My criteria included setlist, performers, production, and lasting legacy.
10. Bruce Springstein and the E Street Band – 2009
Bruce Springstein is one of those artists you hear about being iconic but you don’t really know much about him besides his name and a few of his top songs. However, after watching his performance… I understand the hype. Some people were just put on this Earth to perform. And he is one of them.
The way he commands the stage is like no other. He had a simple production, but it worked because he was the show. He didn’t need a flashy stage or backup dancers to fill space, he did it all on his own (with the help of his band). You can tell just how much he loves to perform because his passion transcends the screen.
9. Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary j. Blige – 2022
I like every single one of the artists at this halftime show, however, I’m not sure I loved them performing together. The downside of multiple artists headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show is that no matter how many artists there are, they only have 12 minutes to perform. In this performance, each artist really only performed one song. And none seemed to flow into one another.
Each performer was strong, the production was great, the set told a story and the dancers fit well into it, but it could have been more interesting if a single artist was given the airtime to develop and fit into a theme rather than perform one song and disappear.
8. Rolling Stones – 2006
Much like Bruce Springstein, I have always heard about Mick Jagger but never watched performances of his. All I know is that he is considered to be one of the greats and the older generations get quite upset when you compare Harry Styles to him. After watching this performance, I once again understand the hype. Some people truly are born to be a star.
The stage for the Stones was vast and Mick Jagger managed to take up all of it with his presence. I understand why Maroon 5 (whose performance did not make this list) wrote a song about his moves.
7. Lady Gaga – 2017
I will say I did expect more from Lady Gaga. She of course gave a stellar performance, the production and dancers were captivating, but if I had to describe this performance in one word I would say… awkward. Something about it felt off.
Firstly, her flying went on for a bit too long. She looked uncomfortable while dancing when attached to the wires. There was something in a few more moments of her choreography that felt peculiar and not in typical Gaga fashion.
6. Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting – 2003
Opening up your performance with “Let’s Go Girls.” An automatic 10. This performance was shared with No Doubt and Sting, while I think having multiple performances can be dicy, they really made it work. No Doubt and Sting sonically fit in with each other immaculately. What was surprising was how fluid of a transition there was between Shania Twain’s country twang and their rocker style.
Shania and No Doubt (Gwen Stefani) were an incredible pairing, especially since Shania sang “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” immediately followed by No Doubt’s “Just a Girl.” These two songs celebrated femininity and both Gwen Stefani and Shania Twain gave their all in this performance and owned the stage. I think having this display of strong feminine performers during such a high testerone event was momentous.
HONORABLE MENTION: Katy Perry – 2015
If we want to talk about lasting legacy, let’s talk about Left Shark. I know as soon as I mentioned Best Super Bowl Performances it came to at least one person’s mind out of every 10.
After watching the performance again, Left Shark did not make an egregious error. Their slip up was so fleeting and their recovery took place before you even could tell they needed it. While it was apparent and funny, I do not think it was worthy of an everlasting meme. #justiceforleftshark
HATER ALERT: The Black Eyed Peas – 2011
I don’t even know where to start here. When I pulled up the video to watch this performance back, I thought to myself “Oh yes, I remember this performance. This is one of the most iconic halftime performances.” What I did not remember is just how bad the Black Eyed Peas are. The dancers were great, a truly unforgettable performance because of their talent. The Black Eyed Peas on the other hand, had an unforgettable performance because they sounded like theatre kids at their high school talent show. And not the good theatre kids.
5. The Who – 2010
While I am not typically a fan of simple production, stand and sing bands for the Super Bowl, The Who may have changed that for me. They once again knew how to take control of the stage. I think what worked in their favor was that they had a small stage and were not engulfed by the random crowd the Super Bowl loves to put on the field. There were no distractions which elevated their performance because for a band like The Who, it is not their flashy performance that is impressive but the strength of their lyrics and the passion and depth of their voice.
Their setlist included their best songs “Baba O’Riley”, “Pinball Wizard”, and “Who Are You” which all truly showcased their strengths: vocals, lyrics, musicality.
4. Prince – 2007
It absolutely pains me to put Prince so low. That is how you know this list lacks complete bias. There obviously is still bias as this is such a subjective topic and my scoring system was so arbitrary. Prince is just an amazing performer. His setlist was an interesting mix of his top hits as well as covers such as Foo Fighters’ “Best of You” and “Proud Mary.” However, each cover he performed had such a uniquely Prince take on them that they felt as though they were his own songs.
I could go on and on about his performance, but I will keep it short that Prince has one of the most unique and stunning voices of our time and nothing can truly be more beautiful than singing “Purple Rain” in a downpour.
3. Madonna – 2012
50s are when your life begins according to Madonna. If I can still sing, dance, and move like her when I am 50+ I have lived an amazing life. When she whipped out the front and back walkovers, my jaw hit the floor. This performance was stunning. Production wise, there was a clear theme and vision that the entirety of her set encapsulated. Madonna was painted as this powerful godlike figure… Madonna if you will… and truly stuck with the concept throughout.
There was an odd appearance by LMFAO which strangely worked? I fully anticipated the addition ruining the performance for me but their music was subtle and did not overwhelm the performance. Their addition shockingly was in fact a strong addition and positive plus for the performance.
2. Rihanna – 2023
I do not remember talking much about the 2023 Super Bowl after it happened. My team played in it and I could not tell you a single play from that game. Now if you put “Rude Boy” on? Oh, I am nailing every single move.
I think Super Bowl Halftime shows were starting to truly dip in quality (as you can tell by the major gaps in years on this list) and Rihanna was the rejuvenation we needed. She sounded fantastic, the choreography of her dancers was phenomenal, and Rihanna who tends to not partake in too much dancing killed her soft choreo while very pregnant. Her production, while inherently simple, truly elevated her performance and the stage was utilized beautifully with the choreography.
This performance was talked about for weeks, months even. This performance took over Tiktok. I still can’t get it out of my head. It is hard to say anything could be better than this… and there is only one that I can think of…
1. Beyonce – 2013
Genuine perfection. There is no performer quite like Beyonce. I am not even the biggest Beyonce fan, but when I watched this performance back, I could see no wrong in it. All I could see was the perfection that is Beyonce. Her stage presence is unmatched. Her voice is the strongest voice of our time and I did not see any other performer dance as well as she did. She makes everything look so effortless. Going back to the theme and idea that if some people are put on this Earth to perform, Beyonce was put on this Earth to be a star.
That concludes my completely arbitrary but totally valid Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime Performances. Who do you want to see headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2025?