Who else is excited for the halftime show during the super bowl this year? I know I am, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar; who wouldn’t be excited. So today, I will count down the top ten best performances of the super bowl halftime.
First, we will start with the 2007 Price performance. Prince exceeded all expectations leading up to his performance in 2007. Of course, Prince was known for his outrageous performances; he seemed to outdo himself during this performance. His performance during the super bowl has gained attention since his death. He will forever go down in history as the most outstanding performer of the super bowl.
The band that takes the second spot of the top performers of the super bowl, we have U2 in 2002. One of the greatest rock & roll bands of all time, U2, made a tribute to the victims of 9/11 during their super bowl performance. In addition, they displayed true patriotism by honoring the dead and Bono ripping his shirt open to reveal an American flag on the inside of his jacket. The band U2 showed a performance that was so exquisite yet emotional that no one will ever forget it. Everyone in the crowd felt the emotion they displayed, and no one will disagree that it was one of their favorite performances of 2002.
Next on the list, we have Beyonce with her 2014 performance. With her great looks and even more incredible sound, Beyonce tops the number 3. Beyonce, as always, ruled the stage with her performances of “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy,” and “Independent Women.” She even had a Destiny’s Child reunion with Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland launched onto the stage. She finished her astounding performance with “Halo,” which everyone in the audience adored.
Topping the list at number four, we have Aerosmith, Britney Spears, ‘NSync, Nelly, and Mary J. Blige with their 2001 performance. The five produced an insane performance with Britney Spears starring as the Miss Who Was Ready to Play and Mary J. Blige singing along. You will notice that Mary J. Blige is one of the performers on the line-up for this year’s super bowl; we can not wait to see what she has planned this year. Along with Nelly rapping over Joe Perry’s guitar solo, this could not have been a better collaboration between the five. The whole history of American pop music is in this performance, and we wholly recommend watching it.
The 2020 Shakira and Jennifer Lopez performance is number five. They were not the first Latinas to perform in the super bowl, but they were the most memorable. This year, the NFL had trouble finding big-name stars willing to commit, so people were in awe of them. With Shakira’s performances of “She Wolf” and Led Zepplin’s “Kashmir,” and Jennifer Lopez’s performance on a stripper pole. Not even her daughter, who sang Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A,” could compete with these two outstanding performers.
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band come in sixth on our list with their 2009 performance. With the incredible 14-minute performance, which stuffed all of the best of a four-hour concert, this performance hit everyone in a particular place. Their renditions of “Tenth Avenue Freezeout,” “Born to Run,” and “Glory Days” wowed everyone in the audience.
Of course, how could we forget the 2012 Madonna performance? She places seventh on our list, and she has scored so many historic TV awards over the years. During this time, many fans were worried that Madonna would not hit in this performance. But, of course, she proved everyone wrong with her initial walk onto the stage. Everyone can remember her vogueing out onto the stage and then lighting up the world. Of course, it was a little chaotic, but what else would you expect from her? She played all of the greatest pop songs of the time, and who could forget the Nicki Minaj cameo, the best of all time if you ask me.
Of course, who could forget Lady Gaga’s 2017 performance? The queen of absurdity did not disappoint anyone with this performance. She sang the Pledge of Allegiance with a bit of twist by making the “for all” sound queer-positive anthem “Born This Way,” making it the first time “transgender” was mentioned in the super bowl. She was aggressively absurd, but who else could do that and pull it off?
Surprisingly, the Rolling Stones 2006 performance makes it at number nine on the list of the top ten performers. Meaning no offense to one of the greatest bands of all time; they simply did not wow the audience like every other performer on this list. However, their performances of “Start Me Up,” “Rough Justice,” and the all-time favorite “Satisfaction” were in better shape than their other performances. However, the network had to censor “ You made a dead man come,” which is entirely understandable.
Finally, number ten, we have Katy Perry and Missy Elliot’s 2015 performance. Katy Perry went all out with her Vegas-style show and did not disappoint. And who could forget the dancing palm trees and the Left Shark? But, of course, Missy Elliot had the grandest introduction as teasers of “Get Ur Freak On” played in the background. This was Missy Elliot’s first high-profile performance in years, the comeback that every fan was waiting for. Who else could own the stage with Missy Elliot as Katy Perry did? It is one of my favorite performances.
We have gone through the top ten best performances in the super bowl. Do you have any performances that you think deserve a spot on this list, or do you agree? If you had to pick your top ten super bowl halftime performances, who would they be?
Sources:
2009 Bruce Springsteen Halftime Show
