The Super Bowl Halftime Shows that made history
THE’halftime show of the Super Bowl is one of the most anticipated musical events of the year. So important that it has become a format that is also replicated throughout the year, during the Christmas and Thanksgiving Day games.
Yet the mini-concert during halftime of the NFL final is a relatively recent tradition: from ’67 – the year of the first Superbowl – until ’89 that space was occupied by a show of marching bands university. But in 1990, together with a children’s choir organized by Disney, a group performed: the New Kids on the Block. Two years later, in 1993, Michael Jackson arrived: he was called to revive the plummeting ratings, and he was the first in a list of giants who made that space not only the most watched musical event of the year, but also the most spectacular.
In the 90s, country singers, stars of Latin music (Gloria Estefan) and black music (Diana Ross) alternated, and progressively the bar was raised higher and higher, passing through different genres: pop, rock, up to the pop and urban music of recent years. And the Latin one, with Bad Bunny as protagonist – discussed in the 2026 edition
While waiting for tonight’s show, we have chosen the 5 best Halftime Shows both in terms of musical quality and spectacular performance – here you will find the epic fails, starting with the one by the Black Eyed Peas.
Prince (2007)
The first to do a halftime show in a rock version were U2 in 2002, with a touching tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks. Then, after Janet Jackson’s flop in 2004, a long sequence dedicated to rock begins with Paul McCartney (2005), the Rolling Stones (2006), Tom Petty (2008), Bruce Springsteen (2009) and the Who (2010). The best of this series was Prince, who gave the world a lesson in rock history and style, starting from a revisitation of “We will rock you”, passing through Dylan (“All along the watchtower”) and Foo Fighters (“The best of you”), Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Proud Mary”). Without forgetting his “Let’s go crazy” in guitar version, “Baby I’m a Star” with a marching band and the triumphant finale on “Purple rain”. 12 minutes that seem like an entire concert, one solo after another, with a unique mastery of the stage.
Lady Gaga (2017)
In recent history, perhaps the most beautiful, for how it combines an impeccable musical performance with a hyper-spectacular show. Trump has just been elected for the first time, there is an indication not to talk about politics, but Gaga begins by singing “God bless America” and “This land is your land” by Woody Guthrie, managing to send a message of unity without risking being branded as anti-patriotic. Then he launches himself into the void, the fireworks begin, metaphorical and literal. But the most beautiful passage is “A million reasons”, only voice and piano: exciting.
Dr. Dre, Eminem and Snoop Dogg (2022) and Kendrick Lamar (2025)
After the controversy over racism in the NFL, for some time now the SuperBowl has finally opened up to rap. That is considered one of the best ever: a tribute to American hip-hop, with Dre on the console, surrounded by gigantic names of different generations, from Eminem to Kendrick Lamar, who in 2025 was the first rapper to have the stage all to himself, with another gigantic performance, marked by the execution of “Not like us” and by the presence of SZA and Samuel L Jackson who takes on the role of Uncle Sam and tells him to rap with less content but he he opposes.
Bruce Springsteen (2009)
How do you condense a 3 hour concert into 13 minutes? Springsteen did it. Some concessions to the format: fireworks, a gospel choir on “Working on a dream”, barely mentioned for promotional duties (the album had just been released). But the rest is a concentrate that goes from “Tenth avenue freeze out” – the story of the formation of the E Street Band – to “Glory Days”, the Boss’ most “sporty” song.
Springsteen said that the event had terrified him: and in fact at the beginning, you can clearly see the moment in which he clings to the microphone, the fear passes, he lets go and enters a competitive trance. He recounted this performance in a writing which was also the spark from which his autobiography “Born to run” was born.
Michael Jackson (1993)
The halftime show that changes everything. The year before, Fox had counter-programmed the Superbowl, which had been declining in ratings, so NBC called Jackson. Result: 133 million viewers, one of the most watched moments in the history of American television. In itself, the show is very simple, with choreography in the stands for “We are the world” and “Heal the world”. But it’s still Jackson, the king of pop, in one of his best moments. He made everyone understand that it was a gigantic stage and encouraged famous colleagues to go up there.
Beyoncé (2013 and 2024)
Another almost perfect halftime in the spectacular setting: few know how to hold the stage like Beyoncé. From the opening shot against the light, to the walk on “Crazy in love” to the guitar shooting off fireworks à la Kiss, to the reunion with Destiny’s Child on “Bootylicious”, to the ending on “Single ladies”: a lesson on how to make music on TV. Which he then repeated in 2024, at Christmas, when the NFL landed on Netflix. A Halftime Show not for the Superbowl but for a “normal” country-themed game in his native Texas: the Beyoncé Bowl – the halftime show outside the SuperBowl, the beginning of another story
