Some people watch the Super Bowl because they love football. Some watch it for the commercials. Others just want to snack on a delicious selection of foods. If you're anything like us, then you watch for all of the reasons above and, most importantly, to catch the incredible halftime show.
Whether it's performing solo, like The Weeknd last year, or a collection of powerful artists joining forces together like Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars did in 2016, the Super Bowl halftime show has solidified its place as one of the most iconic parts of the sporting event.
And, with out-of-this-world rappers Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige all part of this year's star-studded lineup, it sounds like the 2022 halftime show will be no exception.
Over the last 55 halftime shows, audiences have watched a variety of talented artists from around the world take the historic stage.
Whether it's strutting along to the Rolling Stones as they performed "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in 2006 or shaking your hips along with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020, there's truly something for everyone.
Plus, there's always bound to be a viral moment or two—after all, who can forget the iconic Left Shark from Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott's 2015 performance?
But, before the concert starts over in Los Angeles, Calif., take a look back at some of the greatest Super Bowl halftime shows in history, including stellar performances by Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga and more.
Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers brought the heat to their 2014 Super Bowl performance! Mars kick-started the show with a powerful drum solo before launching into a medley of hits, including "Locked Out of Heaven," "Runaway Baby" and "Treasure," before being joined on stage by the iconic rock and roll band for a high-octane performance of "Give It Away" that had everyone jumping.
As Coldplay's Chris Martin sang to open up the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show, "Look at the stars!" The star-studded performance saw the rock band joined by both Beyoncé and Bruno Mars to perform a collection of their hits, including "Viva La Vida," "Uptown Funk" and "Formation."
At the 2005 Super Bowl halftime show, Paul McCartney showed that classic rock will never go out of style. The iconic singer-songwriter floated from hit after hit, performing "Drive My Car," "Get Back," "Live and Let Die," before culminating his performance with a feel-good performance of "Hey Jude" that got the whole crowd singing along.
It was hard not to be dazzled by the blinding lights of The Weeknd's flawless 2021 Super Bowl halftime performance. The "Starboy" singer brought down the house all by himself as he ran through an impressive list of songs including "The Hills," "Earned It," "Save Your Tears," "I Can't Feel My Face" and "I Feel It Coming" amongst others.
"Boom Boom Pow!" This Super Bowl Halftime Show packed a serious punch with knockout performances from the Black Eyed Peas, Usher, and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, but many viewers questioned the sound quality at times.
We only need two words to explain why this Halftime Show went viral: Left Shark.
Who were the band who played back in 2010? One of the most-celebrated rock bands of all time, The Who, of course! The band performed a medley of their hits on the Super Bowl stage, including "Pinball Wizard," "Who Are You," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley."
His performance has been underrated because it's obviously not as flashy as some of the others, but Petty's set was filled with rock-solid hits like "American Girl," "Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin'" and "Running Down a Dream." 10 years ago, he came, he delivered, he smiled. May he RIP.
While there were no nipples in this one, reviews about Timberlake's solo performance back in 2018 were mixed.
"I want you to step back from the guacamole dip, I want you to put the chicken fingers down and turn your television all the way up," the singer said onstage. And who are we to deny the Boss?
No matter when or where The Stones have performed, Mick Jagger and his unruly lads have brought it for more than 50 years and that was certainly the case when they started up the NFL crowd with tunes like "Rough Justice" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
Basically every single person in the music industry was on this Super Bowl stage. It was pandemonium. The show was during the height of boy bands, popstars and bubblegum tunes and remains one of the most iconic performances to this day.
It was a spectacular spectacle, complete with a Cleopatra costume, a gospel choir and some sort of cheerleader outfit-type thingy. We felt it. You felt it. Football felt it. And nothing will truly ever be the same.
In his first play (or song rather), Sting stung the audience with an update on his classic, "Message in a Bottle." Gwen Stefani came out to the crowd rocking her washboard abs, baggy pants and glittering bustier. The whole thing was a blast and the crowd loved every second.
The two Latin Pop stars turned up the heat for the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show in 2020, both delighting audiences and making others clutch their pearls with their electric performances. J Balvin and Bad Bunny joined in, while J.Lo's daughter Emmy showcased her singing chops onstage as well!
The former Supremes singer was nothing short of supreme when she rocked the house at the Halftime Show. The queen did an amazing four costume changes in just 12 minutes. The timeless entertainer belted "You Keep Me Hanging on," "Baby Love" and "I Will Survive" before heading out on a helicopter, as one does when you're Diana Ross.
After lip-syncing the national anthem at Obama's second inauguration the month before, Bey knew she had to bring her A game to the Super Bowl—and that's just what she did. Jay-Z's lady love made it clear as day that she was singing live at the Superdome in New Orleans, killing her vocals and wowing the crowd. Midway through she practically gave fans a heart attack when Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland joined her onstage for a Destiny's Child reunion. Slay, Bey, slaaaaaaaay!
Lady G didn't raise the roof, she sang "God Bless America" and then she literally jumped off it. Well, sort of. After that high-flying start, the superstar singer broke into "Poker Face." It was thrilling; it was over the top; it was all Gaga all the time and fans went gaga for it. There was no meat dress, no blood, no giant glowing egg—just an action-packed performance that made you think that the "Bad Romance" singer was born to be on the 50-yard line.
In a masterful move that only the King of Pop could have the audacity to pull off, MJ stood on stage for a full 90 seconds (remember you only get 13 minutes max) without moving. The smooth criminal had the audience in the palm of his hand when he busted into "Jam." The master performer then broke into "Billie Jean" and "Black or White." There were fedoras, crotch grabs, leg spins (and kicks) and oh-so-much entertainment. The pop star then used the entire audience in Rose Bowl to create giant portraits of children as he closed with "Heal the World."
The artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince perfected the Super Bowl Halftime show when he performed a musical montage of "We Will Rock You," "Let's Go Crazy," "Baby I'm a Star," "Proud Mary," "All Along the Watchtower," "Best of You" and, of course, "Purple Rain"—during a downpour!