Super Bowl halftime shows that changed everything
From Janet to Beyoncé to 'Left Shark' — here are some Super Bowl performers who left a mark
'Left shark' upstages Katy and Missy.
Even with Katy Perry headlining and Missy Elliott crashing the show, it's hard not to say that the 2015 Super Bowl halftime show belonged to "Left Shark." The dancing fish became an internet meme because of its seemingly improvised dance moves. In the U.S., nearly 115 million watched the shark flail about to the pop star's 2010 hit Teenage Dream.
Janet and Justin shock the world.
"Wardrobe malfunction" became a household phrase after the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show where Janet Jackson's right breast was exposed during a performance with Justin Timberlake. "Nipplegate," as it was also known, almost cost broadcaster CBS a hefty fine, but it was overturned.
The moment, as brief as it was, is considered one of the most notorious moments in TV history and the reason why the next few Super Bowl shows went classic rock with the likes of The Beatles' Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones headlining.
Prince rocks the Super Bowl.
If there ever was a performer built for the Super Bowl halftime show, it would be Prince. The legendary singer didn't disappoint when he hit the stage in 2007 for Super Bowl XLI in Miami. In addition to some of his classics, Prince also played some hits from Bob Dylan and Queen and did an electric cover of Foo Fighters' Best of You.
Madonna & co. court controversy.
Madonna's pop royalty, and if you somehow forgot, she went out of her way to remind you in her 2012 halftime show where she was carried on a throne during her opening song, Vogue.
Madonna's no stranger to controversy, and her halftime show wasn't an exception, but it wasn't Madonna who caused the show's most controversial moment, it was M.I.A. The British performer made an obscene gesture during Madonna's Give Me All Your Luvin'.
Beyoncé reunites with Destiny's Child.
The 2013 Super Bowl halftime show at the Super Bowl saw one of the most anticipated reunions of the decade with Beyoncé reuniting with two of her Destiny's Child members, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The performance came after the singer said she sang with a prerecorded track at Obama's inauguration that year.
The king of pop takes the stage.
If you can't remember when the Super Bowl halftime show became a cultural phenomenon, many would point you to Michael Jackson's 1993 show as what cemented it as one of the most anticipated events of the year. Jackson at the time was fuelled by his Dangerous album, and some consider this performances as one of the last great ones of his career.
The halftime show's 'small' beginnings.
The Super Bowl halftime show as we know it today was birthed out of Walt Disney World and the NFL's "Small World salute to 25 years of the Super Bowl," which was also billed as "the first-ever all-kids Super Bowl halftime show."
While it may seem dated and awkward, you could see glimmers of modern halftime shows near the end when The New Kids on the Block performed Step by Step.
While the show was marketed as an extravaganza, almost no one saw it as it was preempted by ABC News and was pushed until after the game or later because of the debut of short-lived sitcom Davis Rules.
Gloria Estefan pioneers the modern halftime show.
The halftime show slowly started to morph into the spectacle we know today with 1992's Gloria Estefan-headlined winter-themed show. Much like 1991's halftime show, this one was mostly remembered for the audience it didn't draw in. Fox, an upstart network at the time, ran a special In Living Colour opposite the show, which stole a sizeable audience from the year's Super Bowl broadcaster, CBS.
Beyoncé causes an uproar.
Coldplay was the headlining act for the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, but it was Beyoncé who arguably stole the show with her performance of Formation, which she released just a day before the big game. Her appearance, which occurred when U.S. race relations were tense, drew enormous controversy with critics calling it a "race-baiting stunt."
U2 remembers 9/11.
U2 used their halftime show in 2002 to remember the victims of 9/11 in a moving tribute. During a performance of Where the Streets Have No Name, the names of those who died in the attack appeared on screen. It was a highly patriotic performance with Bono even wearing a jacket with the American flag lined inside.