Last 26 Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked, From U2 to Justin Timberlake (Photos)
Where will Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl LII halftime performance stack up compared to his “wardrobe malfunction” with Janet Jackson?
26. Black Eyed Peas (2011) Before this show, young ‘uns were celebrating the end of the halftime show being owned by the “retirement home.” Afterwards, the old folks were smugly smirking. The Peas were absolutely abominable, with stiff choreography and mailed-in vocals that made The Who seem 40 years younger. The absolute worst moment came when Slash arrived to save the day, only for Fergie to commit a cardinal sin against rock by mangling “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Later in 2011, the Peas’ new album got panned, their motion-sensor video game bombed, and by year’s end, they announced they were going on hiatus.
25. Indiana Jones (1995) If you thought Katy Perry’s shark was weird, get a load of this. Disney used this halftime show to promote its new Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, and it featured Indy (not played by Harrison Ford) trying to steal a plastic Vince Lombardi trophy from a temple. Throw in a lip-synching Patti LaBelle and Tony Bennett, and you have a real stinker.
24. The Who (2010) Let’s make something clear: The Who are absolute legends. They are essential not just to rock, but to all of music. But unlike previous classic rock acts, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend really felt past their prime in this performance, and that’s the worst thing you can do at a show like this. Some have speculated that since Roger and Pete had never seen an American football game before, they may not have realized just how big this gig was in American culture.
23. James Brown, ZZ Top, and the Blues Brothers (1997) Another lineup that seemed great on paper and disappointed in reality. The Godfather of Soul was forced to blatantly lip-sync his greatest hits, and Jim Belushi cavorted around the stage doing a weak imitation of his brother John in his iconic role.
22. Phil Collins, Enrique Iglesias, and Christina Aguilera (2000) Wow! Look at that lineup! By all rights, that should be a smash show. But it ended up being a Disney-produced bore about the “Tapestry of Nations.” Instead of thumping out Genesis songs, Collins got stuck doing one of the songs he wrote for “Tarzan.” Iglesias and Aguilera did a duet called “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand.” Amazingly, Xtina would go on to hit a bigger low at the Super Bowl when she flubbed the National Anthem a decade later.
21. Shania Twain, No Doubt, and Sting (2003) This one is just forgettable, particularly since after the game, Bon Jovi stole the spotlight by singing “It’s My Life” just before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were awarded the trophy. Gwen Stefani teaming up with Sting to do “Message in a Bottle” almost saved this show. Almost.
Related stories from TheWrap:
'Left Shark' Dancer Says He Flubbed Super Bowl Halftime Routine on Purpose
12 Super Bowl Commercials That Sparked Outrage (Videos)
Super Bowl Parties 2018: TheWrap's Ultimate Guide to the Hottest Invites in Minneapolis (Updating)
Super Bowl LII: Twitter Map Shows All But 4 States Are Rooting for Eagles Over the Patriots
