Top Seven Superbowl Half-Time Shows

This Sunday, millions will gather around their television sets to watch the 51^st Annual Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. But even more people will likely tune in (factoring in the people who don’t care too much for American Football) to see Lady Gaga perform during the half-time show. Given her tendency towards over-the-top fashion and stage productions, it is almost guaranteed that this will be a show of epic proportions.

To get ready for this Sunday’s festivities, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top music outlet, is looking back at some of the top Super Bowl Half-Time shows of the last 17 years. Our resident blogger has chosen seven of her top performances (in no particular order) that bridge the gap between rock and pop and generally brought excitement to the crowd and television audiences.

1.       The Who (2010): This is by far my favorite Super Bowl performance ever. This made me fall even more in love with The Who and their music. The lighting and stage were mesmerizing and the band didn’t skimp on any of the fanfare. They played as hard as or harder than some of today’s bands ever have. (video)

2.       Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2009): Bruce Springsteen is an all-around good choice for a Super Bowl half-time show. His music runs on universal themes and with the E Street Band behind him in glorious splendor, he puts on a spectacle. This performance didn’t need fancy lighting work. All he needed was a guitar and anthemic sound to get the stadium rocking. (video)

3.       Prince (2007): It’s hard to argue with having Prince perform at the Super Bowl. He was and still is a legend. But when he appeared out of the smoke on his symbol-shaped stage, you knew this was going to be an above average performance. His set was a brilliant tribute to rock music old and new. By the end, the stadium was awash in a sea of purple as he played “Purple Rain.” (video)

4.       Aerosmith / *NSYNC (2001): I watched this in 2001 for *NSYNC (what 13-year old girl didn’t), but what occurred was a brilliant mesh of established rock and new pop that got audiences of all ages excited. The way they seamlessly switched between performers was smooth. Then by the time they ended the show, they both joined together for one big pop-rock jam session. (video)

5.       The Rolling Stones (2006): It’s no surprise that stadium rock works really well for the Super Bowl half-time show and the Rolling Stones are proof of that. Performing on a stage shaped like their iconic mouth logo, the band ran through a few of their biggest hits meant to energize and get people on their feet. Mick Jagger was dancing all over the stage, naturally, pumping up the crowd. (video)

6.       Bruno Mars / Red Hot Chili Peppers (2014): I don’t usually like modern-day pop performances, but Bruno Mars did his exceptionally well. He took the opportunity to show that he wasn’t just another singer. The show was classy yet energetic and celebratory, filled with funk, pop and rock. Then when he brought out the Red Hot Chili Peppers to play “Give It Away,” the energy intensified further as he riffed with Anthony Kedis. Perfect. (video)

7.       Paul McCartney (2005): The 2004 half-time show set off a lot of bells with the FCC, forcing those putting the productions together to take a more cautionary tone for a few years. Such was the story with Paul McCarney playing the show in 2005. He was a safe, yet great choice. You can’t go wrong with such a legendary performer. All he had to do was sing a few Beatles classics and the crowd went wild. Add in fireworks and an outstanding sing-along of “Hey Jude” and this is a winning set. (video)

There have been many great Super Bowl half-time performances over the years, ranging from large spectacles to raging rock jams.  These shows have melded genres and brought fans to their feet. Hopefully Lady Gaga’s performance at this Sunday’s half-time show will live up to the hype that has been surrounding it, and stand up to all stellar ones that have come before.

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Find music from all these Super Bowl Half-Time Show performers and more at Vinyl Bay 777 and vinylbay777.com. Long Island’s top new independent record shop has thousands of titles stocked in-store and online. Choose from our wide selection of new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, DVDs and memorabilia. More music is being added all the time, so make a plan this weekend to come down and check out what’s new.