The Super Bowl clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers is upon us.
Ahead of the big game on Sunday, the main talking points aren’t just about our favorite football stars; cameras are also focused on the halftime show at Allegiant Stadium. R&B singer Usher has been roped in to headline this year’s musical feast.
Stakes are always very high for the artists lending their talents in front of over 100 million people. Accordingly, the biggest stars on the planet seldom shy away from splashing astronomical figures in their bid to deliver a memorable performance.
The Weeknd holds the record for headlining the most expensive Super Bowl halftime show, having spent $17 million ($7 million out of his own pocket) to fund his production. The Star Boy did make plenty of headlines, but his performance was decent at best. It doesn’t even make our list of the five best Super Bowl Performances of all time.
5. Lady Gaga – 2017
Lady Gaga opened her performance on a bit puzzling and sober note by combining God Bless America with This Land Is Your Land from the roof of the NRG Stadium. However, the departure from her infectious energetic style wasn’t for too long.
She landed on the stage like an angel before delivering hits like Poker Face, Born This Way, and Bad Romance, among others. Apart from stunning the crowd with bold visuals and impressive vocal performance, Lady Gaga also got things going for the main event by catching a football at the end of her show.
4. Michael Jackson – 1993
It’s been more than three decades since Michael Jackson took the stage inside the Rose Bowl stadium and yet his performance remains fresh in the memories of Super Bowl followers.
The late King of Pop kept viewers glued to their televisions with songs like We Are the World and Heal the World and forever changed the way the NFL approached the Super Bowl halftime show. It was ahead of its time in every department, including the production value.
3. Beyoncé – 2013
The show opened with Beyoncé‘s silhouette being lit on fire. The singer then raised the temperature even higher through her bold vocals, as she performed a medley of songs, including Love on Top and Crazy in Love.
Mid-way through her performance, the artist with the most Grammy wins took things to the next stage by reuniting with Destiny’s Child, as Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams joined her to sing Bootylicious, Independent Women, and Single Ladies. What a way to send your fans into a frenzy!
2. Dr. Dre & Team – 2022
No offense to the players of the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams, but the strongest lineup on the show on that day graced the field at halftime.
Dr. Dre was joined by Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem for a show that made the outing more historic and memorable for fans of hip-hop than football at the SoFi Stadium in California.
Dre and Snoop Dogg kicked off things – on a stage that was a map of Los Angeles – with The Next Episode before 50 Cent made a surprise entry and rapped In Da Club. Eminem also joined the party after Blige and Lamar by performing Lose Yourself. The spotlight fell on Dre again, as he brought curtains down by playing the piano on Still D.R.E.
1. Prince – 2007
When Prince’s opportunity to grace the stage arrived, a downpour at the Dolphin Stadium made the situation (as well as the stage) slippery, leading to organizers asking the artist if he wanted to cancel the halftime show. He replied (via Rolling Stone): “Can you make it rain harder?”
The guitar solo of Purple Rain on a love Symbol-shaped stage took on mother nature, as thousands of football fanatics got swayed by the strings of Prince’s guitar.
During his 12-minute performance, the late icon also delivered renditions of 1999, Let’s Go Crazy, Proud Mary, and many more. Do yourself a favor and watch the show again (and again!).
