Last 29 Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked, From U2 to The Weeknd (Photos)
26. Black Eyed Peas (2011) Before this show, young ‘uns were celebrating the end of the halftime show being owned by the “retirement home.” Afterwards, the old folks were smugly smirking. The Peas were absolutely abominable, with stiff choreography and mailed-in vocals that made The Who seem 40 years younger. The absolute worst moment came when Slash arrived to save the day, only for Fergie to commit a cardinal sin against rock by mangling “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Later in 2011, the Peas’ new album got panned, their motion-sensor video game bombed, and by year’s end, they announced they were going on hiatus.
25. Indiana Jones (1995) If you thought Katy Perry’s shark was weird, get a load of this. Disney used this halftime show to promote its new Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, and it featured Indy (not played by Harrison Ford) trying to steal a plastic Vince Lombardi trophy from a temple. Throw in a lip-synching Patti LaBelle and Tony Bennett, and you have a real stinker.
24. The Who (2010) Let’s make something clear: The Who are absolute legends. They are essential not just to rock, but to all of music. But unlike previous classic rock acts, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend really felt past their prime in this performance, and that’s the worst thing you can do at a show like this. Some have speculated that since Roger and Pete had never seen an American football game before, they may not have realized just how big this gig was in American culture.
23. James Brown, ZZ Top, and the Blues Brothers (1997) Another lineup that seemed great on paper and disappointed in reality. The Godfather of Soul was forced to blatantly lip-sync his greatest hits, and Jim Belushi cavorted around the stage doing a weak imitation of his brother John in his iconic role.
22. Phil Collins, Enrique Iglesias, and Christina Aguilera (2000) Wow! Look at that lineup! By all rights, that should be a smash show. But it ended up being a Disney-produced bore about the “Tapestry of Nations.” Instead of thumping out Genesis songs, Collins got stuck doing one of the songs he wrote for “Tarzan.” Iglesias and Aguilera did a duet called “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand.” Amazingly, Xtina would go on to hit a bigger low at the Super Bowl when she flubbed the National Anthem a decade later.
21. Shania Twain, No Doubt, and Sting (2003) This one is just forgettable, particularly since after the game, Bon Jovi stole the spotlight by singing “It’s My Life” just before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were awarded the trophy. Gwen Stefani teaming up with Sting to do “Message in a Bottle” almost saved this show. Almost.
16. Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi — While some halftime shows have been panned by the public long before the acts step foot on the stage, none had such immediate backlash as Maroon 5. The band’s presence was seen as ill-fitting for a Super Bowl set in the rap mecca of Atlanta, and though they had a solid set buoyed by Travis Scott, Georgia native Big Boi, and SPONGEBOB of all things, it probably didn’t change anyone’s minds. Sorry, Maroon 5.
8.) Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (2020) — While some badly hidden lip-syncing knocked this down a few spots, Shakira and J-Lo’s show was the most high energy spectacle the Super Bowl had in years, all around two Latinas who had the looks and dancing of pop stars half their age. J-Lo showed off a little bit of her pole dancing moves from “Hustlers” while Shakira’s trademark hip shaking proved it definitely isn’t 2004 anymore. The highlight, however, was J-Lo’s cloak with the U.S. flag on one side and the Puerto Rican flag on the other, brought out while a girl sang Springsteen’s “Born In The USA.” Fitting for an election year.
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