Black Eyed Peas (2011)
Any Halftime show that includes Fergie singing a rendition of Sweet Child O’ Mine is probably not going to make anyone’s best-of list. However, it’s difficult to overstate just how much of a muddled cacophony the combination of the Black-Eyed Peas, Slash and Usher actually was. Loud, obnoxious and tonally confused, this performance sent everyone into the second half of the Super Bowl feeling baffled.
Maroon 5 (2019)
Due to controversies centred on the NFL, numerous superstars allegedly turned down a headline slot at the 2019 Super Bowl. This resulted in Maroon 5, led by America’s answer to Chris Martin, Adam Levine, stepping up. The result was a limp and lifeless set that was heavy on guitars but light on actual rock and roll energy, despite bizarre cameos from both Travis Scott and Spongebob Squarepants.
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake (2004)
There’s no denying that the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show, featuring Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson, went down in history. Unfortunately, it remained in the public’s consciousness for all the wrong reasons. The nip slip that rocked the world, and the immediate awkward fallout almost killing Timberlake’s career, ending Jackson’s decades-long hot streak, and even causing a national moral panic over MTV. Yikes!
New Kids on the Block (1991)
In fairness, the disastrousness of the 1991 Halftime show isn’t entirely down to New Kids on the Block. The iconic boyband was banned from playing any of their dance-along earworms and were instead relegated to sappiness for the entirety of their set. Plus, audiences at home were treated to an interruption to the music in the form of a news update on the burgeoning Gulf War. Cheery.
Paul McCartney (2005)
Few performers have as strong a reputation for being consummate professionals as Paul McCartney, and there’s no denying that he delivered a clean, scandal-free set stuffed with nostalgic hits. Unfortunately, while his feel-good retrospective was free of bawdiness and mess, it was also free from excitement, inspiration, surprises or energy. Worst of all, it kicked off a years-long trend of dinosaur Halftime shows.
The Who (2010)
When The Who was booked for the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2010, both Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were open about having never seen a game of American football. When the NFL sent them tapes of previous Halftime Shows for context, they neglected to watch them. Maybe that’s why their set came off as thrown together, lacking in passion and devoid of any showmanship.
Blues Brothers (1997)
Even the sad passing of John Belushi couldn’t stop the NFL from bringing back the Blues Brothers in 1997. Almost 20 years after the comedy duo’s inception, Dan Aykroyd graced the Super Bowl stage with John Goodman and ZZ Top in tow. The resulting soul medley was both unbearably try-hard and crushingly sloppy, and the matching dance moves didn’t help any.
Elvis Presto (1989)
Yep, you read that right: In 1989, the Super Bowl Halftime Show was headlined by none other than Elvis Presto, a magician and Elvis impersonator. The whole thing definitely wasn’t lacking in flash or effort but, between the nylon-clad glamorous assistants, solid gold outfits and giant decks of cards, the result was more cheesy 3AM Vegas lounge act than appropriate crowd hype-booster.
Aerosmith, Britney Spears and N’Sync (2001)
The 2001 Super Bowl Halftime Show really seems like the result of a disparate bunch of musicians getting stuck in an elevator and having to perform together despite having nothing in common. The resulting rendition of Walk This Way was so infamously chaotic that it prompted Kid Rock to ask while inducting Aerosmith into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: “What were you guys thinking?”
Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias (2000)
For the first Super Bowl of the 21st century, the NFL chose another random grab bag of performers for the Halftime Show. Unfortunately, despite the undeniable combined star power of Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton and Tina Turner, the resulting set was low on recognizable hits and had a double-serving of schmaltzy ballads. Even Proud Mary couldn’t get the crowd rolling!
