For an entertainer who agrees to perform at the Super Bowl, they understand they are working against the clock — the sets are 15 minutes. They also know they will be seen by more people at one event than ever in their careers and are competing against multi-million-dollar commercials to be the talk of the non-football action.
Does a performer have enough music in their catalog, gusto, performance chops and skill to navigate all of those rigors?
We’ve had halftime shows that address loss, create controversy and also touch on the major societal topics of the day, and yours truly took time to review every halftime performance since 1993 — my birth year. I’m joking; I’m joking. I really picked that year because that was when halftime shows began to look the way we recognize them today, and therefore ranking any of the ones prior to that year would be simply unfair.
There have been 30 halftime shows ahead of Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg’s halftime show at Super Bowl LVI. Now, after such a great collective performance, where does the latest Super Bowl halftime show land? We discuss it below.
30. Janet Jackson, Kid Rock, P. Diddy, Nelly and Justin Timberlake (2004)
In terms of actual halftime set, song and performer selection, this was a tremendous show. The respective artists co-existed well together, and each of them respectively picked their more well-known and upbeat hits to perform. This was probably the first halftime show I remember in any great detail. I was sitting in my parents’ room, squarely placed right in front of the TV, and my sister was beside me.
For some reason, my parents weren’t in the room with us when the halftime show started, and this stands out to me because my dad is a huge fan, and I couldn’t imagine him missing this performance.