Although the Super Bowl is yearly within the most viewed sporting events, football fans are not the only ones to contribute to those numbers. The Super Bowl halftime show increasingly brings millions of eyes to the screen every year. Here is a list of some of the most remarkable Super Bowl halftime shows.
Coldplay (2016)
Coldplay rapidly rose to Super Bowl halftime show status as they took over the world with their soft rock style. Although they were chosen to headline the Super Bowl 50, they decided to invite two artists to share the stage with: Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. Their show was vivid and exciting, with Coldplay opening with hits like “Yellow” and other tunes from their album “A head full of dreams”. They were followed by an appearance of Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, who performed their-then new hits “Formation” and “Uptown Funk” respectively.
Katy Perry (2015)
One of the most memorable halftime show performances, as the headliner Katy Perry arrived on the stage on top of a giant lion muppet while singing her song “Roar” and later being dragged through the sky while singing “Firework” and riding her shooting-star logo. She also left us with the iconic meme of the “Left Shark”. She was joined by stars Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot. The three shared a colourful performance full of marvelous technicalities.
Dr. Dre & Friends (2022)
Hip-Hop took over the SoFi stadium when Dr. Dre was joined by previously announced performers Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem, followed by surprise guests 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. The show incorporated a number of popular acts, from Dr. Dre playing “Still Dre” on the piano to 50 Cent rapping “In Da Club” while hanging upside down.
This was the first Super Bowl halftime ever to win a top program Emmy, outstanding variety special (live).
Shakira, Jennifer Lopez (2020)
A celebration of latin culture in which the energy and frenetic dances of Shakira and J.Lo took over the stadium. Before anyone in the audience could even realize what was happening, the artists whipped from one stage-piece to another flawlessly. Shakira’s incredible and iconic hip movements were definitely an attention grabber, but the whole performance was full of highlights. J.Lo brought her daughter on stage, and together with a group of talented young dancers they performed “Let’s Get Loud”, and later pole danced on the top of the spire of the “Empire State Building”.
Michael Jackson (1993)
When Michael Jackson starred in the NFL halftime show, it was to no one’s surprise that the audience cheered for a whole 3 minutes before the music even began. The show wasn’t quite “perfect,” as the networks had not fully figured out how to properly broadcast a performance of this level without the audience being heard over the music yet. Despite this, the King of Pop delivered a beautiful show in company of the choir of the children of Los Angeles “We are the World” and “Heal the World” as a giant globe inflated on-stage. Of course he also performed“Billie Jean” while moonwalking.
Prince (2007)
It is widely considered the best Super Bowl Halftime performance ever. Before the game even began, Miami was hit with a torrential downpour. The relentless rain had put the production crew in charge of the outdoor performance, not to mention the four separate live electric guitars for the King of Paisley Park, in a terrible position. Television and live event producer Don Mischer got Prince on the phone that stormy morning and made sure that he was aware of the weather conditions and asked if he was okay with that. The legendary Prince answered his worries with an even more legendary response “Can you make it rain harder?”
The show was pulled off flawlessly, even on a wet slippery tile floor, in which Prince and his incredibly talented dancers carried out the choreographies in heels. Prince used the rain for his own dramatic advantage, performing his iconic “Purple Rain” under the pouring rain.
Super Bowl halftime shows are and will continue to be some of the most awaited performances of the year, as they are always full of excitement and surprises.
