Throughout the history of the Super Bowl, there has been no shortage of entertainment. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest spectacles in sports due to the magnitude of the game, and because of the halftime shows. The halftime show has become one of the most anticipated moments in the Super Bowl due to the amount of talent they have brought in and the entertainment value that it has brought for fans. However, the halftime show wasn’t always as big and entertaining as it is right now.
The first Super Bowl was played in 1967 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers, and at this time, they weren’t using big names for the halftime show. In the first ever Super Bowl Halftime show, the performance featured various college marching bands and according to history.com, it was used as a tribute to the U.S. and it was described as a “musical visit to the four corners of the United States.” The format stayed like this for many years, until the NFL decided to go for bigger names.
In 1993, the NFL went all-in with their halftime show and they were able to get Michael Jackson as the performer for the Super Bowl Halftime show. This performance instantly made the halftime show must-watch TV due to the star power of Michael Jackson and how much of an influence he made on people. At the time, Michael Jackson was one of if not the biggest musician in the world and it brought plenty of attention to the NFL and the Super Bowl.
During his halftime show, Michael Jackson played some of his biggest hits at the time and put on an epic performance. To this date, this is still considered as one of the greatest halftime shows ever and rightfully so due to how massive this performance was. Over the next handful of years, the NFL went back and forth between big name performers and bands, then in 2001 they got Aerosmith and NSYNC to perform.
Aerosmith and NSYNC put on an epic performance together and they also brought out special guests Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly. This show perfectly fit in with the early 2000’s vibe and while it was chaotic, it was done perfectly. This show included so many different genres of music spanning from rock music with Aerosmith to R&B music with Mary J. Blige. From here on out, the NFL decided to stick with booking big time performers and the next halftime show was an emotional one.
In 2002, the NFL got the band U2 to perform for the halftime show and it was a great performance and it also had a message. The theme for this halftime show was giving a tribute for those who passed away in the 9/11 attacks. This performance has been labeled as one of the best performances in Super Bowl Halftime Show history and one of the most emotional performances ever. U2 put on a great performance and it was an amazing tribute from them.
At one point of their performance, there was a huge banner that was being lifted and it listed all of the victims from the 9/11 attacks. Although the performance was only 3 songs long, that gave them plenty of time to share a much needed message to everyone. U2 was able to give the audience a great performance while also sharing a message. This performance earned the right to be labeled as one of the greatest performances ever and I believe it will always carry that label.
Fast forwarding a couple years, we were gifted with another amazing performance, this time however, it has been overshadowed by a huge controversy. In 2004, we got the halftime show where Janet Jackson, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake, and Jessica Simpson took the stage. While this was an electric performance, there was one major mistake at the end of the show that brought a controversy to the halftime show.
For the most part, the halftime show seemed to be going exactly as planned and it was a great performance. However, at the end of the show, there was a huge mistake that was caused by a “wardrobe malfunction” and it led to a huge amount of backlash. At the end of the show, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were performing a song together and they were supposed to do something with their outfits. Unfortunately, when they were doing what they practiced countless times, Justin Timberlake pulled a little too hard and it caused a wardrobe malfunction that was shown for less than a second.
Although it was only shown on TV for less than a second, the damage had already been done and this caused a domino effect. CBS, the network that was televising the Super Bowl, had to initially pay fines for the wardrobe malfunction being shown on TV. This controversy also followed Janet Jackson for the remainder of her career even though what happened was out of her control. Despite the controversy, this was still a great halftime show.
In 2007, we were gifted with another legendary halftime performance as Prince took the stage in Miami. This performance is iconic for multiple reasons, it’s really due to one of the most iconic performers and musicians of all time was performing during the Super Bowl and he was performing in the pouring rain. During the 12 minute performance, the most iconic moment from this performance was when Prince performed his song “Purple Rain” in the pouring rain. The fans were in awe during the entire performance and it ended up being one of the most iconic performances in Super Bowl Halftime history.
Over the years, there have been some more iconic halftime performances. These span from Beyonce literally causing a power outage in the Superdome in 2013 to Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar putting on an epic performance showcasing west coast hip-hop in 2022. While some people have voiced their displeasure about recent performances, we have still been treated to great performances and we will continue to see great performances.
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