Michael Jackson

Super 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 the World" with thousands of local children and a crowd card stunt has a scale later shows still chase. This is the performance that turned halftime from a filler slot into a headline event, and the first time the broadcast's ratings rose between the two halves of the game.