Ranking the 6 Best Super Bowl Halftime Shows

Starting off strong was Super Bowl LVI in 2022. The Los Angeles Rams met with the Cincinnati Bengals at the SoFi Stadium in California, where the Rams came out on top by only three points.

During the halftime show, viewers and guests were honored with Dr. Dre and friends, which consisted of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. There were even surprise appearances by 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. The halftime show was described as a “legends of hip hop” performance.

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Next on the list of best Super Bowl halftime shows is the 2009 show during Super Bowl XLIII. The Pittsburgh Steelers battled it out against the Arizona Cardinals at the Raymond James Stadium in Florida where the Steelers took the victory by four points.

This is another halftime show that is considered at the very top thanks to the legendary performances from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, with the Miami Horns and a gospel choir. The Boss began the performance by beckoning viewers to put down their guac and chicken fingers, and proceeded to rock out for 12 minutes with “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born to Run,” and “Glory Days.”

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Super Bowl LI is up next, not only having one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows in history but also having one of the largest comebacks in history. In 2017, the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons at the NRG Stadium in Texas by a six-point difference.

This halftime show was performed by Lady Gaga, who had one of the most fantastic entrances by diving from the rooftop of the stadium. She performed numerous hits including “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” and “Bad Romance,” but not before starting with a combination of “God Bless America” and “This Land Is Your Land.” Gaga’s performance is also one of the most-viewed Super Bowl halftime shows in history.

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Up next on the list of best Super Bowl halftime shows is the 2013 performance by Beyoncé. This season was hosted in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Louisiana, bringing the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers together. The Ravens brought home the victory by only three points.

After her silhouette was lit on fire, Beyoncé emerged from a cloud of smoke and performed some of her hit songs, including “Halo” and “Crazy In Love.” But what brought viewers to the edge of their seats was when Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams shot out from under the stage for a long-rumored reunion of Destiny’s Child.

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One of the best Super Bowl halftime shows was in 2002 when the St. Louis Rams went against the New England Patriots and won by only three points. The match was hosted at the Louisiana Superdome in Louisiana, and the Irish rock band U2 performed for the audience.

U2 is undeniably at the very top of halftime shows with their performance of “Beautiful Day” and “MLK” before launching into a rendition of “Where the Streets Have No Name”, with a beautiful backdrop featuring the names of all the 9/11 victims who died in the terrorist attacks. Bono finished the song by opening his jacket to reveal the stars and stripes in its lining, a beautiful moment that so many needed.

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Last, but certainly not least, we have the 2009 Super Bowl. Hosted at the Dolphin Stadium in Florida, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears by 12 points, taking home the victory. As for the halftime performance, Prince headlined. And in true Prince fashion, he did everything with style and dramatics.

He performed a medley including Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” his hits “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Baby, I’m a Star”, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and Foo Fighter’s “Best of You.” It all came together into a downpour with an amazing rendition of “Purple Rain,” and will forever be one of the most brilliant performances in Super Bowl history.