The SuperBowl halftime show is by far one of the most anticipated performances of the year, with people constantly wondering who will be performing, reviewing the performance, the music, the set, etc. With over 123 million people in the United States tuning in for the 2024 SuperBowl, it can be argued that a lot of the people don’t even watch the football that is taking place – they’re tuning in to watch the halftime show. Last year’s headliner, Usher, had appearances from Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and will.i.am, and with this year being Kendrick Lamar, viewers are certainly excited to see what the Halftime show will entail this year.

5. Dr. Dre – 2022

This show had performances from headliner Dr. Dre with appearances from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. The show was packed with many hit songs from these artists making it entertaining and fun to watch for all age groups, especially many of our parents as they grew up with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. The performance is praised for being not overly busy while staying entertaining, organized and giving each artist their time to shine. The show opened with Dr. Dre and ended with a song by both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, making it a memorable performance. 

4. Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyonce – 2016

Although Coldplay was the headliner of the 2016 halftime show, it is widely known that this band is not incredibly popular and well known amongst pop culture and the music industry. Due to this reason, Bruno Mars and Beyonce were asked to perform as well to add spice and viewers to the show. They were the ones that brought the heat, both of whom had solid halftime performance slots in recent years prior to this one. It seems as though Coldplay was “played” right off of their own stage by Beyonce and Bruno Mars, however despite this, the performance was memorable and fun to watch.

3. Rihanna – 2023

This halftime performance was one to remember – it was the second most watched halftime performance of all time, with 121 million viewers. This was Rihanna’s first live performance in over five years, making it highly anticipated by many fans of hers and pop lovers in general. Being the most watched SuperBowl game in history as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles played for the title, this SuperBowl was one for the books. Many people enjoyed Rihanna’s set and dancers, and considering she was pregnant at the time, her performance was highly praised. T-shirts were made as a part of the game day collection saying “Rihanna concert interrupted by a football game, weird but whatever.” Considering millions more people tuned into her “concert” than the game, there’s truth to that slogan.

2. Katy Perry – 2015

This performance was most definitely one of the most memorable of all time due to the set, songs, outfits, etc. How many halftime performances have you seen begin with a woman enter on a giant mechanical tiger? This show was full of energy, enthusiasm, fun and was most importantly, very intriguing. Assisted by Missy Elliot, a 90s teen music icon, this show did not disappoint. It had it all.

1. Prince – 2007

Last but not least, we have Prince, by far the most talked about and loved Super Bowl halftime show of all time. Although many of us were not even born at this time, it’s safe to say most of us have watched this show and loved it. Prince was an amazing performer, and each show he did showcased his personality and talent. This particular show had everything and more: a marching band, a guitar solo, amazing songs by Prince and covers of songs by other artists, elaborate choreography and more. His final song – “Purple Rain” was the highlight of the show as it began to rain, making the show even more memorable and entertaining. I’m sure if you ask your parents or teachers what they think the best SuperBowl halftime show was, I have a good feeling they will say this one.