Hidden Track

With Sunday’s Super Bowl rapidly approaching, we thought we’d share a piece we ran about our favorite halftime shows just in case you missed it back in December. Stay tuned after the post for our predictions for the big game.

Nothing encapsulates the questionable marriage of sports and entertainment quite like the Super Bowl. The halftime show of the NFL’s signature event has been transformed over the past 42 years from an afterthought to a main focus of the Big Game. What was once a time for a piss break and a follow-up beer has turned into a big-time production thanks to the major television networks.

Originally the shows were filled with brief performances by a number of different artists celebrating a unifying theme. More recently the NFL decided to hand over the keys to the halftime show to just one legendary artist. What a difference a nipple makes, eh? This year Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been tabbed to perform at Super Bowl XLII on Sunday.

The Gainesville-bred band should look at the past for an idea of what works and what doesn’t work at the big game. Let’s use this week’s B List to take a look at our 10 favorite Super Bowl halftime shows. Read on for the videos…

10. Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Kid Rock, Jessica Simpson and P Diddy - Super Bowl XXXVIII - 2004

MTV packed the halftime show with six perfomers in 2004, but the evening will always be remembered for Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction.

9. Dan Akroyd, John Goodman, Jim Belushi, James Brown and ZZ Top - Super Bowl XXXI - 1997

House of Blues tapped The Blues Brothers, James Brown and ZZ Top to give the country the blues during halftime of the Green Bay Packers’ two touchdown victory over the New England Patriots. The Blues Brothers were awful without John Belushi, but ZZ Top’s performance kicked ass.

8. Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Savion Glover - Super Bowl XXXIII - 1999

In one of the more odd pairings in Super Bowl history, Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan performed together during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXIII. The overly ambitious halftime show tried to celebrate swing, salsa and soul within 12 minutes. Luckily Stevie made the most of his alloted time, fitting in Sir Duke, You Are The Sunshine of My Life and I Wish before joining Estefan for a salsa-tinged medley of Signed Sealed Delivered and My Cherie Amour.

7. Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah, Martha Reeves and the Temptations - Super Bowl XXXII - 1998

The Super Bowl XXXII halftime show celebrated the 40th anniversary of Detroit’s Motown Records. Performers from each era of Motown’s existence each played their most popular song.

6. Paul McCartney - Super Bowl XXXIX - 2005

More than 86 million people watched as Paul McCartney and his band classed up the joint with a brilliant four song set in 2005. McCartney closed the set by playing the shortest Hey Jude ever, which was very much welcomed by his long time fans.

5. Salute to New Orleans - Super Bowl XXIV - 1990

The Super Bowl paid tribute to the host city of New Orleans during the halftime show of the 1990 event. Local heroes Pete Fountain, Doug Kershaw, and Irma Thomas were all tapped to represent the diversity of the Crescent City. About 15 years too soon, NFL execs, but we salute the effort.

4. Rolling Stones - Super Bowl XL - 2006

The NFL thought the Rolling Stones wouldn’t create any controversy just two short years after Nipplegate, but they were wrong. Two sexually explicit lyrics were cut by ABC censors during the band’s performance of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and Start Me Up.

3. Michael Jackson - Super Bowl XXVII - 1993

Michael Jackson started a new trend when he was the only performer in the entire halftime show. Everyone was watching as the King of Pop played a mini-set of Billie Jean, Black or White and Heal The World.

2. Prince - Super Bowl XLI - 2007

Prince caused a bit of controversy by casting his image the image of his guitar on a screen leading to phallic connotations, as he ripped a blistering solo during Purple Rain in the rain. What a cool cat.

1. U2 - Super Bowl XXXVI - 2002

U2 delivers an emotional performance by dedicating Where The Streets Have No Name to the victims of the 9/11 attack. The names of those who lost their lives scrolled upwards on a screen setup behind the band.

Super Bowl predictions

Scotty: I expect the Giants to keep it close until the fourth quarter. Pats 31 Giants 21

Ace: I made a similar prediction to Scotty’s in my Cowboy Family Football Pool, so for the sake of switching it up, I’ll take a Giants upset over a team I respect completely but dislike tremendously. Giants 26 Pats 24