The greatest show on earth! A look back at the best Super Bowl halftime shows in history – including Madonna, Prince, Lady Gaga and THAT performance from Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson
Rihanna is set to stun audiences this weekend as she takes to the stage to perform at the Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona – and the stakes for the Barbadian pop star have never been higher.
The Umbrella singer is following in the footsteps of some music’s biggest stars – including Madonna and Prince – who have taken on the challenge of putting on a showstopping performance that will usually range between just 12 to 15 minutes.
Known to be an increasingly elaborate show each year, the halftime performance is for some audience the main attraction of the NFL game.
For decades, the halftime show was dominated by marching bands, featured the occasional boldface name like Carol Channing, New Kids On The Block or Gloria Estefan.
In 1993, however, the tenor of the event changed when Michael Jackson brought his superstar stature to the performance and delivered a medley of his hits.
Since then the Super Bowl halftime has become the most hotly anticipated musical event of the year – a place for the top celebrities in the business to showcase their talents at their most streamlined and electric.
Here DailyMail.com looks back at some of the most iconic halftimes of yesteryear – including one where a dance move went horribly wrong and set off a national scandal.
Lady Gaga (2017)
Americana: Lady Gaga kicked off her show with patriotic fervor, singing a medley of the national classics This Land Is Your Land and God Bless America
Lady Gaga kicked off her show with patriotic fervor, singing a medley of the national classics This Land Is Your Land and God Bless America.
She then stunned audiences around the country with an optical illusion that made it appear as if she had jumped from the roof of Houston’s NRG Stadium onto a stage down below.
Afterwards, she revealed on the radio Karson & Kennedy that she performed the stunt after her little sister Natali chirped: ‘I know, let’s suspend you in the air!’
Gaga then treated the crowd to a string of some of her greatest hits, including Poker Face, the single that had launched her career nearly a decade earlier.
Pyrotechnics: She then stunned audiences around the country with an optical illusion that made it appear as if she had jumped from the roof of Houston’s NRG Stadium onto a stage down below
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake (2004)
The biggest fracas in Super Bowl halftime history was Janet Jackson’s infamous ‘nip slip’ during her performance alongside Justin Timberlake.
Jackson was initially hired for the gig two years beforehand, only to be replaced with U2, who were thought to be a more suitable choice for the emotional post-9/11 performance.
However once Jackson finally managed to get on the halftime stage, her career imploded.
While whirling through their choreography, Timberlake notoriously tore off a piece of Jackson’s top, causing one of her breasts to be momentarily exposed to millions of viewers.
Over half a million complaints flooded into the Federal Communications Commission, with 65,000 of them coming from the Parents Television Council alone.
Jackson was blackballed from the industry, with radio and TV banning her songs and music videos. A planned biopic of Lena Horne, which she was to star in, also fell through as a result of the scandal.
Timberlake refrained from publicly defending Jackson and did not even apologize for causing her wardrobe malfunction until 2021, when a documentary about his ex Britney Spears led to his getting deluged with public opprobrium over his treatment of women.
Scandal: The biggest fracas in Super Bowl halftime history was Janet Jackson’s infamous ‘nip slip’ during her performance alongside Justin Timberlake
Uh oh: While whirling through their choreography, Timberlake notoriously tore off a piece of Jackson’s top, causing one of her breasts to be momentarily exposed to millions of viewers
Prince (2007)
Dressed in his signature color purple, Prince performed on a stage shaped like his ‘love symbol’ – the same one he had temporarily changed his name to in the 1990s.
Although the halftime show traditionally takes place in the open air at the center of the stadium, Prince’s gig marked the first time it rained.
Prince shrugged off the dangers of using equipment like electric guitars under a downpour, and in fact adored the challenge, to the point he reportedly wished it would ‘rain harder.’
He treated the crowd to a medley of not just his own numbers but those of other musical icons, including Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary and Bob Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower.
His closer was, aptly enough, Purple Rain, culminating in a fireworks display.
Showman: Dressed in his signature color purple, Prince performed on a stage shaped like his ‘love symbol’ – the same one he had temporarily changed his name to in the 1990s
Undeterred: Although the halftime show traditionally takes place in the open air at the center of the stadium, Prince’s gig marked the first time it rained, which Prince adored
U2 (2002)
U2 played halftime the Louisiana Superdome less than five months after September 11th, when the country was still reeling from the shock of the attacks.
Standing on a heart-shaped stage, the band began with a rendition of their hit Beautiful Day before shifting into a more melancholic gear suiting the occasion.
Viewers around the country were left in tears as U2 sang their songs MLK and Where The Streets Have No Name with the names of the 9/11 victims projected on a screen behind them.
Bono then opened his jacket, showing the cameras that its lining was the Stars And Stripes.
Emotion: U2 played halftime the Louisiana Superdome less than five months after September 11th, when the country was still reeling from the shock of the attacks
Madonna (2012)
True to her longtime sobriquet as the ‘Queen Of Pop,’ Madonna delighted her worldwide legions of fans with a blowout extravaganza to remember.
Her backup performers included not only that year’s top current stars, such as Cee Lo Green, LMFAO and Nicki Minaj, but also the legendary rapper M.I.A. and a Cirque Du Soleil team.
She combined her classic hits, such as Vogue, Express Yourself and Like A Prayer, with her new song Gimme All Your Luvin’, in a whirlwind medley.
Nicki and M.I.A. appeared dressed as her cheerleaders while Cee Lo Green led a marching, before Madonna sang Like A Prayer with a 200-strong choir.
Madonna set the record that year for the most-watched Super Bowl halftime ever.
Fab: True to her longtime sobriquet as the ‘Queen Of Pop,’ Madonna delighted her worldwide legions of fans with a blowout extravaganza to remember
Star-studded: Nicki and M.I.A. appeared dressed as her cheerleaders during Madonna’s boppy then-new number Gimme All Your Luvin’
Sensation: Cee Lo Green led a marching, before Madonna sang Like A Prayer with a 200-strong choir
Beyoncé (2013)
Beyoncé fans were treated to her reliable expert showmanship as she hit the stage at the Superdome in New Orleans during the 2013 Super Bowl.
Rising up out of the ground while silhouetted against a cloud of steam, she began her setlist with Love On Top and Crazy In Love, allowing her to showcase her formidable vocal chops.
Her longtime fans were in for a particular thrill when she enjoyed an onstage reunion with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, whom she rose to fame with in the girl group Destiny’s Child.
After the trio did their old Destiny’s Child numbers Bootylicious and Independent Women, they all lent their talents to Beyoncé’s solo smash hit Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).
Making it happen: Beyoncé fans were treated to her reliable expert showmanship as she hit the stage at the Superdome in New Orleans during the 2013 Super Bowl
Paul McCartney (2005)
Paul McCartney’s performance was a cheerful burst of nostalgia for an audience who got to see him reprise his old Beatles numbers Drive My Car and Get Back.
He also serenaded the crowd with his James Bond theme Live And Let Die, which he originally recorded as the frontman of the group Paul McCartney And Wings in 1973.
At the end of his set he returned to the Beatles catalogue with Hey Jude, prompting the whole live audience – and many viewers sitting at home – to sing along.
Looking back: Paul McCartney’s performance was a cheerful burst of nostalgia for an audience who got to see him reprise his old Beatles numbers Drive My Car, Get Back and Hey Jude as well as his later single Live And Let DIe
Aerosmith and NSYNC (2001)
Aerosmith and NSYNC teamed up as ‘The Kings Of Rock And Pop’ for a show that featured guest-stars as high profile as the main acts.
The two bands were joined by none other than Britney Spears, who was then at the height of her superstardom and for good measure was also dating NSYNC heartthrob Justin Timberlake.
Along with the sight of showbiz’ hottest couple united onstage, viewers were able to taken in performances by such heavy hitters as Mary J. Blige and Nelly.
Wow: Aerosmith and NSYNC teamed up as ‘The Kings Of Rock And Pop’ for a show that featured guest-stars like Nelly and Britney Spears
Throwback: Spears and Timberlake were dating at the time, so the Super Bowl gig included the sight of showbiz’ hottest couple united onstage
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020)
In the last month before the COVID-19 lockdowns swept the world, throngs of fans gathered in the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to see a double-act bursting at the seams with star power.
JLo has since expressed frustration at being lumped in with another performer, but during the Super Bowl, her and Shakira’s fans were left swooning with delight.
Shakira sizzled through her beloved hits like Whenever, Wherever and Hips Don’t Lie, tipping the hat her Lebanese heritage by belly-dancing and performing a Middle Eastern ululation known as a zaghrouta.
She leaned in towards the camera for the zaghrouta, tantalizing viewers with her tongue movements and going viral as people unaware of the cultural background began Googling the details.
Jennifer swirled through a medley of her hits as well, including such favorites as Love Don’t Cost A Thing, Jenny From The Block and El Anillo.
For Let’s Get Loud she was joined by Emme, one of the now 14-year-old twins she shares with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, in a moment that warmed her fans’ hearts.
Shakira and JLo’s Super Bowl performance attracted some controversy online for its saucy content, including a stripper pole and the superstars’ revealing costumes.
Shakira and JLo: In the last month before the COVID-19 lockdowns swept the world, throngs of fans gathered in the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to see a double-act bursting at the seams with star power
Side by side: JLo has since expressed frustration at being lumped in with another performer, but during the Super Bowl, her and Shakira’s fans were left swooning with delight
The Rolling Stones (2006)
Even in their advanced years, the Rolling Stones remained the rulebreakers they always were when they played the 2006 Super Bowl at the Ford Field in Detroit.
Crammed into a space of about 15 minutes, Super Bowl halftime acts usually perform a medley of their old songs, squeezing in short snippets of as many numbers as possible.
The Rolling Stones however declined to cut their songs down and instead just performed three of their most famous hits in full back to back – Start Me Up, Rough Justice and Satisfaction.
They also drew attention for their stage, which was designed to look like the band’s now legendary logo of a tongue sticking out of a pair of massive scarlet lips.
Mick being Mick: Even in their advanced years, the Rolling Stones remained the rulebreakers they always were when they played the 2006 Super Bowl at the Ford Field in Detroit
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar (2022)
Hip-hop heavyweights from across the decades united in a dazzling group performance to remember, finally bringing the genre front and center at the Super Bowl.
From Dre and Snoop performing The Next Episode and California Love to Blige’s renditions of Family Affair and No More Drama, the show was packed with delights for hip-hop fans.
In one fun reversal, the audience got to hear Eminem and Dre’s old duet Forgot About Dre – but with Lamar taking the place of the NWA icon.
The hits kept coming that halftime when 50 Cent delighted the crowd with a surprise appearance to perform his smash hit 2003 single In Da Club.
What a night: Last year’s Super Bowl halftime show was awash with hip-hop heavy hitters including (from left) Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg
Michael Jackson (1993)
It was Michael Jackson who started the trend of superstars headlining the Super Bowl halftime show when he sang a medley of his hits at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1993.
Although Thriller was off the menu, the audience were able to hear him reprise his numbers Billie Jean, Black Or White and Jam before a children’s choir entered the show for We Are The World and Heal The World.
The show occurred months before the police investigated allegations of child molestation against Jackson, in a case that ultimately ended with an out of court settlement.
Back to the beginning: It was Michael Jackson who started the trend of superstars headlining the Super Bowl halftime show when he sang a medley of his hits at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1993
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