Rihanna is ready to rock the stage at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday.
Fans are already trying to guess the setlist with countless hits: “SOS,” “Umbrella,” “Shut Up and Drive,” “Don’t Stop the Music,” “Take a Bow,” “Disturbia,” “Rude Boy,” “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name?,” “S&M,” “We Found Love,” “Diamonds” and “Work.”
In the meantime, it’s time for our fun annual tradition on WTOP ranking the best Super Bowl Halftime Show performances ever. Each year, some performances rise, others fall, but it’s all subjective and mostly just a fun way to get excited for the Super Bowl.
Here’s my personal top 10 ranking, alternating between classic and modern artists:
10. Paul McCartney (2005) vs. The Rolling Stones (2006) — TIE
After Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction,” the Super Bowl turned to safer throwbacks with Paul McCartney, who performed “Live and Let Die” and “Get Back” before a stadium sing-a-long to “Hey Jude.” The following year, The Beatles’ rivals The Rolling Stones rocked out to “Start Me Up” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” They would both rank higher if they were in their prime, but their timeless showmanship deserves a spot.
9. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar & Eminem (2022)
Who cares if it was just last year? The hip-hop show was fire. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg kicked it off with “The Next Episode” and “California Love,” followed by 50 Cent hanging upside-down for “In da Club,” Mary J. Blige crooning “Family Affair” and Kendrick Lamar rapping “Alright” before culminating with Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”
8. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (2008)
After years of cluttered stages, it was refreshing to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers hit the stage alone. “American Girl” kicked off a superb set list of “I Won’t Back Down,” “Free Fallin'” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” Now that Petty has passed away, it should make fans realize that they took his Super Bowl concert for granted. Play it back and see.
7. Michael Jackson (1993)
Despite obvious lip-syncing, The King of Pop put the halftime show on the map. He shot up through the stage and stood like a statue for 90 seconds as the roaring crowd hung on his every head turn, before launching into “Billie Jean” and “Black or White.” Alas, the kids on stage for “Heal the World” feels awkward after the “Leaving Neverland” documentary.
6. Bruce Springsteen (2009)
Springsteen regularly performs four-hour sets with his E Street Band, so the Super Bowl was a cake walk. The Boss mixed new tunes (“Working on a Dream”) with classics (“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born to Run,” “Glory Days”) and slid on his knees right into the camera before a final exchange with Stevie Van Zandt: “What time is it?” “It’s Boss time.”
5. Beyoncé (2013)
If future generations want to know what made Beyoncé a star, just play them her halftime show. Bey owned the stage, opening with “Crazy in Love,” dancing with Destiny’s Child to “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and closing with “Halo.” It was so electric that it caused a stadium blackout in the second half, shifting momentum from the 49ers to the Ravens.
4. Lady Gaga (2017)
After declaring “I’m on the edge” to “leap” off the stadium roof, Gaga froze like a statue to sing, “I wanna hold ’em like they do in Texas, please,” rattled off “Poker Face,” “Born This Way” and “Telephone,” played keyboard on “Just Dance,” piano on “Million Reasons” and ended with “Bad Romance,” donning shoulder pads to catch a pass and fly off stage. Wow.
3. Bruno Mars (2014)
If anyone doubted whether Bruno Mars was ready for prime time, his halftime show was proof. After a drum solo, Mars launched into “Locked Out of Heaven” with Motown moves, slick jackets and brass instruments that were both nostalgic and fresh. It was a “star is born” moment that catapulted him to Grammys for “Uptown Funk” and “24K Magic.”
2. U2 — 9/11 Tribute (2002)
Not only is U2 one of the most prolific rock bands in history, the Irish group crossed the pond to help America heal after 9/11. We got goosebumps watching the victims’ names rise as The Edge played “Where the Streets Have No Name” before Bono let out a primal scream as the names tumbled down like the Twin Towers. Words don’t do it justice.
1. Prince (2007)
Topping the list is Prince, whose 2016 death cements this performance for the ages. Standing on his giant symbol, Prince shredded guitar on “Let’s Go Crazy” before killer covers of “Best of You,” “We Will Rock You” and “All Along the Watchtower.” The climax was “Purple Rain” in a Miami thunderstorm wearing eight-inch platform heels. When officials asked how to handle the rain, Prince replied, “Can you make it rain harder?”
Below is a full chronological list of Super Bowl halftime performances:
1967 — University of Arizona and Grambling State University Marching Bands, Al Hirt
1968 — Grambling State University Marching Band
1969 — Florida A&M University and Miami-area high school bands
1970 — Carol Channing, Southern University Marching Band
1971 — Southeast Missouri State Marching Band, Up with People
1972 — Ella Fitzgerald, Carol Channing, Al Hirt, U.S. Marine Corps Drill Team
1973 — University of Michigan Marching Band, Woody Herman, Andy Williams
1974 — University of Texas Marching Band, Miss Texas Judy Mallett
1975 — Mercer Ellington, Grambling State University Marching Band
1976 — Up with People
1977 — Los Angeles Unified All-City Band
1978 — Tyler Apache Belles Drill Team, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt
1979 — Ken Hamilton, Various Bands from the Caribbean
1980 — Up with People, Grambling State University Marching Band
1981 — Southern University Marching Band, Helen O’Connell
1982 — Up with People (Tribute to Motown)
1983 — Los Angeles Super Drill Team
1984 — University of Florida Marching Band and Florida State University Marching Bands
1985 — Tops in Blue
1986 — Up with People
1987 — George Burns, Mickey Rooney, Grambling State University and USC Marching Bands
1988 — Chubby Checker, The Rockettes, San Diego State Marching Band, USC Marching Band
1989 — Elvis Presto
1990 — Pete Fountain, Doug Kershaw, Irma Thomas, Nicholls State University, Southern University and USL Marching Bands
1991 — New Kids on the Block
1992 — Gloria Estefan with Olympic figure skaters Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill
1993 — Michael Jackson
1994 — Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, The Judds
1995 — Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, Tony Bennett, Arturo Sandoval, Miami Sound Machine
1996 — Diana Ross
1997 — The Blues Brothers, James Brown, ZZ Top
1998 — Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Queen Latifah, Grambling State University Band
1999 — Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Savion Glover
2000 — Tina Turner, Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton
2001 — Aerosmith, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Nelly
2002 — U2 (9/11 Tribute)
2003 — Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting
2004 — Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock
2005 — Paul McCartney
2006 — The Rolling Stones
2007 — Prince
2008 — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
2009 — Bruce Springsteen
2010 — The Who
2011 — The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash
2012 — Madonna, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., Cee Lo Green
2013 — Beyoncé with Destiny’s Child
2014 — Bruno Mars, The Red Hot Chili Peppers
2015 — Katy Perry, Missy Elliot
2016 — Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé
2017 — Lady Gaga
2018 — Justin Timberlake
2019 — Maroon 5
2020 — Jennifer Lopez, Shakira
2021 — The Weeknd
2022 — Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem
