Items18The creator’s order
  1. 1Michael JacksonMichael JacksonBorn Jan 1, 1958Super Bowl XXVII halftime show, 1993, Rose Bowl Watch it for the opening alone: Jackson appears on stage and then simply stands there, motionless, while the stadium goes wild, a long pause that only a star at his peak could hold. The set that follows is a tight run of hits, and the finale of "Heal…0
  2. 2Diana RossDiana RossBorn Mar 26, 1944Super Bowl XXX halftime show, 1996 Pure showbiz, and proud of it. Billed as a celebration of 30 years of the Super Bowl, Diana Ross brings pyrotechnics, special effects and a stadium card stunt to the field, then tops it all by leaving the stadium in a helicopter. It is the most old-fashioned show…0
  3. 3U2U2Born Jan 1, 1976Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show, February 3, 2002 The first Super Bowl after the September 11 attacks needed a show that meant something, and U2 delivered one. The set is just three big songs, "Beautiful Day," "MLK" and "Where the Streets Have No Name," while the names of the victims are projected…0
  4. 4Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneyBorn Jan 1, 1942Super Bowl XXXIX halftime show, February 6, 2005, Jacksonville No gimmicks: just a Beatle and a great band playing four songs everyone knows. "Drive My Car" and "Get Back" warm things up, "Live and Let Die" brings the fireworks, and "Hey Jude" turns the whole stadium into a singalong. It is the…0
  5. 5PrincePrinceBorn Jan 1, 1958Super Bowl XLI halftime show, February 4, 2007, Miami The one every other halftime show gets measured against. It poured in Miami, and instead of fighting the weather Prince used it, playing "Purple Rain" in an actual downpour. Before that comes a fearless set that mixes his own "Let's Go Crazy"…0
  6. 6Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBorn Jan 1, 1949Super Bowl XLIII halftime show, February 1, 2009, with the E Street Band A bar band at stadium size, playing like it has something to prove. Springsteen treats halftime as a sprint, tearing through crowd-pleasers such as "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and "Glory Days" with the E Street Band at full…0
  7. 7MadonnaMadonnaBorn Jan 1, 1958Super Bowl XLVI halftime show, February 5, 2012, Indianapolis, with LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. and CeeLo Green The grandest entrance of the era: men dressed as gladiators haul in a throne hidden behind gold flags, and Madonna is revealed in a gold cape for "Vogue." Cirque du Soleil helped produce…0
  8. 8BeyoncéBeyoncéBorn Jan 1, 1981Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, February 3, 2013 A 13-and-a-half-minute whistle-stop tour of a catalog, delivered at full sprint. Beyoncé opens with "Love on Top," closes with "Halo," and in between brings back Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for a Destiny's Child reunion that still gets a…0
  9. 9Bruno MarsBruno MarsBorn Jan 1, 1985Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show, February 2, 2014, with Red Hot Chili Peppers Bruno Mars was a relatively new star when he got this slot, and he answered the doubters with a high-octane, old-school revue that leans on his band and his dancing rather than big effects. Midway through, Red Hot Chili…0
  10. 10Katy PerryKaty PerryBorn Oct 25, 1984Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, February 1, 2015, with Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott The most fun you can have with a halftime show. Katy Perry rides in on a giant animatronic lion, Lenny Kravitz joins on guitar, and a pair of dancing sharks produces the viral "Left Shark." Then Missy Elliott…0