Music can take you back to a moment in time. Everything else about your life might be different now, but that tune, that melody, that beat, is still the exact same. I still get hyped up hearing old tracks. They take me back to happier, simpler times. But when you can add the nostalgic aspect of some classic bops to the biggest game of the NFL season, you’re ratcheting the excitement level past 10.
Don’t let the haters fool you. Super Bowl halftime shows aren’t the time to grab more food. They’re your reprieve from the stress of the game. Those 15 minutes are your chance to reconnect and rock out.
And looking back on some of the performances, I remember dancing in my living room to quite a few of them.
The Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime Performances
#10 (2001) Super Bowl XXXV
- Aerosmith, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Nelly
The 2001 halftime show is the prototype.
Let’s open with one of the hottest pop groups of the time (NSYNC). Someone who looks exactly like me (but has a different name and profession) used to watch their music videos and teach himself their dance moves. Again, it wasn’t me. Anyway, the opening act will get people out of their chairs and football off their minds.
But then, let’s slow it down with some rock. Throw some heavy guitar and vocals on stage to appease the boomers. Afterward, let’s let the kids have their fun again with more dancing. Maybe we’ll inexplicably have a rapper spit sixteen bars over a classic rock beat. By the end, you have no idea what you just watched, but all you know is you liked it.
#9 (2017) Super Bowl LI
- Lady Gaga
As she’s done throughout most of her career, Lady Gaga didn’t adhere to the norms.
I just laid out the components of a stereotypical, acceptable halftime show. Give me some pop music, fold in some rock, and keep me dancing for 15 minutes. The blueprint is pretty straightforward. And it works! However, I should’ve deferred to an actual artist.
Lady Gaga was the first solo headliner since 2010, when The Who took the stage, and the first woman solo headliner in over 20 years (Diana Ross, ’96). She still hit most of the high notes, though. Called out Texas (the game was at NRG Stadium in Houston) during “Poker Face.” Rocked out on a keyboard guitar during “Just Dance.” And she wound up with the fifth-highest viewership of all time by herself.
Credit where it's due for pulling off one of the best shows of the 2010s.
#8 (2015) Super Bowl XLIX
- Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliott
Katy Perry on a giant lion was a sight.
You can’t go wrong adding Lenny Kravitz as the rock interlude to any production.
We can’t, and will never, forget Left Shark.
But the moment I sat up in my seat was when Perry turned it over to her other guest.
The opening chords to “Get Ur Freak On” are unmistakable. But since Missy Elliott’s health had kept her out of the public eye for years, seeing her and hearing the hits that got her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was an overload.
She didn’t need any flashy props or special effects. Breakdancing, (images of) graffiti, beats from a legendary DJ, and Elliott as the MC (i.e., most of the core tenets of hip-hop) were all they needed to keep the stadium rocking.
#7 (2014) Super Bowl XLVIII
- Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Bruno Mars locked in on the drums for a solid minute while sitting on a moving platform?
Well, I’m sold.
Notice how the Bruno Mars/RHCP collab during Super Bowl 48 is an upgrade from the 2001 prototype. Mars got the crowd moving with “Locked Out of Heaven.”
However, instead of slowing things down, he seamlessly transitioned into Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away.” Both groups had the stage bouncing. There were no awkward exchanges, and they threw in time for military personnel to send love to their families before Mars closed things out. They learned from the past and made a better future. No notes.
#6 (2024) Super Bowl LVIII
- Usher, Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris
To his credit, Usher came in with the same formula as his predecessors. “My Way” and “Caught Up” to start the show are top-tier choices as openers. But, to turn up the difficulty setting, Usher and company were dancing on the turf.
You know, the surface designed for secure footing and not gliding around. Alicia Keys instantly steals the show, but then Mr. Raymond takes it back by literally rolling out a new idea for halftime shows.
I mentioned how music can take you back to when and where you heard a track. For me, being in a skating rink (likely dancing to Soul For Real) was a common locale for hearing throwback jams. And if you can add in Lil Jon and Ludacris to keep the hype train going, you’ve got one of the better halftime shows of the 2020s.
#5 (2013) Super Bowl XLVII
- Beyonce, Destiny’s Child
“Oh, that’s Beyonce.” – My Wife
Through the fog and with only a superimposed outline, my wife knew who was performing before the music started. After the vocals stopped, both of us were exhausted just watching the choreography. She was either strutting or dancing at all times. But one of the best parts was she wasn’t up there doing it all by herself.
Beyonce up there with the rest of Destiny’s Child was like the final assembly of The Avengers in Endgame to some. They’d formally disbanded nearly a decade ago, but all it took was three songs for everyone to remember dominance in the early ‘00s. Combined with Beyonce wrapping up her set with “Halo,” football became the sideshow with her on stage.
#4 (2023) Super Bowl LVII
- Rihanna
For the first five seconds of the video, you’d think you’re getting yet another run-of-the-mill, top-notch performance from Rihanna. And then the camera zooms out, leaving us with more than the music to discuss.
In 15 minutes, Rihanna quickly reminded me of how long she’d been producing hits. I jammed out in my car to “Umbrella” back in ’07. “Pour It Up” has been in and out of my workout playlist for over 10 years. During her time on stage in Arizona (or up in the air), it wasn’t just about recognizing her songs but also acknowledging her climb to becoming one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.
#3 (2022) Super Bowl LVI
- Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar
I have a love-hate relationship with this halftime show.
I was at a bar in Cincinnati and just thirty minutes away from watching the franchise I’ve been a fan of for over 20 years lose (thanks, Aaron Donald). So, I look back on this time and start to feel some type of way about the night as a whole. However, the lasting image from those 15 minutes in between halves was one I’ll never forget.
First off, Snoop Dogg bucking the black-and-white dress code adhered to by the rest of his on-stage cohorts to “commemorate Long Beach” is elite. Second, the setlist couldn’t have featured more bangers, both past and present. I couldn’t even hear the music, but I knew why 50 Cent was hanging upside down.
But then, let’s spin it forward a decade as K-Dot does “M.A.A.D. City.” The “ohs” and “ahs” crescendoed until Eminem brought the house down. Kudos to the NFL for packing this halftime show with as much nostalgia as one kid who grew up in the 90s could take. I just wish the result of the game had been different.
#2 (1993) Super Bowl XXVII
- Michael Jackson
I’ll be honest. I don’t think I want to have the power capable of just standing in place and people screaming.
Only one man had that kind of strength over a crowd.
I (briefly) forgot about Michael Jackson’s legacy, his influence, and his music, and I based my ranking of his halftime show on the first 90 seconds.
He just stood there.
The fans on the field are losing their minds, and the only thing moving around Jackson is the wind. He turns to his left. The noise increases. In the interest of being hyperbolic, in those two minutes, Michael Jackson got a standing ovation before saying a single syllable.
The data, because, of course, I had to bring evidence to a subjective (read completely objective) rankings piece, highlights Jackson’s 1993 show as the most-watched halftime event of all time. However, the choreography still has me in awe. He went from a standard band with backup dancers for “Jam” and “Billie Jean” to a children’s choir for “Heal the World,” with the entire stadium forming pictures of kids’ drawings. In retrospect, it was really nice of Jackson to allow the NFL to have a game around one of his concerts.
#1 (2007) Super Bowl XLI
- Prince
Imagine you’ve created a song connecting love, faith, and a naturally occurring element of nature.
Yes, that’s somewhat hyper-specific, but roll with me for a bit.
Critics regard the album as one of the greatest of all time. It’s iconic. Now, combine the level of reverence attached to the track with the atmosphere during the Super Bowl. Congrats. You’ve added gasoline to a fire. But when Mother Nature pitches in to add a physical representation of the lyrics, the result is the best halftime show of all time.
Prince playing “Purple Rain” in the rain was a moment. The joy of hearing so many memorable tunes was the only thing that surpassed the wonder of witnessing the confluence of multiple music genres, from rock to funk, and musical talent channeled through one person. Everyone knew he was performing, but the moment he uttered the words “Dearly beloved…” from the shadows (with his hair still wrapped up), the cheering never stopped.
Prince was already a one-of-one artist with a cultural and musical impact that defined an era. But, unsurprisingly to most fans, his Super Bowl show stands taller than the shadow he cast during his guitar solo.
