The best and worst Super Bowl halftime shows since 2000
The Super Bowl halftime show is a massive cultural event, with performers across genres taking the stage either to remind the world of their talent or to solidify their stardom. Before Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi perform for more than 100 million people on Feb. 3, here's a look at the three best and three worst Super Bowl halftime performances of the new millennium.
Best
3. Beyonce - Super Bowl XLVII (2013)
Beyonce has rocked the Super Bowl halftime show twice in the last six years, most recently saving Coldplay's performance alongside Bruno Mars in 2016.
With a pared-down set and props, the 2013 show focused solely on Beyonce, who dominated the stage and brought out the other members of Destiny's Child to kick the performance into another gear. She was the first solo female artist to headline the show since Diana Ross in 1996, a trend that's since changed with two women headlining in the last five years.
"There haven't been that many women that have done the Super Bowl halftime show," Beyonce said of setting a high bar for her 2013 performance. "I had to hold it down for the ladies."
2. Prince - Super Bowl XLI (2007)
Before Super Bowl XLI, it hadn't rained at a Super Bowl in 40 years. Luckily, Prince was the halftime performer.
He wasn't afraid to lean into the elements. When told by a member of the production team that it was raining on the day of the game, Prince replied, "can you make it rain harder?"
While it poured down at Sun Life Stadium, Prince concluded his show with 'Purple Rain' - the perfect end to one of the greatest halftime performances ever.
1. Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, P. Diddy, Jessica Simpson, Kid Rock - Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004)
The infamous 2004 performance immediately comes to mind when one thinks of Super Bowl halftime shows. It crossed all ages, genders, and races. It also marred the career of Janet Jackson, changed live viewing regulations, and even helped birth YouTube.
The show was messy, over the top, and extremely fun. P. Diddy, wearing an oversized winter coat, moved across the stage on a conveyor belt. Nelly was driven to the stage in a large red car while the lyrics to "Hot in Here" played over the sound system. Kid Rock made a dramatic entrance in a Dallas Cowboys robe before throwing it into the crowd to unveil a hilarious American flag poncho. All of this before a wardrobe malfunction that changed the course of history.
Reflecting on the controversy of the 2004 halftime performance, it's easy to forget the incredible show put on by some of the biggest stars of that time. Diddy may have put it best when he said, "I put six months of my life into the preparations and nobody even knew I performed."
Worst
3. Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton - Super Bowl XXXIV (2000)
This show from 2000 was clearly devoted to spectacle but lacked any real substance. For the majority of the performance, Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias were surrounded by strange towering puppets in an extravagant advertisement for the Disney World Millennium Celebration.
2. The Who - Super Bowl XLIV (2010)
The Who performed a five-song medley that felt more like a taped recital than a Super Bowl halftime show. Sitting through this 12-minute performance while the camera alternated between the same two shots was enough to put anyone to sleep.
1. The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash - Super Bowl XLV (2011)
It seemed no one was more excited for the Black Eyed Peas' halftime performance than the Black Eyed Peas, making their awful show all the more uncomfortable to behold. A catalog of sure-fire hits should have been able to carry the set, but some flat singing from Fergie and an awkward rendition of "Sweet Child O' Mine" featuring a bored Slash made this the worst Super Bowl halftime performance since 2000.