Five Of The Most Memorable Super Bowl Halftime Shows Of All Time

The Super Bowl is one of (if not the) most anticipated sporting events of the entire year. The game itself is not the only aspect of the Super Bowl that people look forward to, though. The halftime show is always a huge deal among music fans and sports fans alike. Being asked to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show is seen as a badge of honor to the musicians who have graced the field to entertain sports fans with at times great, often bad, and occasionally surprising/shocking performances and blunders. But whatever people think of the performance it is always talked about for years to come. These are just five of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows to have happened through the years.

Five Most Memorable Super Bowl Shows of All Time

1. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2009)

Bruce Springsteen is notorious for his long shows so having to pack all that is “the Boss” into a fourteen minute long halftime show was a bit of a challenge. But as always he did not disappoint. He and his band captivated the crowd and delivered a performance that continues to be talked about today.

2. Beyonce (2013)

Beyonce is a force to be reckoned with. And she proved it during her Super Bowl halftime show performance in 2013. With powerful vocals and equally as intense dance moves she impressed most everyone. The real memorable moment of the night, though, came when Beyonce surprised everyone by reuniting with fellow Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams during the show to perform some of their long loved hits. Coincidentally this was the same year of the Super Bowl stadium blackout. Even the stadium itself had to take a break after this amazing performance.

https://youtu.be/kKVorba5GLs

3. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake (2004)

This will go down in history as one of the most infamous Super Bowl halftime shows of all time. And not just because of the performance, as great as it was. Janet rocked the house with a mix of new and classic hits. Justin Timberlake joined her on stage proving that these two were meant to entertain the world together – the perfect duo. The real attention getter of the night, though, was the moment when Janet Jackson had a wardrobe “malfunction”, exposing her breast to the crowd. The incident lead to even stricter guidelines from the halftime show committee. But it remains one of the most talked about performances to hit the field.

https://youtu.be/n75nNPE5Zhs

4. Aerosmith, NSync, Britney Spears, Nelly, and Mary J Blige (2001)

As far as nostalgia goes (if you are a fan of early 2000s pop at all) this performance was pretty amazing. You will probably never see this mix of people perform together again. Truly the best of the best from that time. They may not have all clicked while performing together but it was still a memorable show nonetheless.

5. Michael Jackson (1993)

You can’t have a list of memorable halftime shows without including Michael Jackson’s 1993 performance. As the first true headliner of the Super Bowl halftime show, Jackson left some big shoes to fill. Only Jackson could start his show by standing still for 90 solid seconds of silence and rile the crowd. He then mixed his flawless dance moves with classics like Billie Jean and Black and White before finishing off with his worldwide hit Heal the World. A treasured performance from a legend.

https://youtu.be/idg8TNknvDU

There have been many memorable halftime shows throughout the years. There are many more that could be added to the list. Last year’s show will be sure to be talked about for years to come with a solid performance from Left Shark (and Katy Perry). The moment that brought the crowd to its feet, though, was a surprise appearance by Missy Elliot who performed her hit “Get Ur Freak On”. This year’s show is already stirring up some talk with Coldplay set to take the stage at Sunday’s game. Many are saying that it will be a bad year for the Super Bowl halftime show but if we have learned anything over the years it is that you never know what to expect. If it isn’t the best performance then at the very least we can hope for something memorable.