10 of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows
The Super Bowl is the most watched television event of the year, and the halftime show is a guaranteed giant spectacle. The yearly event has become a pop culture phenomenon with awe-inspiring performances and record-breaking numbers — it even coined the phrase: “wardrobe malfunction.”
Tune in on Sunday February 1st, to see if Katy Perry can top our list of the 10 best Super Bowl halftime shows.
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#10 Prince
Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears
Prince put on an amazing show in 2007, when he performed on a giant symbol-shaped stage. He played classics like “We Will Rock You”, “All Along the Watchtower”, and a cover of Foo Fighters song “Best of You”. Then he actually sang “Purple Rain”, while it poured. Poetic.
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#9 Diana Ross
Super Bowl XXX: Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
For the 30th anniversary of the Super Bowl, Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona welcomed superstar, Diana Ross. She sang a medley of hit songs, including, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “You Can’t Hurry Love”, and “I Will Survive”. The show included backup dancers, pyrotechnics, and (of course) a helicopter that landed on the field to pick her up and whisk her away at the end of the show.
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#8 Michael Jackson
Super Bowl XXVII: Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills
Michael Jackson was on top of the world when he was selected to perform at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. (The NFL wanted to boost interest in the halftime show and Jackson was specifically chosen to perform because of his star power) MJ kicked things off by standing perfectly still for a full minute and a half. The dramatic performance that followed was a hit, including “Billie Jean”, “Black or White” and “We are the World”.
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#7 The Rolling Stones
Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks
The year The Rolling Stones performed during the Super Bowl, the NFL implemented a 5 second delay, just in case anything went wrong. They even made sure to censor parts of the songs, which the band agreed to before stepping on stage. But Mick Jagger and company still put on a great show despite the strict rules!
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#6 Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake
Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers
Not so much the best performance, as much as the most memorable, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s rendition of “Rock Your Body” led to Janet’s entire breast being exposed. During “Nipplegate”, they blamed it on a “wardrobe malfunction” but does anyone really believe it wasn’t intentional? Bet you didn’t know Jessica Simpson, Nelly, P. Diddy, and Kid Rock also performed during the 2004 show.
