Superbowl halftime show: The most iconic performances over the years
Watching the Superbowl is one of the most classic events to gather with friends & family. Even if you aren’t a football fan, the tempting snacks and the halftime show should be enough to make you want to stay on the couch.
The quality of the production of these events, as well as the level of talented celebrities that run it, make the halftime show something you can’t allow yourself to miss. This year the show will be headed by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J.Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem.
It’s difficult to point at the halftime shows and pick the best ones because the performing stars run from legends like Michael Jackson to icons like Madonna & J-Lo. However, we did our best and selected some of the most iconic halftime performances over the years.
Michael Jackson (1993)
How can we forget Michael Jackson’s halftime show? Several minutes of applause passed before he could start. His entrance to the stage was a full act of illusionism, constantly appearing in different places. The choreography was iconic as always.
In the end, he performed “We are the World” with a choir of children and inflated an enormous globe in the middle of the stage while performing “Heal the World”. Michael Jackson might be dead, but will live forever in the remembrance of every performance he did, the Superbowl halftime show of 1993, won’t be an exception.
Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder, and Bad Voodoo Daddy (1999)
This combination may sound a little weird, but at the time, these artists were all iconic individually. Putting all these voices together, not only generated a great show but it created one of the ’90s most memorable performances.
Prince (2007)
The rock icon interpreted some of his biggest hits like “Let’s go Crazy” and “Purple Rain”. For this show, Prince also added to his repertoire some songs like “All Along the Watchtower” from Bob Dylan and “Best of You” from the Foo Fighters.
His guitar solos and splendid voice gave this performance the recognition of media like Billboard Magazine and Detroit News as the best halftime show. It was also the first halftime show performance to receive an Emmy nomination.
Madonna (2012)
Madonna’s performances are always historical, however, this one was very important because, since Diana Ross in 1996, the show hadn’t been headlined by a sole female. She also said that the rehearsals for this show were the most exhausting ones of her entire career. Coming from her, these are big words.
The show started with an iconic entrance of her song “Vogue” and later featured guests like LMFAO, Nicky Minaj, M.I.A, and CeeLo Green. Also, famous designer brands like Prada, Givenchy, and Miu Miu designed the outfits, which were more than 500, including musical guests & assisting performers.
Beyonce & Destiny’s Child (2013)
For this show, Beyonce delightfully performed some of her most popular songs like “Crazy in Love”, “Baby Boy”, “Single Ladies”, and “Halo”. Destiny’s Child didn’t stay behind by performing “Bootylicious”.
With this performance, Beyonce became the youngest female solo singer to lead the show. This performance was all about women’s empowerment. It broke the record of tweets generated by minute and won one of its three Emmy nominations.
Katy Perry (2015)
It’s truly impossible to not mention Katy Perry, how to forget her roaring entrance while riding an enormous golden feline. With Lenny Kravitz & Missy Elliott as special guests, Perry performed amazing songs like “Roar”, “California Gurls” and ended with the iconic song “Firework”.
Let’s not forget that we’re talking about the woman who wore a bra with cupcakes and shot whipped cream from her chest for a music video. Perry’s outfits were all fantastic, starting with a dress made of flames. Also, the visuals and the dancers’ acrobatics of this show is something worthy to recognize.
Lady Gaga (2017)
It’s no secret that Lady Gaga gives the most extravagant performances and her presentation at the halftime show of 2017 was truly iconic. Her outfit was stunning as always, and the song selection was carefully curated with themes like “Poker Face”, “Born This Way”, “Telephone”, “Just Dance”, etc.
But Gaga is not only about a stunning outfit and a marvelous voice. For this show, she jumped from a high platform to another one penned by Arnesses, how to forget all the memes that came after that.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020)
Two of the most talented Latinas sharing the halftime show, that’s enough to make it one of the most political and unforgettable ones. Each one of them had their time to shine on their own, but definitely, the best part came at the end when they both performed together.
And if it wasn’t enough feminine power, J-Lo invited her 11-year-old daughter Emme on stage to sing “Let’s Get Loud”, making this show a remarkable one.
—
Which Superbowl halftime show is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!
