The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the biggest stages in the world for a musician. There are precious few chances to perform in front of 100 million people.
A Super Bowl halftime show can guarantee a spot in the national conversation, whether for for yourĀ amazing performance orĀ backup dancer in a goofy shark costume.
Note for readers: We've decided to focus on newer halftime shows build around modern musical acts. What else is there to say aboutĀ weird, bad 1980s shows starring Elvis impersonators?
Favorite: Prince (2007)
The Colts took a break from beating the Bears in 2007 so Prince could rock the stadium. The Purple One lit up the event with ā1999/Baby Iām a Starā and a medley of covers including āWe Will Rock Youā and āProud Mary.ā Finally, he nailed the finish with the iconic āPurple Rain.ā
Least favorite: The Who (2010)
Even some fans of The WhoĀ were unhappy after their 2010 set. The broadcast had a delay between sound and visuals. The lineup was missing bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Pete TownshendĀ had a wardrobe malfunctionĀ that showed off his gut. It could have been better.
Favorite: Beyonce and Destinyās Child (2013)
Beyonce dazzled the Super Bowl halftime show with an a cappella rendition of āLove on Top.ā She then performed āCrazy In Loveā and āBaby Boyā before bringing on Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The three did āBootylicious,ā āIndependent Women Part 1ā and āSingle Ladies.ā
Least favorite: The Black Eyed Peas (2011)
The Black Eyed Peas show was received poorly.Ā Twitter reactions from the time are a showcase of snark from "Boom Boom Next" to "'I'm so 2008.' Fergie, 2011." AsĀ Sports Illustrated put it, "Between the almost complete lack of movement from the group and Fergie's off-key singing, the Black Eyed Peas failed to live up to the hype of the first under-50 Super Bowl halftime performers since Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake."
Bonus: Maroon 5 (2019)
As of this writing the Super Bowl is still a week away. However, there is some trepidation about this yearās lineup of Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi.
"What should've been a celebration of the embarrassment of riches Atlanta has to offer will instead be headlined by Maroon 5, a band whose faceless pop hits are as far from the city's vibrant musical culture as seemingly possible," Maeve McDermott wrote in anĀ well-argued piece for USA Today. "And the one Atlanta native the NFL could snag to perform, Big Boi, is seemingly attempting to keep his appearance as low-profile as possible, probably because of the toxic reception that greeted the halftime show's headliners."
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