On February 8, Bad Bunny will probably receive the biggest accolade of his career so far by performing on the Super Bowl LX Halftime show. The rapper received the nod in September, and he will surely be planning a spectacular show to entertain his millions of fans worldwide.
While there are lots of ways people take an interest in the event, ranging from placing a bet on the Super Bowl to engaging with those super-expensive adverts, the Halftime Show is the gateway for most non-football fans to watch the action.
There have, unfortunately, been some stinkers down the years, with performers like the Black Eyed Peas and New Kids on the Block among the least well received. Yet, most modern Halftime Shows tend to deliver, as the performers are fully aware that this is probably the biggest moment in their careers.
But who has really pulled out the stops? In our view, the following were the best Super Bowl Halftime Shows, and they are the benchmark for Bad Bunny to follow:
- Prince – Super Bowl XLI
Everyone has an opinion on the best performance, and not everyone will agree that it is Prince, but it is difficult to deny that he was spectacular. The thing is: Prince just got it. He played his own best tracks – including the best version of Purple Rain you’ll ever hear – cover versions, light shows and other theatrics. Prince had an ego, but he fully understood that he was playing for a massive global audience here, and he pulled out all the stops to entertain.
- Beyoncé – Super Bowl XLVII
You can consider the Super Bowl Halftime Show as the ultimate testament to a star becoming one of the world’s biggest, and that was the affirmation given to Beyoncé in 2013. Like Prince, she understood the mission, pulling out all the hits and never being self-indulgent. And then, she capped it off by bringing on the former members of Destiny’s Child for a special reunion. It was perfect.
- U2 – Super Bowl XXXVI
Hindsight critics are split on this one, as the theme of the performance was a remembrance for the lives lost on 9/11 a few months previously. Yet, there was probably no better choice than U2 to lead such a somber performance, as the Irish rockers were able to balance respect with entertainment like few others. The finish with Where the Streets Have No Name is arguably one of the best live performances of any rock song in history.
- Aerosmith & NYSNC – Super Bowl XXXV
A year before U2’s performance, the NFL tried something different with a show tagged as the Kings of Rock and Pop. Thus, Steven Tyler and co. rocked us out with bangers like Walk This Way, while the NSYNC boys did their thing with Bye Bye Baby. Special guests included Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears and Nelly. A strange mix of performers, which hasn’t always worked in the past, but this time it somehow did.
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- Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre et al. – Super Bowl LVI
If you want collective star power, there is no better Super Bowl than this one. Snoop Dogg and Dre got the lion’s share of the stage time, but there was also room for Eminem (with an amazing performance of Lose Yourself), Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar. The final act, featuring all the performers collaborating on Still D.R.E is exactly the type of one-off magic that the Super Bowl is supposed to deliver.
