The Super Bowl halftime show has become far more than a mid-game distraction; it’s a pop culture arena where legends are crowned, social media explodes, and controversy is practically guaranteed. Over the past ten years, we’ve witnessed everything from floating platforms to roller-skating dancers, surprise pregnancies, and political firestorms that could rival a Marvel plot twist. Here’s a countdown of the ten halftime performances that defined the last decade, starting from good and working up to greatness.
10. Usher (2024): The Smooth Ride That Never Took Off
Usher’s highly anticipated halftime debut was. Adequate. He provided nostalgia through slick choreography, roller skaters, and a cameo from Alicia Keys. But after years of jaw-dropping extravaganzas, this one came off oddly subdued. It was a good concert, yes, but not the heart-pounding, headline-making event enthusiasts have come to expect on Super Bowl Sunday. By the time the skaters rolled offstage, so had most of the hype.
9. Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi (2019): The Year of Shrugs
The lowest-scoring Super Bowl in NFL history got the halftime show it deserved, forgettable. Maroon 5’s set hit all the right notes musically, but emotionally, it was running on autopilot. Adam Levine’s shirtless moment tried (and failed) to add spark, while Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” cameo came off awkward and out of sync. Even Big Boi’s late entrance couldn’t lift the vibe. It felt more like an uninspired jam session than a Super Bowl moment.
8. Justin Timberlake (2018): The Ghost of Halftime Past
Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl comeback was fated to be shadowed by 2004’s notorious “wardrobe malfunction.” A decade and a half later, he brought his usual enthusiasm and a nicely produced medley of greatest hits, but the ghost of scandal remained. His Prince tribute, though well-meaning, elicited ambivalence from the crowd. The show had all the spit-and-polish, but zero of the magic that formerly characterized Timberlake’s pop reign.
7. The Weeknd (2021): Lost in the Lights
Performing during the middle of a worldwide pandemic, The Weeknd staged one of the most visually elaborate halftime performances in history. A labyrinth of golden light, masked performers, and mirrored corridors echoed his After Hours era’s dreamlike motifs of celebrity and distortion. Artistic? Guaranteed. Yet for many, the spectacle seemed emotionally removed, more akin to witnessing a short film than a live performance.
6. Lady Gaga (2017): A Patriotic Powerhouse Who Flew High
Lady Gaga flew, literally, onto Super Bowl turf, starting with “God Bless America” and then plunging into a fierce, high-intensity performance. Every gesture was quintessentially Gaga: acrobatics, glitter, endurance, and passion. Though it was missing one viral jaw-drop moment, her dedication and impeccable singing created a show that met patriotism with pop drama. It was traditional Gaga, daring and all-in.
5. Coldplay, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars (2016): Daylight Delight
Performing in daylight could’ve satiated the drama, but Coldplay owned it, turning the stadium into a color wheel and ambiance of goodness. The actual fireworks, however, were Beyoncé and Bruno Mars’ dance battle, a happy collision of charisma and choreography that dominated the rest. Chris Martin’s medley of Super Bowl classics wrapped up all the loose ends, bringing everything together in a halftime show full of warmth and togetherness.
4. Rihanna (2023): When Less Became Everything
Rihanna’s halftime performance was a masterclass in restraint. No guest appearances, no costume changes, just her, raised on hovering platforms, holding court with calm assurance. And, naturally, her surprise pregnancy announcement broke the internet instantly. Wearing red against a fleet of white-robed dancers, Rihanna showed the world that spectacle does not always require fireworks; sometimes it just requires presence.
3. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent (2022): A West Coast Classic
This show wasn’t merely a concert; it was a lesson in hip-hop history. Against the gritty backdrop of a Compton neighborhood, Dre and Snoop fronted a legendary bill that united generations. Every performer owned their moment, Mary J. Blige’s belt, Kendrick Lamar’s ferocity, Eminem’s tearful hesitation. It was biting, nostalgic, and heavily informed by culture, a love letter to LA that rewrote halftime greatness.
2. Shakira & Jennifer Lopez (2020): Latin Legends on Fire
Shakira and J.Lo set the stage ablaze with uncontainable energy and swagger. From Shakira’s tongue-wagging meme moment through to J.Lo’s pole performance and flag-draped finale, this was unadulterated power and pride. Bad Bunny and J Balvin’s cameos added to the spontaneity of Latin flair, demonstrating that international rhythms could dominate America’s biggest stage. It was a pre-pandemic extravaganza of culture, confidence, and delight, one of the decade’s defining spectacles.
1. Katy Perry (2015): The Gold Standard of Spectacle
Katy Perry’s halftime show is still the template for contemporary Super Bowl performances. She arrived on a huge golden lion, performed with sharks shuffling to her tune, and essentially finished her performance on a shooting star. It was campy, it was bright, and it was carefully crafted, an unashamed explosion of entertainment. “Left Shark” might have hogged the headlines, but Perry’s showmanship sealed her place as the halftime theater queen.
The Super Bowl halftime show is not so much about who plays as what the performance reveals about us. As news unfolds of Bad Bunny’s 2026 headlining spot, political arguments already begin to flare, with reporting of possible ICE attendance at the show fanning outrage. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift’s reported future performance stays top-of-mind among fan gossiping, with Commissioner Roger Goodell hinting that “she’s always welcome” but refusing to commit.
Ultimately, the halftime show is a mirror of America’s evolving tastes, its bashes, its brouhahas, and its shared fixations. Either you watch for the music, the memes, or the mayhem, but one thing is for sure: there’s no other 12 minutes on TV that capture the disorder and allure of popular culture as precisely as the Super Bowl.