Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will be the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV when the Kansas City Chiefs meet the San Francisco 49ers Feb. 2. The bar is incredibly high for the intermission act in South Beach because the halftime show for XLI was the best of all. Prince put on a spectacular show that tops every other act who has had the honor of showing their talents for about 12 minutes.
Super Bowl II: Grambling State University Marching Band
Super Bowl III: Florida A&M University and Miami area high school bands
Theme: America Thanks
Super Bowl V: Anita Bryant, Southeast Missouri State Marching Band
One of the first with a “name” act. The NFL offered up Anita Bryant, a former Miss Oklahoma who had a handful of Top 40 hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Introduced as “the voice of America,” the Florida orange juice spokeswoman belted out “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” atop a towering stage. The band from Southeast Missouri State performed alongside Bryant.
Super Bowl X: Up with People
Along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers, Up with People was a Super Bowl dynasty in the 1970s and ’80s. The group of clean-cut teens and 20somethings headlined four halftime shows in an 11-year span. According to Bleacher Report, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, like most of America, had his fill of the group by 1986, commenting after their Super Bowl XX performance, “I never want to see Up with People again.”
Super Bowl XIII: Ken Hamilton, various Caribbean bands including Grammacks out of Dominica
Theme: Salute to Caribbean
Super Bowl XXIII: Elvis Presto, South Florida-area dancers and performers
Former “Solid Gold” dancer Alex Cole, who played the part of the heavily sequined Elvis Presto, got the starring role just three days before the big game when the original lead dropped out after being cast in a jeans commercial. The show as also pitched as being in 3-D with glasses coming with Coca-Cola packaging.
Theme: 1950s Rock and Roll (Be Bop Bamboozled in 3-D)
- “Rock This Town”
- audience participation card trick
- “Tutti Frutti”
- “Do You Love Me”
- “Devil with a Blue Dress On”
- “Great Balls of Fire”
- “Greased Lightnin'”
- “True Love”
Super Bowl XXIX: Patti Labelle, Indiana Jones & Marion Ravenwood, Teddy Pendergrass, Tony Bennett, Arturo Sandoval, Miami Sound Machine
Theme: Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye
Intended to promote the opening of a new Indiana Jones attraction, the show opened with stunt actors portraying the archaeologist and sidekick Marion Ravenwood parachuting into Miami’s Joe Robbie Stadium to storm the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, where a primitive tribe had absconded with the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy. Patti LaBelle, dressed as a high priestess, followed with “New Attitude” and a duet of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” from “The Lion King,” with Bennett.
- Release Yourself” (Patti Labelle)
- “Caravan” (Tony Bennett, Arturo Sandoval and Miami Sound Machine)
- “New Attitude” (Patti Labelle)
- “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” (Patti Labelle and Tony Bennett)
Super Bowl XXXIII: Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Savion Glover
A veritable who’s who appeared during this halftime show. Plenty of big names and Estefan of “Miami Sound Machine” fame brought it home.
Theme: Celebration of Soul, Salsa and Swing
- “Go Daddy O” (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy)
- “Sir Duke” (Stevie Wonder)
- “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” (Stevie Wonder)
- “I Wish” (Stevie Wonder)
- “Oye!” (Gloria Estefan)
- “Turn The Beat Around” (Gloria Estefan)
- “You’ll Be Mine (Party Time)/Another Star/My Cherie Amour” (Gloria Estefan and Stevie Wonder)
Super Bowl XLI: Prince, Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band
The greatest show of all Super Bowls. Production Designer Bruce Rodgers tells the marvelous story of how it was pouring “like a scene from Moby Dick” the morning of the Super Bowl. Don Mischer, who produced the show, asked to be put on the phone with Prince. Mischer said to the performer, “I want you to know it’s raining.” Prince responded, “Yes, it is raining.” Mischer said, “Are you okay?” Prince responded: “Can you make it rain harder?” So great.
- “We Will Rock You” (Intro)
- “Let’s Go Crazy”
- “Baby I’m a Star”
- “Proud Mary”
- “All Along the Watchtower”
- “Best of You”
- “Purple Rain”
Super Bowl XLIV: The Who
- “Pinball Wizard”
- Baba O’Reilly
- “Who Are You”
- “See Me, Feel Me”
- “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
