The 58th Super Bowl is fast approaching, and with it, another centrepiece halftime show with a whole heap of commercials dotted around a superstar’s performance.
While the halftime show is a tradition of the NFL’s grand finale, it wasn’t until the 1990s that popular figures in entertainment began to take to the stage, starting with New Kids on the Block at Super Bowl XXV.
This year, it’ll be Usher leading out Post Malone, Andra Day, and Reba McEntire to get punters to look up from the live betting markets. Their task is pretty great, given the bar set by the greatest-ever Super Bowl halftime shows.
1 - Prince (Super Bowl XLI)
In 2007, Prince set a new bar for Super Bowl halftime shows in Miami, and the consensus seems to be that this bar has yet to be exceeded.
Music critics adored the performance, and it helped to hold 140 million viewers in the midst of what was a close 16-14 game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears.
Not only was Prince a beloved hit-maker, but he managed to carry on full-throttle even in the middle of a relentless downpour and finished it all off with Purple Rain.
2 - Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (Super Bowl LIV)
Managing to conquer the NFL spreads having been favoured by -1.5, the Kansas City Chiefs crushed the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in yet another Super Bowl taking place in Miami. Like the 2007 edition, this game in 2020 also featured a particularly memorable halftime show.
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez headlined, and they managed to draw in help from Latin music stars Bad Bunny and J Balvin.
Shakira powered out hits like Dare, She Wolf, Chantaje, and Hips Don’t Lie before passing over to Jennifer Lopez’s set, it switching back, and then back again before the two took centre stage together for the final dance.
3 - Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar (Super Bowl LVI)
A tremendous assortment of some of the biggest names ever to grace rap and hip hop, Super Bowl LVI absolutely packed its halftime show. The NFL was on such a high with this group that they even allowed Eminem to take a knee.
The stadium was already rocking with fans cheering on the home team, the LA Rams, at SoFi Stadium, but seeing Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem take to the stage was a very special treat.
Better still, 50 Cent showed up as a surprise performer along with Anderson .Paak. For the legendary assemble alone, the 2022 halftime show will go down as one of the most prestigious of all time.
4 - Beyoncé (Super Bowl XLVII)
An epic game that saw head coach brothers John and Jim Harbaugh battle it out in New Orleans to a 34-31 scoreline was only made better by the epic showing from Beyoncé for the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show.
The game featured a Superdome blackout that lasted more than 30 minutes, an intentional safety to secure the win, and a Destiny’s Child reunion.
Of course, Beyoncé carried the show on her own with city-rattling performances of Baby Boy, Independent Women, Halo, and Crazy in Love, but the reunion certainly helped to tie a bow on an excellent halftime show.
5 - Lady Gaga (Super Bowl LI)
Super Bowl LI will always be remembered as one of the best Super Bowl games of all time, seeing the New England Patriots battle back from being 28-3 down to win 34-28 in overtime. So, it’s only fitting that the halftime show was superb.
With over 70,000 people crammed into the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Lady Gaga was called out with the score 21-3 to the Falcons and it looking like a blowout.
Luckily, she wowed the crowd with her biggest hits and 300 drones that formed the US flag and lit up with LED lights. However, some members of the Falcons blamed the length of the show on their ultimate demise.
Bruce Springsteen (2009), Rihanna (2023), U2 (2002), and Madonna (2012) came close to breaking into the top five of the rankings for the best Super Bowl halftime shows but narrowly missed the cut.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to Alamy*
