21 Iconic Super Bowl Halftime Shows That Everyone Remembers More Than The Game

Is there anything more instantly iconic than a Super Bowl halftime show? Ever since the ’90s – that’s when network executives started bringing on pop stars at halftime to ensure no-one switched channels – the performances have been wild, excessive tributes to the American way. Here are 20 of the most memorable to get you hyped up for the upcoming one...

21. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2008)

Petty’s 2008 halftime show was considered to be a bit safe and sedate, but that didn’t stop it from being also, you know, really good. He did all his biggest hits: “American Girl,” “Free Fallin’,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” and of course “I Won’t Back Down.” During that last one, the audience were passionately singing along.

Sadly the world lost Petty in 2017, when he passed away at the age of just 66. During the tributes to him many remembered his career-defining performance at the Super Bowl. That had been an event which featured the famous “helmet” catch from David Tyree of the New York Giants and yet Petty had been just as much the star of the show.

20. Paul McCartney (2005)

Everyone remembers what happened at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004. That infamous “wardrobe malfunction” caused absolute chaos. So the following year the very uncontroversial Paul McCartney was chosen for the halftime show (and presumably his outfit was checked and double-checked.) But you don’t need to be shocking to put on a good performance.

McCartney did everything asked of him and more. He played through his greatest hits with LED lights flickering all around him, fans raised their own lights once “Hey Jude” got started, and very few people went away disappointed in the end. The stage may have been X-shaped, but absolutely nothing was X-rated.

19. Shania Twain/No Doubt/Sting (2003)

In 2003 the Super Bowl people were trying to shake things up for the halftime shows, and the result was this curious Shania/No Doubt/Sting combo. Twain was definitely supposed to be the highlight, though. AT&T Wireless marketing guy Michael Sievert told the ESPN website at the time, “I can’t imagine anyone getting up to go to the refrigerator with Shania Twain performing on the 50-yard line.”

Alas, Shania Twain got pretty much upstaged during the show. The person everyone was talking about afterwards was No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani and her magnificent sequined bra. Everyone else did a fine job of course, but to this day people cry out for Stefani to perform at a Super Bowl again.

18. U2 (2002)

U2’s performance at the 2002 Super Bowl would have been memorable anyway – it’s U2, after all – but the circumstances meant that the show stuck in even more minds than usual. It was the first Super Bowl after the 9/11 attacks which shook America and the band’s performance contained a tribute to the victims.

The band played their song “Where the Streets Have No Name” as a list of those who lost their lives in the attacks was projected behind them. And at the end, Bono opened up his jacket to reveal an American flag – a nice gesture considering that he’s Irish rather than American himself. Such was the success of the show that it ended up being re-aired in 2006.

17. Boys II Men/Smokey Robinson/Martha Reeves/The Temptations/Queen Latifah (1998)

Perhaps nothing summed up the ethos of the late ’90s like the 1998 halftime show. It was labeled “a tribute to Motown” and featured many of the most popular acts of the era, plus of course an endless parade of parachute pants and head-to-toe denim. It was nostalgic, high-energy and a huge amount of fun.

Some had quibbles about the show’s opening, which was a montage of celebs (including Matt Lauer, Sinbad and the stars of Frasier) singing “The Way You Do The Things You Do.” And a few slammed both Martha Reeves’ and Boyz II Men’s parts of the performance. But if you can’t argue afterwards about who was best or worst, what’s the point of the Super Bowl show, really?

16. Michael Jackson (1993)

Michael Jackson’s performance in 1993 marked the beginning of the Super Bowl as a celebrity showcase. And man, was it a showcase. The King of Pop went out on stage and to start with simply stood still for about a minute-and-a-half, while fans screamed and cheered around him. Who else in the world could have pulled that off?

Back in those days the art of broadcasting the half-time show hadn’t yet been perfected, so it wasn’t quite as good for those watching at home. They had to put up with bad music quality and a poorly timed commercial break. But if you were actually there it was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime moment.

15. Aerosmith/NSYNC/Britney Spears/Mary J Blige/Nelly (2001)

Probably every American Noughties kid remembers the 2001 Super Bowl halftime show. It was the first time fans were allowed on the field for the performances, and plenty of the biggest megastars of the era had turned up to mark the occasion. There was NSYNC! There was Steven Tyler! There was Nelly! Lovebirds Justin and Britney were onstage together!

Of course many things have changed since then, not least the Justin-Britney relationship. But if you ever want a good dose of ’00s nostalgia, dig out a copy of this performance on YouTube and you’ll be far from disappointed. It even has a bit where Timberlake shoots fiery sparklers out of his hands.

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

In a way it was surprising that Springsteen and the E Street Band hadn’t played the Super Bowl long before 2009. They were perfect. Springsteen knew exactly what he was doing and he was determined to have fun with it, announcing, “I want you to put the chicken wings down and turn your television all the way up!” before he broke into song.

Springsteen rocked out all his greatest hits, including “Glory Days” and “Born to Run.” His performance didn’t have any of the spectacular visual flourishes we’ve come to expect from Super Bowl shows – no giant puppets or wire work or helicopters – but the Boss absolutely did not need them in the slightest.

13. Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (1995)

None other than Disney have been behind some of the most memorable – and some of the most memorably bad – Super Bowl halftime shows. Their 1995 offering was titled Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye but instead of Harrison Ford there was Patti LaBelle and Tony Bennett. For some reason.

LaBelle paraded around in a strange outfit miming lyrics out of time, some dancers got shirtless while others dressed as animals, and it just got even madder with every passing second. Yes, there were real pythons on the Super Bowl stage that night, but that might honestly have been the least of anyone’s worries. It went down in history as the worst Super Bowl halftime show ever – but a very memorable one.

12. Diana Ross (1996)

There’s never been a more memorable entrance and exit from the Super Bowl than Diana Ross’s back in 1996. The entrance? A platform on a crane with ignited sparklers spewing fire everywhere. The exit? On a helicopter. Yes, a helicopter. She hopped into it while still performing and dangled her legs out of the door as it lifted her up. Wow.

The famous diva clearly isn’t afraid of a little danger. That wasn’t all she did onstage that day, though. Her performance also included costume changes, 1,000-odd balloons, lots of fireworks and hundreds of dancers spelling her name out on the football field. It was totally over-the-top and an absolute joy to behold.

11. Coldplay/Beyoncé/Bruno Mars (2016)

This halftime show was a curious mashup, and many people thought Beyoncé should have been the lead act rather than Coldplay. And it’s hard to disagree. Beyoncé’s stylish, politically pointed performance of “Formation” was so stunning that mobile phone usage in America actually dropped by a third while she was on screen. Wow.

This is not of course to say that Coldplay and Bruno Mars were bad – they definitely weren’t. Coldplay’s part was a riot of color, a massively entertaining performance complete with audience participation. And Bruno Mars played “Uptown Funk,” a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. But it was still really Beyoncé’s moment.

10. Black Eyed Peas/Usher/Slash (2011)

There’s been endless debate about whether the Black Eyed Peas show in 2011 was actually any good or not. There’s no doubt it was at least a feast for the eyes. There were LED lights absolutely everywhere, plus wacky costumes, Usher being dropped in from the sky and a whole football field’s-worth of glowing dancers.

Later that year Black Eyed Peas’ Taboo told Billboard magazine’s website, “If you have 40 million people who loved it, you’re going to have 60 million who hated it because that's how life is. If we’ve got 40 million people who loved it, I’m happy with that.” Fair enough. It would have been nice if the V in the giant LED “Love” hadn’t failed at the last moment though.

9. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020)

J-Lo and Shakira fans got everything they had ever dreamed of at the 2020 Super Bowl show. Even before it started it was obvious it was gonna be good. The legendary Lopez wrote on Instagram, “Let’s show the world what two little Latin girls can do,” and then she and Shakira proceeded to do just that.

The two ladies put on a glittery extravaganza which also served as a celebration of Latin America culture, and a subtle social commentary. There were multiple guest stars, including Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Lopez’s own 11-year-old daughter Emme. Oh, and it was Shakira’s birthday as well. What a party she had!

8. Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (2014)

Combining Bruno Mars and the Chilis sounds like a bad idea – but it turned out incredibly well. Mars’ music turned out to be the perfect match for the shirtless, hard-rocking RHCP crew. Those who had been skeptical were blown away once the actual show started. But that’s not to say that the performance wasn’t without controversy.

Viewers quickly noticed that the Chili Peppers’ instruments were unplugged, meaning they were miming rather than playing. Bassist Flea released a statement explaining that the NFL had insisted on the music being pre-recorded, so they’d gone along with it. The instruments had been unplugged because the band “thought it better to not pretend.” That’s rock‘n’roll for you.

7. Madonna/Nicki Minaj/M.I.A./CeeLo Green/LMFAO (2012)

Madonna more than delivered when she took a turn in the Superbowl spotlight in 2012. And she invited a whole bunch of other stars along for the ride, too. Right from the beginning it was clear this was going to be a truly wild evening, considering that Madonna arrived dressed as a goddess accompanied by Spartan soldiers and sphinxes.

Things only got madder from that point on. M.I.A. came out on stage and swore, which provoked a flurry of apologies from Super Bowl officials. CeeLo Green led a marching band. Madge herself sang her latest single, danced around some pyrotechnics, and didn’t forget to promote world peace at the end. It was OTT, circus-like and very, very Madonna.

6. Prince (2007)

Everyone remembers where they were when that one thing happened at Prince’s Super Bowl concert. No, it wasn’t something bad, it was something amazing. As Prince sang his iconic smash hit song “Purple Rain” the heavens opened and a storm started. Suddenly there was real purple rain. Who in the audience would have cared about getting wet at that point?

That alone would have probably been enough to make Prince’s halftime concert one of the greatest of all time, but he gave us more as well. He twirled and shredded on stage – a stage shaped like his own symbol in fact, as if there was ever any doubt that he owned it. Just imagine being there and singing along.

5. Katy Perry/Lenny Kravitz/Missy Elliot (2015)

Katy Perry’s Super Bowl concert was an incredible ride. Not satisfied with starting the concert astride a huge metal representation of the feline king of the jungle, she also swooped around the stage on a magic star and danced with smiling palm trees. At times, it was like a fever dream. But it wasn’t Perry or Kravitz or Elliot who was the standout star that night.

That honor went to the pointy blue backup dancer the world now knows as Left Shark. Our fishy friend there danced his way into everyone’s hearts. Who was he really? Turned out he was a man named Bryan Gaw, and after initially being bemused by the attention he now embraces it.

4. Lady Gaga (2017)

Lady Gaga was another one who made her show a spectacle for the ages. She began by jumping off a roof, lowering herself down to the stage on a wire, and then she launched into all her biggest hits. These included “Poker Face” “Bad Romance” and of course “Born This Way,” all massive crowd-pleasers. And of course there were fireworks and costume changes galore.

Alas, a few trolls did try and ruin Gaga’s moment afterwards. She was body-shamed for wearing a crop-top and having “flab” – this despite almost none being actually on display – but she hit back with an Instagram message saying, “I’m proud of my body and you should be proud of yours too.” Just like the halftime show, that’s perfectly Gaga.

3. Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child (2013)

Is it even a real Super Bowl if Beyoncé isn’t there? People may have been asking themselves that when she reunited with her old band Destiny’s Child for the halftime show in 2013. The reunion itself was thrilling, but Beyoncé and her people pulled out all the stops and made a dazzling, exciting, firework-packed show.

Beyoncé herself was proud, as she should have been. In a 2016 interview with the network CBS she gushed over Michelle and Kelly and said, “It’s one of those magical performances you can’t recreate. I wanted it to be something iconic and something that people would never forget.” She definitely succeeded.

2. Rihanna (2023)

With halftime shows usually consisting of over-the-top spectacles and choreography that requires the stamina of a professional athlete, people were surprised to find Rihanna’s take on a halftime show as somewhat of a minimalist act. But what her performance lacked in high kicks and twerks, it made up for in killer vocals and a stage presence that reminded the whole world that RiRi’s still got it.

The set itself was a character in the show, with multiple floating platforms raising and lowering the Barbadian baddie throughout. Rihanna might not have been breaking it down, but her white-clad crew of dancers certainly left it all out on the field. And as for surprise guest appearances, Rihanna said that she and her surprise baby bump were enough; we couldn't agree more.

1. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake (2004)

Everyone knows what happened at the halftime show in 2004. Even if you weren’t there, even if you weren’t born yet, you know. During Jackson and Timberlake’s performance, Timberlake managed to rip off Jackson’s top and a very embarrassing moment ensued. That one accidental flash ushered in a new era of five-second delays on live-TV broadcasts today.

It’s thought that without that one shocking moment, YouTube might have never come into existence, such was the impact it had. Most people nowadays probably don’t remember that P Diddy, Kid Rock and Nelly were sharing the stage that day, or that the performance was quite a good one until that one infamous “wardrobe malfunction.” And chances are they definitely don’t remember who won the actual game.