Let’s be honest, the best part of the Super Bowl is not the actual game, it is the halftime show. The real bet is not what team will win the coin toss or who will score the first touchdown, but what songs the artist of that year will sing. For every Super Bowl, there’s a halftime show. For every Super Bowl, there’s a performance that is remembered more than what team actually won that year.
Forbes describes halftime shows saying, “The Super Bowl halftime show has become a performance stage like none other. Many of the world’s bestselling acts, not to mention the most prestigious artists of their era, have performed at halftime of the year’s biggest TV program.”
From Prince to Rhianna, the spectrum of stars that have performed at halftime shows is extensive. Each year, the acts get more extravagant and entertaining, making each performance unforgettable.
At first, halftime shows were very small. The very first Super Bowl was in 1967 in Los Angeles.
That year, the headliners were The University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band and Gambling State University’s Marching Band with celebrity special guest Al Hirt. Gambling State was a historically black college or university, or HBCU.
Their performance was significant especially that year because it was during the Civil Rights Movement. For the next couple of years, marching bands headlined as the performers of the halftime show.
The first celebrity headliner was Carol Channing, a Broadway Star, in 1970. Yet, a marching band still performed alongside her.
Some of music’s biggest names have performed at halftime shows at the Super Bowl. But most of all, each performance was used to highlight a social cause within the performance.
In 1993, Micheal Jackson sang some of his most famous hits like “Black and White” and “Billy Jean” In his performance, he included audience participation to create images of a diverse group of children coming together.
In 2017, Lady Gaga performed her queer anthem, “Born This Way” after dropping from the roof singing “God Bless America.” Lady Gaga wanted to highlight the acceptance of queer people through her performance.
This year, Kendrick Lamar headlined the halftime show at Super Bowl 59. Alongside Lamar was fellow RnB singer SZA. The two have collaborated on such songs as “Luther” and “All of the Stars.”
Maia Patt, a senior, was very excited about the halftime show this year: “I have always been a fan of both Kendrick and SZA. They are both amazing performers who know how to put on a great show.” The anticipation for this year’s performers only grew and grew because of the Grammy wins by both artists.
Because the viewership of the halftime show is so high, it is a perfect opportunity for a variety of artists to showcase their best works.
Kate Conrad, a senior, always looks forward to the halftime show: “As much as I love watching football, I believe that the halftime shows are a huge part of the whole experience. Every year it is something new and I learn more about artists that I do or don’t know. The halftime show truly appeals to a different crowd.”
