Super Bowl Halftime Show: Most Memorable Super Bowl Performances (VIDEO)

For those of us who don't pay attention to the scores, the Super Bowl's annual halftime show is often the only reason we tune in at all.

Lucky for us, the halftime show has grown over the years to become a spectacle in its own right, with performers clamoring to outdo each other year after year. When the first Super Bowl was held in 1967, football fans were treated to the musical styling of trumpeter Al Hirt, the Arcadia High School Drill Team, and marching bands from the University of Arizona, Grambling State University, and University of Michigan.

It wasn't until 1972 that the star power picked up and fans got to watch Carol Channing and Ella Fitzgerald take to the field as halftime performers. By 1991 the NFL was successful in convincing some of the biggest names in music to perform. That year, The New Kids On The Block broke it down with a handful of Disney characters, and 2,000 local children.

The Super Bowl halftime show has become so big, that with the exception of travel and production expenses, the NFL has never paid appearance fees to Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Gloria Estefan, No Doubt, U2, Paul McCartney or any other halftime performers, according to USA Today. A chance to perform on the world's biggest stage at the most watched television event, is enough to convince those artists to take center stage on the football field and give some of their best, worst and OMG-worthy performances.

Check out more than 20-years of Super Bowl halftime shows and let us know which is your favorite.

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Comments

[truthblogger12]

12:40 AM on 02/06/2012

I vote Prince as the best ever. Great Music though this video cuts off the last song, Purple Rain, with the whole stadium singing and cheering, standing O. There is a video of the full performance, on line, which you can google to find.

[Holly Birt]

09:11 PM on 02/05/2012

The halftime show with Aerosmith and Britney Spears was the worst I've ever seen! Oh and NSYNC was a part of that too; the only person who deserved to be there with Aerosmith was Mary J. Blige. The best one I've seen is back in 2008 with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the one in 2006 with The Rolling Stones was rad too. Aerosmith deserves a do-over IMO; let them do it next year.

[Layne5]

09:07 PM on 02/05/2012

The best part of the Super Bowl so far is David Beckham.

[MsYellowDog]

08:32 PM on 02/05/2012

Sorry,but to these eyes,the choreography and especially Madonna's performance of it,looked like exercise hour at the nursing home.Lots of "marching" is not dancing.

[Austin V]

08:29 PM on 02/05/2012

Madonna was outstanding --great classy show and family orientated. Good job. Sound was better than last year but you had to turn it up.

[pinetrale]

08:28 PM on 02/05/2012

Imagine the courage of what it took, to go out there before America and the World for Madonna and her troop to give such a ballsy brilliant and very complex performance pretty flawlessly. With one shot at it, and pushing through the clash of cultures she gathered more and more of the audience to her show as it progressed as more respected what she was trying to do. It was big scale, American in every respect, and showed the divide with the Peace message at the intense ending. To those who would scoff, I think she should be given great credit for going out there and really putting on a full bore show for the time alloted, no holding back. I wish it had morped into a concert it was getting so good.

[ennui the third]

08:26 PM on 02/05/2012

Just watched the halftime show...Truly awful...dull and tired...also, one of madoodle's boots were lower than the other...what has she done to her face?...very strange indeed.

[Holly Birt]

09:12 PM on 02/05/2012

I thought it kind of sucked too; I mean I sort of like Madonna, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I prefer rock n' roll bands -- Foo Fighters next year!

[ennui the third]

10:25 PM on 02/05/2012

I agree with you....Madonna looked like a contestant from American Idol.....

[Austin V]

08:22 PM on 02/05/2012

One thing for sure Madonna gave an outstanding performance--classy and very family orientated. Good work!!

[verylargehat]

08:18 PM on 02/05/2012

Madonna did a great job!!

[Milash]

08:25 PM on 02/05/2012

Agreed!

[jneal11254]

08:17 PM on 02/05/2012

While tonight was far from the worst show ever, I was amazed at how boring Madonna turned out to be. The music was not musical, and the sound was so awful that I could not really hear her, even with my volume turned to max. Fabulous pageantry, but in my view, an overall awful show.

[valentina 2]

08:25 PM on 02/05/2012

The first and last songs were the best. The rest...blah.

[Itsafact]

08:27 PM on 02/05/2012

Didn't see it but someone I know agrees with you!

[Cibeles]

08:25 PM on 02/05/2012

Agreed. That performance was just awful.

[PNK]

07:54 PM on 02/05/2012

MICHAEL JACKSON!!!

[crayola 08b]

08:33 PM on 02/05/2012

is dead!

[kafkaesk]

07:44 PM on 02/05/2012

U2, 2002. This New Yorker will always associate U2 with healing post 9/11, having had the chance to see them at the Garden in October 2001, just a few days after the Concert for New York. It was the most emotional musical event I've ever been to, with a large presence of first responders in the audience. And the Super Bowl appearance seems to me like an extension of that performance. It was a moment in music history that I will never forget.

[77KLG]

07:11 PM on 02/05/2012

Prince was amazing show even with the rain

[GTKZ]

06:46 PM on 02/05/2012

I can't get past the idea that this is "the most watched TV event." How can that be? I couldn't care less about football, and I know I'm hardly the only one. I know a lot of fanatical people are totally obsessed with it, but that's just them. A lot of people don't care. I think the buzz around this event is bigger than the event itself, and all the pre-event stories and ads reach a much larger audience than the game. Can't wait till it's over and we can go back to normal...

[jukesgrrl]

08:47 PM on 02/05/2012

Sorry, but out in the hinterlands hundreds of millions of people are attending Super Bowl parties. It's not just about football. People who are into the game are watching but the houses are also filled with other family and friends who are there to visit and eat. The Super Bowl has become Thanksgiving with food that's even worse for you. Americans have purchased $1 BILLION dollars worth of snack food alone in preparation for this day. It's easy for food purveyors to tote up. They sell more food for this day than any other holiday save Thanksgiving. And Nielsen measuring the ratings is how it became known as "most watched TV event." Why else would the advertisers spend that kind of money? You might not be interested, but the populace that is keeping the economy afloat is.

[GTKZ]

10:51 PM on 02/05/2012

holy crap! more food than for thanksgiving? i had no idea...

[Holly Birt]

09:14 PM on 02/05/2012

I feel the same way you do -- I like football (mainly Notre Dame college football), but baseball is more my thing. I can't wait for baseball season!! We're getting close now!

[GTKZ]

10:52 PM on 02/05/2012

I'm not keen on watching any sports, but I can tolerate basketball--more action there. I do like figure skating because it's artistic in addition to technical.

[suebeedue]

06:07 PM on 02/05/2012

GO PATS!!!