Super Bowl LVI will be played on Sunday, Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and the event will once again feature a star-studded lineup set for the marquee halftime show. Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Mary J. Blige and Eminem will be sharing the stage for this year’s halftime show. The five legendary artists were announced for the event on Sept. 30.
The Weeknd performed at last year’s halftime show (at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida). Super Bowl LVI will be the first Super Bowl to be played in the state of California since Super Bowl 50 six years ago (Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara). It will also be the first Super Bowl played in Los Angeles County since Super Bowl XXVII 29 years ago (Pasadena, California).
The Super Bowl Odds market is getting stable as the big game nears. Right now, the Green Bay Packers hold the highest odds at +380. As we await the Super Bowl LVI halftime festivities, now’s a good time to reflect back on the best Super Bowl halftime performances ever.
Prince (Super Bowl XLI)
The heavy Miami rain couldn’t stop “The Artist” from performing what is widely regarded as the greatest halftime show ever. Prince took center stage at Dolphins Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida.
This historic performance commenced with a performance from Queen’s 1977 hit “We Will Rock You.” Prince arose from the middle of the stage and got right into the “Let’s Go Crazy” amid thousands of rocking fans.
Afterwards, Prince shifted into a mashup of “1999”, “Baby I’m A Star”, and the 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival hit “Proud Mary.” Prince followed it up with Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and the “Best of Yo ” hit by the Foo Fighters.
The show concluded with Prince performing the timeless “Purple Rain.” The performance was watched by an estimated 140 million viewers. The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in the sloppy and rain-filled affair 29-17, claiming their first title since relocating from Baltimore in 1983.
Beyoncé & Destiny’s Child (Super Bowl XLVII)
“Queen Bey” headlined Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (now the Caesars Superdome) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Beyoncé’scritically–acclaimed performance began with “Run the World (Girls”) which was followed by “Love on Top” and “Crazy in love”. Beyoncé and Kelly Rowand and Michelle Williams would sing three songs together, including “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).
The halftime show ended with Beyoncé’s hit “Halo”. It was later announced that her performance garnered 110.8 million viewers. Fortunately, the show ended just before the memorable power outage commenced.
Shortly after the start of the third quarter, the Superdome experienced a power outage that halted the game for 34 minutes. In what turned out to be Ray Lewis’ final NFL game, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to claim their second Lombardi Trophy.
Three years later, Super Bowl 50 would be headlined by Coldplay. Beyoncé and Bruno Mars also made appearances as special guests.
Michael Jackson (Super Bowl XXVII)
As previously mentioned, this was the last Super Bowl to be held in the L.A. area. In the middle of his career peak, the late Michael Jackson was brought in to perform at the iconic Rose Bowl venue.
Just how much of a home run was Jackson’s performance for NBC? The halftime show attracted more than 133 million viewers. Jackson’s electrifying entrance sent the crowd through the roof. He stood on the stage for more than a minute, soaking in the moment, before getting right into “Jam.”
He followed it up with another unforgettable and timeless performance of “Billie Jean”, followed by “Black or White.” Jackson then concluded with performances of “We are the World” and “Heal the World” with a children’s choir.
The Dallas Cowboys would soundly defeat the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in the Super Bowl, their first of three championships in the ‘90s decade.
Since the Super Bowl ended in such a blowout, many simply remember Jackson’s halftime performance more than the game itself.
Watch this space for updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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