Five best Super Bowl halftime shows in NFL history, from Prince to Beyoncé

Author Photo
Sam Jarden
and others
• 6 min read
Prince
Getty Images

The Super Bowl is a game of football, but it's become so much more than that.

Each year, with hundreds of millions of people watching on, the NFL does its best to provide an evening full of entertainment. Even if you don't like football, or watching commercials, maybe you'll at least be curious to see what each year brings in terms of the halftime show. 

The show has taken on a life of its own in recent decades, with each year's performance trying to outdo all those that came before. It's one of the biggest stages in all of entertainment, and it has become must-watch television for all of those with an interest in American pop culture. 

Rihanna was selected as this year's performer at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. She's taking the stage despite having not released an album since 2016, and it'll be fascinating to see what she has up her sleeve this Sunday.

There have been some good, some bad and some ugly offerings at halftime of the NFL's biggest game through the years. But for the purposes of this article, let's focus on the good.

Here's a look back at five of the greatest halftime shows in Super Bowl history:

Best Super Bowl halftime shows, ranked

5. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar (2022)

Last year's group of stars put on the first rap show in Super Bowl halftime history. For that distinction, it makes the list of our five best. 

It helps that it featured legends of the West Coast rap scene like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar on stage at Los Angeles' extravagant new SoFi Stadium. Plus, the Rams went on to win their first Super Bowl since relocating to the City of Angels. 

The group of musicians mostly steered clear of controversy, instead sticking to a setlist of popular anthems from the past few decades. We even got to see an inverted 50 Cent perform his classic "In Da Club". However, Kendrick Lamar's politically charged "Alright" was followed up by Eminem taking a knee in a clear homage to Colin Kaepernick. 

It's fitting they chose to push the envelope somehow considering rap music's history of tackling political and social issues. There's no doubt the genre's Super Bowl debut was an impressive one. 

4. Katy Perry (2015)

Perry's entrance on a massive golden lion as she belted out her song "Roar" set the tone for the rest of this hilariously weird and wild performance. Also, it gave the world "left shark". 

It was no doubt one of the most visually stunning Super Bowl shows ever. From the aforementioned lion, to legions of dancing chess pieces, to Lenny Kravitz's guitar accompanied by jets of flames, to Missy Elliott's surprise appearance, complete with an ever-changing light show on stage, you just never knew where it was going to turn next. It was capped off by Perry taking flight high above the field on a shooting star as hundreds of extras held glowing orbs beneath her. 

Whether or not you're a fan of her radio-friendly brand of pop music, there's no denying Perry put on one heck of a show.

3. Beyoncé (2013)

Don't worry, BeyHive. You already knew this would be on the list. 

If there was any doubt about Beyoncé's status as a legendary performer, that was quickly removed by her show at Super Bowl 47. She belted out incredible renditions of her classics "Crazy In Love" and "Halo," and even had her former Destiny's Child bandmates join her on stage for "Baby Boy."

She brought the house down in New Orleans, or at least the house's electrical grid. An infamous blackout took place shortly afterwards during the second half of the game (49ers vs. Ravens), causing a 34-minute delay. 

The show and the ensuing blackout generated a staggering 299,000 tweets per minute, making it the most-tweeted moment in the history of Twitter. That seems more than deserving of a place on the podium.

2. U2 (2002)

The legendary rockers didn't disappoint at Super Bowl 36 in New Orleans. With the game taking place less than five months after the 9/11 attacks, the show was as emotional as it was stunning.

After opening with "Beautiful Day," Bono transitioned into "MLK" and then "Where the Streets Have No Name" as the names of the victims were projected on a screen behind the band. At the end of the set, he took off his jacket to reveal an American flag print. Maybe not quite the level of showmanship we've come to expect these days, but undeniably powerful. 

It was a short show, lasting only three songs, but it has to go down as one of the most memorable in the history of the big game.

1. Prince (2007)

There's really no other choice for the top spot. Prince's show at Super Bowl 41 was an instant classic.

The fact that the performance took place during a nasty storm at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami really just adds to its mythical status. The crowd was into it, the accompanying marching band was into it, and Prince was at his transcendent best. He pranced around the stage in the elements while still giving an incredible vocal and guitar performance. No lip-synching or production tricks to be seen. 

The legendary guitar solo during "Purple Rain" as the rain came pouring down is the stuff of legend, and has to be the most magical moment in Super Bowl halftime history. 

Author(s)
Sam Jarden Photo
Sam Jarden

Sam Jarden is a content producer at Sporting News.