In 2020, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira gave us a diva dance-off. It was all about the Weeknd’s solo takeover in 2021, and 2022 was a musical extravaganza with a loaded lineup of hip-hop heavyweights: Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige.
As Rihanna prepares to lift us all the way up with her comeback performance on Sunday — midway through the showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona — let’s go to the replay and look back at some of the best and worst Super Bowl halftime shows of all time.
BEST: PRINCE (2007)
When it poured during Prince’s performance of “Purple Rain” at Miami’s Dolphin Stadium — where his aqua and orange ensemble matched the colors of the hometown team — it seemed as if he had commanded the weather to add more drama to the occasion. But the real magic came in the way he ruled the stage with his own hits, such as “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Baby I’m a Star,” as well as covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Proud Mary”), Bob Dylan (“All Along the Watchtower”) and Foo Fighters (“Best of You”). No special guests necessary.
MICHAEL JACKSON (1993)
5
The King of Pop changed the game for Super Bowl halftime shows with the royal spectacle of his extravaganza at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. From the moment he took the stage, holding a mannequin pose for some 90 seconds, he thrilled us all with a triumphant set that included “Billie Jean,” “Black or White,” “We Are the World” and “Heal the World.”
BEYONCÉ (2013)
5
You could say that the arrival of Beyoncé 2.0 — the one who slays with extra hot sauce in her bag — happened when she was the musical headliner at Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. From then on, she ascended to the throne vacated by the King of Pop as the greatest living all-around entertainer on the planet. And she did it all while staging a Destiny’s Child reunion that showed she could still be a team player, too.
JANET JACKSON, P. DIDDY, NELLY, KID ROCK, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE (2004)
Certainly, this will go down as the most memorable Super Bowl halftime show of all time. But there was much more to this all-star blowout than the “Nipplegate” controversy that sacked CBS, producers, MTV and, most severely, Janet Jackson. Before those last few seconds of Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” that stopped the world, this was a pretty unbeatable lineup. (BTW: Jackson fans are still waiting for that redemption invite.)
JENNIFER LOPEZ & SHAKIRA (2020)
The battle of the Latina divas was a fiercer face-off than the one between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Both the Bronx-born Lopez and the Colombian star Shakira brought muy caliente stuff to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium in an electric halftime show. After guest appearances by Bad Bunny (with Shaki) and J Balvin (with J.Lo), the whole thing ended with an epic dance-off in which their hips most certainly didn’t lie.
DR. DRE, EMINEM, MARY J. BLIGE, KENDRICK LAMAR, SNOOP DOGG (2022)
5
Sure, there have been other halftime shows that have been better when it comes to pure spectacle or musicianship. But the first real hip-hop halftime show (sorry, Black Eyed Peas) turned the biggest stage in the game into one epic party. The infectious energy was lit from the moment that Cali boys Dre and Snoop hit the stage at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California to do “The Next Episode.” And by the time Blige did “Family Affair,” it felt like a full-on family reunion. With such a stacked lineup, it was one long highlight reel — and, in the end, a big victory for hip-hop.
Usher
5
Think about the fact that Usher was the special guest of the Black Eyed Peas — the freakingBlack Eyed Peas— when the “I Gotta Feeling” foursome headlined the Super Bowl XLV halftime show in 2011. But 13 years after Usher swooped in and upstaged the Peas, justice was finally served when Usher had his own career moment at Super Bowl LVIII in at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Usher Raymond IV — in the midst of a killer comeback that was jump-started by his sold-out “My Way” residency that made him the biggest stud in Sin City — reminded us about the superstar that he is 30 years after he made his self-titled debut at 15.
Daddy sealed his return to the very top of pop with a performance full of fancy footwork and soulful vocals — plus a roller-skating segment! — as he smoothly grooved through hit after hit with all-star support from Alicia Keys (on “My Boo”) and, of course, Ludacris and Lil Jon on the “Yeah!” finale. As far as songs to hype up the crowd at the Super Bowl — and audiences watching around the world — it doesn’t get much better than that.
WORST:
THE BLACK EYED PEAS, USHER, SLASH (2011)
It’s now pretty hard to believe that the Black Eyed Peas were ever big — or good — enough to headline the Super Bowl halftime. But even back in 2011, when they led the festivities at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Peas didn’t seem worthy of the gig. Absolutely no one had that feeling.
PHIL COLLINS, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, ENRIQUE IGLESIAS, TONI BRAXTON (2000)
This Disney-produced show, with a “Tapestry of Nations” theme, felt like one long — and boring — commercial for the brand. Indeed, it was basically a plug for the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration that was taking place at Walt Disney World at the time. I mean, when Phil Collins sings his “Tarzan” song “Two Worlds” instead of “In the Air Tonight” — or even freaking “Sussudio” — you know that something has gone horribly wrong.
GLORIA ESTEFAN, BRIAN BOITANO, DOROTHY HAMILL, US HOCKEY TEAM (1992)
Before Michael Jackson came along to soup up the Super Bowl halftime, there were some pretty lame lineups. This one was so weak that it lost major viewership to a live special episode of “In Living Color.” Featuring figure skaters and hockey players in a Winter Olympics theme titled “Winter Magic,” it dared to even take attention away from the only sport that should have existed on its big game day. No way that poor Gloria Estefan could salvage this mess with “Get on Your Feet.”
MAROON 5 (2019)
5
Adam Levine’s crew got dragged on social media for a performance that made us wonder how they had ever been booked for the biggest gig in the biz. (Well, apparently the likes of Rihanna and Cardi B had already turned it down.) By the time a heavily-tatted Levine went shirtless, it felt like a desperate attempt to salvage a snooze of a set. And — 15 years after Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction — his double-nipple display was called out as a double standard.
