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THE WORST:
1) Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake - Super Bowl 38 - 2004: With support from Nelly, Jessica Simpson and Kid Rock, this fiasco ended with Timberlake tearing off part of Janet’s bustier to reveal her nipple. "The backlash from this moment would rattle popular culture for years, and for no good reason at all."
2) Elvis Presto - 23 - 1989: A video of an Elvis-impersonating magician. "We defy you to get through this video without cringing so hard you pull a muscle."
3) Aerosmith, Britney Spears, N’Sync, Nelly and Mary J. Blige - 35 - 2001: "In attempting to appeal to everyone, this dog’s breakfast of musical styles (and fashion) ends up collapsing in an incredibly awkward 'Walk This Way' strut-dance-singalong. Hey, it was 2001, nobody knew any better."
4) It’s A Small World - 25 - 1991: "The whiplash of going from Whitney Houston’s transcendent national anthem to this gloppy Disney mess should’ve put viewers in concussion protocol... If you’re tempted to complain about current halftime shows, take a good hard look at what your parents and grandparents had to put up with, and stop complaining."
5) Blues Brothers - 21 - 1997: "Not even appearances by ZZ Top and James Brown can redeem this catastrophe, although it’s funny to think about little kids all over the country asking their parents what 'Tush' is."
6) The Black-Eyed Peas, Usher & Slash - 45 - 2011: "An attempted musical stew that ended up more like neon-glowing sludge..."
7) Winter Magic - 26 - 1992: "This Ice Capades silliness didn’t belong anywhere near an NFL field, and the league finally started shoving these productions off the stage soon afterward."
8) The Who - 44 - 2010: "Everybody just looked weary as the band cycled through a five-song medley of their greatest hits. The 'hope I die before I get old' angle is tired, so let’s try this: Meet the new boss, so much worse than the old boss. Or maybe Old Man Wasteland."
9) Indiana Jones - 29 - 1995: "This was basically a televised version of a Disneyland Indiana Jones ride, and watching it was about as much fun as watching someone else enjoy a roller coaster. Whoever greenlit this mess chose poorly."
10) Paul McCartney - 39 - 2005: "[He] sauntered through a casual tour of Beatles and solo hits, kicking off a run of remember-when Boomer legends (the Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty) that would hold the line with safe, family-friendly classic rock until the end of the decade."
THE BEST:
- Prince - Super Bowl 41 - 2007
- Beyonce - 47 - 2013
- Bruce Springsteen - 43 - 2009
- Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige & Kendrick Lamar - 56 - 2022
- U2 - 36 - 2002
- Diana Ross - 30 - 1996
- Jennifer Lopez & Shakira - 54 - 2020
- Madonna - 46 - 2012
- Lady Gaga - 51 - 2017
- Michael Jackson - 39 - 1993
Apparently performances by The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Anita Bryant, George Burns and Mickey Rooney, Chubby Checker, Phil Collins, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers didn't make the grade.