the best shows in Super Bowl history. This was a big win for the NFL and culturally it was needed.
6. Lady Gaga (2017)
People were concerned early when Lady Gaga was announced as the Super Bowl halftime performer in 2017 but she hit it out of the park. She started off suspended from the air, which looked like something from a Las Vegas show, and then proceeded to perform some of the biggest hits of the 2010s. She has been praised because it looked like the majority of the show wasn’t lip-synced, which is very rare for this type of show. Overall Lady Gaga proved the doubters wrong and gave us one of the most aesthetically and vocally pleasing halftime shows in recent memory.
7. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (2009)
Before Bruce Springsteen performed at the Super Bowl in 2009 it was reported that he had turned down multiple invitations prior, but it was worth the wait. There really isn’t much to say about this performance because it is the greatness that we always see from Bruce Springsteen. The energy was there throughout and it had fans singing along in living rooms across America. Even if you aren’t a fan of Springsteen or the E Street Band’s music, you could appreciate the high level show that they put on for fans in Tampa Bay.
8. Paul McCartney (2005)
Paul McCartney is obviously a legend in the music industry and he was the first in a list of classic rock performers to give it a go at the halftime show between 2005-2010. McCartney catered to a slightly older demographic but the show, performed on an X shaped stage, was still able to grasp everyone’s attention. The closing performance of “Hey Jude” with McCartney playing the piano with the crowd singing along was the perfect closing to an amazing show in 2005 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville.
9. Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake (2004)
There was obviously some controversy with this performance do to the wardrobe malfunction but in my opinion that overshadowed a show that was very good and one of the best we have seen at the Super Bowl. Not only did this show feature Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake, but it also had appearances from P Diddy, Nelly, Jessica Simpson, and Kid Rock. The big guns were brought out and that gave this show the element of surprise which is usually lacking. This halftime show will never get its full credit, but if you watch and see the star power it brought out you will realize it was one of the greatest in the history of the game.
10. Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars (2016)
One of my personal favorites is the performance at Super Bowl 50 featuring Coldplay, Bruno Mars, and Beyonce. In my opinion, this was a perfect mix of talent because Coldplay doesn’t necessarily bring the energy but make good music, and then they were able to bring out Bruno Mars and his dancers as well as Beyonce to kick it up a notch. The NFL needed to make a statement for the 50th Super Bowl and they did. When the 3 performers joined to sing the hit “Uptown Funk” it had everyone in the stadium and at home going crazy. Although Coldplay was technically the headliner, it could be argued more people remember the guests. However, we can’t say we didn’t enjoy Chris Martin and the band.
