The Super Bowl halftime performance is one of the most anticipated musical events of the year. The NFL chooses one or multiple performers to put on a show during the halftime break of the Super Bowl. In fact, the Super Bowl viewership numbers often peak during these performances, reaching between 125 and 135 million viewers.

There have been 60 different Super Bowl games and 60 halftime performances. That makes choosing the 5 best Super Bowl halftime performances nearly impossible. Even so, we went back to look at some of the most talked-about performances, most of which are in the top 10 in viewership. So, join us on this journey to review the 5 best Super Bowl half-time performances in history!

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson, affectionately known as the King of Pop, is widely recognized as the greatest performer of all time. So, when he took the stage at the XXVII Super Bowl in 1993, it was a treat for everyone at the Rose Bowl Stadium and everyone watching on TV. MJ began his performance by standing still for nearly two whole minutes while the crowd screamed.

And then, the show began with ‘Jam’, before moving to an iconic rendition of ‘Billie Jean’, one of Jackson’s most popular songs. He also performed ‘Black or White’, ‘We Are The World’, and ‘Heal the World’. Even 33 years later, this half-time performance remains one of the most watched, with an astounding 133,4 million viewers.

Beyoncé

Beyoncé has been one of the most popular and revered artists of the past 30 years. Although she began her career as a part of the group Destiny’s Child, she skyrocketed to fame as a solo act. That was how he took the stage at the XLVIII Super Bowl in 2013, which drew in 112 million viewers. Her performance began with a fiery pyrotechnics show, lighting up Beyoncé’s distinctive pose, while a podium lifted her up. Queen Bey fired up the crowd with the chorus of her chart-topper ‘Love on Top’.

After she got everyone in the stadium on their feet, she began ‘Crazy In Love’. After that, she sang ‘End of Time’ and ‘Baby Boy’, before bringing her fellow Destiny’s Child stars Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Together, they performed ‘Bootylicious’ and ‘Independent Woman Part I’. They finished their joint performance with ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’. Finally, Beyoncé wrapped up the show with a stunning rendition of ‘Halo’, marking one of the best Super Bowl halftime performances ever.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny is the latest star to take the stage in the Super Bowl halftime show. The Puerto Rican singer and rapper has been the most-streamed global artist on Spotify in four of the past six years, including 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2025. So, when he was announced as the LX Super Bowl halftime show, we knew we were in for a treat. Bad Bunny brought a message of love, unity, anti-colonialism, and Latin-American pride to the Super Bowl stage. Although still quite fresh, it is undoubtedly one of the best Super Bowl halftime performances of all time.

Bad Bunny, whose name is Benito, began the show with ‘Tití Me Preguntó’, before moving on to ‘Yo Perreo Sola’. From there, he impressed the crowd with ‘Voy a Llevarte Pa’ PR’, ‘Eoo’, and a violin arrangement of ‘Mónaco’. Then, he continued with ‘Baile Inolvidable’, ‘Nuevayol’, ‘El Apagón’, ‘Café con Ron’, and finished the show with ‘DTMF’. Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin joined him on stage to sing ‘Die With A Smile’ and ‘Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii’, respectively.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is a rapper hailing from Compton, California. He is one of the most decorated rappers of all time with 27 Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize under his belt. The announcement for Kendrick Lamar’s performance at Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans was well-received. The setlist, performance quality, and cultural messages all combined to make it one of the best Super Bowl halftime performances.

This performance came on the tail-end of Kendrick’s now-legendary beef with Canadian rapper Drake. So, the audience was understandably buzzing with excitement. The entire performance was interspersed with social commentary, especially on the civil rights battle and the American dream. Lamar performed 11 songs in total, including his smash hits ‘DNA’, ‘Humble’, ‘All The Stars’, and, of course, ‘Not Like Us’. This performance garnered over 127 million viewers.

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent

The LVI Super Bowl halftime performance in Inglewood brought out some of the most iconic artists of all time. That is precisely why we included it in our list of best Super Bowl halftime performances. Although this was technically Dr. Dre’s half-time show, he is primarily a record producer. Thus, he brought out some of his biggest stars, including Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige.

Dre opened his performance by sitting at a studio mixing desk, starting to play ‘The Next Episode’, featuring Snoop Dogg. Then, the two of them performed ‘California Love’ in honor of Tupac. 50 Cent made a surprise appearance to perform ‘In Da Club’, while Mary J. Blige performed ‘Family Affair’ and ‘No More Drama’. Next came Kendrick Lamar, who performed ‘M.A.A.D City’ and ‘Alright’. That led to Dr. Dre’s arguably biggest star, Eminem, who performed ‘Forgot About Dre’ and ‘Lose Yourself’.

An instrumental version of ‘I Ain’t Mad at Cha’ led to the grand finale, ‘Still D.R.E.’, performed by all of them. This performance drew in just over 100 million viewers.

What Makes the Best Super Bowl Halftime Performances

We all have our preferences when it comes to the best Super Bowl halftime performances. Whether you prefer pop, rap, R’n’B, or another genre of music can affect your top 5 favorite half-time shows. There is also the question of whether your favorite NFL team, like the Chiefs, is in the Super Bowl or not. We chose the 5 half-time shows in this article based on the quality of the performances, popularity of the artists, and cultural impact.