Top 5 Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ever! [VIDEOS]
As we we all prepare to see Justin Timberlake seek halftime redemption, lets walk down memory lane and check out the 5 best performances from the past!
As with any Super Bowl halftime show, I have to say this going in... Along with the awesome acts, sometimes you must suffer through the bad... They can't all be rockers, but that doesn't make it less cool... Entertainment is entertainment.
- 5
Aerosmith at Super Bowl 35 - 2001
Sure, this halftime show featured the teenie-boppers popular that the time, but Aerosmith definitely 'won' the halftime show.
They were spot on with the performance, and graced America with their only #1 hit to date... "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" from Armageddon... amongst other Aerosmith classics.
As if that wasn't good enough, we all got to watch Britney Spears shake her smokin-hot booty for a few minutes... It was a good show.
- 4
Super Bowl 36 - The 9-11 Tribute - 2002
Yes, U2 was the performer for this halftime show, and they did a good job overall... but the real 'moment' everyone remembers is the 9-11 tribute they rolled out for America.
Even though the game was almost 5 months after the attacks, the country was still healing. I think the producers in the 2002 Super Bowl did a tremendous job with the mid-show entertainment. Like a good thrill ride, it had its low, somber moments... but the tears eventually gave way to pure American pride by the end.
- 3
Lady Gaga - Super Bowl 51 - 2017
When Lady Gaga was announced as the featured performer for SB-51, eyebrows across the land arched upward in one mass moment of confusion. While she has been a ridiculously successful and highly celebrated performer across the globe, her core demographic in the USA is generally young millennials.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, she literally jumped (hilariously) into Reliant Stadium on a mission to slay the premeditated opinions of older football viewers.
Needless to say, she did just that. In fact, she was the top downloaded and played artist for a few weeks after the show.
- 2
Prince - Super Bowl 41 - 2007
When Prince was announced as the halftime performer for SB 41, it was another one of those 'What?' moments. Not to say that Prince isn't a great performer... but the last time Prince was 'hot' in the industry was the late 80's.
Given that Prince is rumored to be pretty high maintenance, the story of how he took the stage is ridiculously awesome. One of those moments you hear about that gives you chills.
The stadium in Miami is open to the elements, it's raining like crazy, and when faced with a wet performance, Prince didn't hesitate to show the world the best performance of his life. As it gets off to an average start, the moment that curtain blows up during Purple Rain, everyone stopped what they were talking about and just watched. It was awesome.
- HONORABLE MENTION
Janet & Justin - Super Bowl 38 - 2004
Obviously, no Super Bowl halftime show list is complete without the most infamous show to ever hit live tv...
That little 'wardrobe malfunction' happened so quick, and for such a short moment in time, it literally left ever person watching with a sense of "what just happened?"
The incident, for a long time, pretty much ruined broadcasting for both the tv and radio industries. As expected, our clueless legislator politicians started writing & passing knee-jerk censorship legislation because of one little boob.
This year, Justin Timberlake is being given a shot at redemption as he's the featured performer in Minnesota for Super Bowl 52. We all highly doubt lightning will strike twice.
FAIR WARNING: THIS IS THE LIVE, ORIGINAL, UNEDITED HALFTIME SHOW VIDEO... YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END, SO WE'LL MARK IT NSFW
- 1
Katy Perry - Super Bowl 49 - 2015
It was the performance that gave us the hilarious Left Shark, an overdrive fuzzed out Lenny Kravitz, and a new bar of showmanship for halftime shows going forward. They didn't seem to cut any cost with this show.
Of course Katy Perry is pretty universally liked. Even if it's not your brand of music, it's catchy.
Her 2015 performance changed how these shows are produced. Between the physical props, acted characters, digital projections, and a flying star... it's going to be a hard performance to top for years to come.
The NFL won't let the HD version stream anywhere else, but here's the link to it if you want.