.jpg)
1 hour ago
2
The Super Bowl halftime show hasn’t always been a cultural event. For years, it was filler. Sometimes it reflected civic pride. Sometimes it was branding. Sometimes it was a bad idea that somehow survived every meeting in the room.
What follows is a ranking of all 60 Super Bowl halftime shows, from the early experiments to the performances that helped define what the spectacle eventually became.
60. KaleidoSUPERscope Super Bowl 17
Nothing else comes close. This wasn’t confusing in a bold way or strange in a memorable way. It was just noise. Color for the sake of color. Movement without meaning. A halftime show that felt like a corporate morale video accidentally aired to millions.
59. Up With People “Salute to the 1960s” Super Bowl 16
Even in its own moment, this felt dated. The optimism was relentless. The smiles were nonstop. And none of it matched the energy of a championship football game. It played like a pep rally that didn’t realize the audience had already moved on.
58. Winter Is Magic Super Bowl 26
This was basically an ad. Not even a subtle one. With the Winter Olympics just weeks away, halftime turned into a full-blown promotional showcase built around skating, ceremony, and winter pageantry. It felt more like a tourism broadcast than a halftime show.
57. Elvis Presto Super Bowl 23
Maybe the most WTF moment in halftime history. An Elvis impersonator on the Super Bowl stage is one of those ideas that probably sounded fun in a meeting. It did not translate.
56. Indiana Jones featuring Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle Super Bowl 29
Vocally, it was excellent. Everything around it was chaos. The Indiana Jones theme swallowed the performances whole, leaving viewers unsure what they were supposed to be watching.
55. Michigan Marching Band “Happiness Is” Super Bowl
Polite when it needed punch. Especially flat when compared to earlier halftime performances from Grambling State, Southern, and Florida A&M.
54. Up With People Super Bowl 20
The enthusiasm was aggressive. The music was relentless. And Beat of the Future somehow managed to feel outdated the moment it aired. History saved it. The performance did not.
53. Up With People “Bicentennial Celebration” Super Bowl 10
There were a few genuinely nice moments. Unfortunately, sincerity only carries you so far. “Someday she’s gonna be quite a lady” referring to Lady Liberty is beyond cringe.
52. Maroon 5 Super Bowl 53
Safe. Flat. Forgettable. Nothing was offensively bad, which might be the biggest problem.
51. Texas Longhorn Band with Miss Texas Super Bowl 8
“A Musical America”leaned hard into regional flavor. The only available footage looks like it was filmed on a potato.
50. Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Super Bowl 33
A trainwreck from start to finish.
49. World of Children’s Dreams Super Bowl 19
The Super Bowl halftime show hasn’t always been a cultural event. For years, it was filler. Sometimes it reflected civic pride. Sometimes it was branding. Sometimes it was a bad idea that somehow survived every meeting in the room.
What follows is a ranking of all 60 Super Bowl halftime shows, from the early experiments to the performances that helped define what the spectacle eventually became.
60. KaleidoSUPERscope Super Bowl 17
Nothing else comes close. This wasn’t confusing in a bold way or strange in a memorable way. It was just noise. Color for the sake of color. Movement without meaning. A halftime show that felt like a corporate morale video accidentally aired to millions.
59. Up With People “Salute to the 1960s” Super Bowl 16
Even in its own moment, this felt dated. The optimism was relentless. The smiles were nonstop. And none of it matched the energy of a championship football game. It played like a pep rally that didn’t realize the audience had already moved on.
58. Winter Is Magic Super Bowl 26
This was basically an ad. Not even a subtle one. With the Winter Olympics just weeks away, halftime turned into a full-blown promotional showcase built around skating, ceremony, and winter pageantry. It felt more like a tourism broadcast than a halftime show.
57. Elvis Presto Super Bowl 23
Maybe the most WTF moment in halftime history. An Elvis impersonator on the Super Bowl stage is one of those ideas that probably sounded fun in a meeting. It did not translate.
56. Indiana Jones featuring Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle Super Bowl 29
Vocally, it was excellent. Everything around it was chaos. The Indiana Jones theme swallowed the performances whole, leaving viewers unsure what they were supposed to be watching.
55. Michigan Marching Band “Happiness Is” Super Bowl
Polite when it needed punch. Especially flat when compared to earlier halftime performances from Grambling State, Southern, and Florida A&M.
54. Up With People Super Bowl 20
The enthusiasm was aggressive. The music was relentless. And Beat of the Future somehow managed to feel outdated the moment it aired. History saved it. The performance did not.
53. Up With People “Bicentennial Celebration” Super Bowl 10
There were a few genuinely nice moments. Unfortunately, sincerity only carries you so far. “Someday she’s gonna be quite a lady” referring to Lady Liberty is beyond cringe.
52. Maroon 5 Super Bowl 53
Safe. Flat. Forgettable. Nothing was offensively bad, which might be the biggest problem.
51. Texas Longhorn Band with Miss Texas Super Bowl 8
“A Musical America”leaned hard into regional flavor. The only available footage looks like it was filmed on a potato.
50. Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Super Bowl 33
A trainwreck from start to finish.
49. World of Children’s Dreams Super Bowl 19
A failure in execution.
48. Up With People Salute to Big Band era Super Bowl 14
I’m just out on Up With People.
47. Salute to Caribbean with various island bands Super Bowl 13
Not anything to rewatch.
46. The Apache Band Super Bowl 12
Some kind of Paris, France to Paris, Texas concept. Just confusing.
45. Tribute to Duke Ellington Super Bowl 9
It was fine. But necessary?
44. Up With People Super Bowl 5
Up With People and the Southeast Missouri State band. No.
43. Carol Channing Super Bowl 4
First celebrity halftime performer.
42. Salute to Louis Armstrong Super Bowl 6
Makes sense geographically. Still not a favorite.
41. It’s a Small World with LA Band and Mouseketeers Super Bowl 11
This may be a little low.
40. Mardi Gras Festival Super Bowl 15
USC marching band. Not great, not terrible.
39. Salute to the Silver Screen Super Bowl 18
Good music. Not much else.
38. Salute to Hollywood’s 100th Anniversary Super Bowl 2
More marching bands.
37. Radio City Rockettes and Chubby Checker Super Bowl 22
Random.
36. Salute to the Peanuts Super Bowl 24
Fine if you love Peanuts.
35. Clint Black, Travis Tritt and The Judds Super Bowl 28
Rocking country. Meh.
34. The Who Super Bowl 44
Solid. No surprises.
33. Blues Brothers Tribute Super Bowl 31
Not for everyone, but effective for the right audience.
32. Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations Super Bowl 32
Good. Felt like it left something on the table.
31. Shania Twain, Sting and No Doubt Super Bowl 37
Forced but palatable.
30. Diana Ross Super Bowl 30
Helicopter exit. Card trick. Iconic and strange.
29. Florida A&M Band Super Bowl 3
Entertaining as always.
28. Grambling State Band Super Bowl 2
They ran it back. Still worked.
27. Coldplay featuring Beyoncé and Bruno Mars Super Bowl 50
Not bad. Just smaller than expected.
26. Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias Super Bowl 34
A transitional Disney snapshot.
25. University of Arizona and Grambling State University Super Bowl 1
Marching bands were the foundation.
24. Aerosmith, NSYNC and Britney Spears Super Bowl 35
Chaotic by design.
23. New Kids on the Block Super Bowl 25
Overshadowed by wide right.
22. Justin Timberlake Super Bowl 52
A halftime career arc in one performer.
21. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Super Bowl 42
Grounded. Honest. Timeless.
20. Usher Super Bowl 58
A polished victory lap.
19. The Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl 45
The stadium felt it more than TV did.
18. Madonna Super Bowl 46
Big. Busy. Still Madonna.
17. Paul McCartney Super Bowl 39
Comfort was the point. Classic McCartney.
16. Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl 59
Intentional. Layered. Patient.
15. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Super Bowl 43
Personal in a massive space.
14. The Rolling Stones Super Bowl 40
Legends doing legend things.
13. The Weeknd Super Bowl 55
Cinematic and creative.
12. Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers Super Bowl 48
Knew exactly what it was.
11. Lady Gaga Super Bowl 51
Clean execution. No hiding.
10. Beyoncé Super Bowl 47
Total command from start to finish.
9. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez Super Bowl 54
Fast, vibrant, global.
8. Bad Bunny Super Bowl 60
Bad Bunny opened by carrying a football onto the field, immediately tying the performance to the game before widening the frame. Surrounded by a massive cast of extras, the set played like a biographical statement, even featuring him falling through a ceiling as the show shifted scenes and scale, along with a surprise appearance by Lady Gage. It was controlled, confident, and unmistakably his.
7. Katy Perry Super Bowl 49
Better live than on television. The joy landed.
6. Rihanna Super Bowl 57
Presence over production.
5. Dr. Dre featuring Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent Super Bowl 56
Hip hop finally treated as foundational.
4. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake Super Bowl 38
Historically seismic.
3. Prince Super Bowl 41
Rain. Guitar. Perfection.
2. Michael Jackson Super Bowl 27
The standard changed forever.
1. U2 Super Bowl 36
Restraint. Courage. Meaning. Halftime has never been heavier.
English (US)