It’s Michael Jackson, of course he makes the list of greatest all-time Super Bowl halftime show performances. Sure, he didn’t play “Thriller.” But Jackson mesmerized more than 90 million viewers with only a tiny portion of his catalog, including “Billie Jean,” “Black or White,” and “We Are The World.” Jackson started his halftime performance by appearing at the top of the stadium’s two jumbotrons using body doubles. He then catapulted up onto the center stage, where he stood motionless for almost two minutes. Do you know how big of a star you have to be to stand in the middle of the stage at the Super Bowl, do nothing, and have everyone waiting on the edge of their seat to see what came next? That’s a level only the King of Pop could reach. It was a bit self-indulging at the end when it showed Jackson doing various humanitarian efforts around the world, but that was also the show’s message: to heal the world and make it a better place. Jackson has to be on the list of the most outstanding Super Bowl halftime show performances of all time.
Every year, the Super Bowl halftime show is different. Some are full of stage acts and choreographed dancers, while others capture a moment in history. That was Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. Originally, Janet Jackson was supposed to perform the halftime show. However, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the NFL wanted to set a different tone. In stepped U2, one of the greatest stadium bands in recent history. During their halftime performance, the band played their 2000 hit single “Beautiful Day,” the 1984 song “MLK,” and their 1987 hit single “Where the Streets Have No Name.” During the last two songs, the names of the nearly 3,000 people lost in the tragedy of 9/11 were projected onto a vertical screen behind the stage and across the interior of the Superdome. When viewed in the context of the time, U2’s Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most important in NFL history.
The game between the Steelers and Cardinals and the halftime show lived up to the moment. Springsteen and his band came out and put on a 14-minute performance for the ages as they went through their biggest songs. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” kicked off the Super Bowl halftime show, which also included “Born to Run,” “Glory Days,” and “Working on a Dream.” It was a full-on concert rather than relying on props and gimmicks, which is phenomenal. No list of all-time Super Bowl halftime shows would be complete without mentioning The Boss’ performance in 2009.
When Beyoncé is involved, assume it’s going to be electric. In fact, the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show was so electric that even the lights of New Orleans couldn’t keep up as a 35-minute power outage delayed the Super Bowl and fed the conspiracy theorists who felt it was all part of the grand plan. What stole the show was the surprise Destiny’s Child reunion as Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams came on stage to perform Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” While loved by many, some were disappointed they didn’t do any of their classic songs. However, their performance became the most tweeted-about moment in Twitter history, with a staggering 268,000 tweets per minute. I would say that alone makes this one of the most incredible Super Bowl halftime performances in history.
West Coast vibes started the show with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg setting the tone, followed by one of the greatest R&B vocalists of all time, Mary J. Blige. Kendrick Lamar had his own moment as he rode the beat, and Eminem nearly stole the show, which he tends to do. That was until 50 Cent showed up in a moment that broke Twitter. Bringing back iconic imagery from his debut, no one expected an older and heavier 50 Cent to be hanging upside down from a pull-up bar. All in all, Jay-Z and Roc Nation put on a hip-hop concert for the ages, and the overwhelmingly positive reviews followed and showed that this would be a Super Bowl halftime performance that fans would remember for quite some time.
Prince’s Super Bowl halftime performance was the greatest show ever. He put on what was unquestionably a masterpiece in Miami back in 2007. Not only did Prince perform his classics but numerous covers, including Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, setting the stage for a superb performance. Yet the biggest moment was still to come as, amidst a torrential downpour, Prince played “Purple Rain” to perfection in a scene Hollywood couldn’t even have dreamt of. For my money, this is the best Super Bowl halftime show performance of all time.
