Janet Jackson reacts after fellow singer Justin Timberlake ripped off one of her chest plates at the end of their half time performance at the XXXVIII Super Bowl in Houston, Feb. 1, 2004.
WIN MCNAMEE / REUTERS
Television
Halftime heaven (and hell) at the Super Bowl
BRAD WHEELER
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published
Sets by halftime performers are short in duration, but long in impact. The following list covers some of the more memorable Super Bowl concerts, for good and bad
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Prince (2007, Dolphin Stadium, Miami)
Just when we thought he couldn’t get any cooler, the tiny funkmaster ups his already formidable reputation with a blistering set in a soft drizzle, closing with – you bet – Purple Rain.
Prince performs during the halftime show of the NFL's Super Bowl XLI football game in Miami, Feb. 4, 2007.— MIKE BLAKE / REUTERS
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Paul McCartney performs during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXIX between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.— PHIL COALE / AP
Paul McCartney (2005, ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.)
A sing-along version of Hey Jude closes a magical medley, and anyone who hadn’t yet seen the former Beatle in concert has a new addition to their bucket list.
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U2 (2002, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans)
During Where the Streets Have No Name, the names of the victims of 9/11 are shown on a giant screen. Not knowing how to repay the Irish superstars for their commendable gesture, music lovers gobble up the band’s recordings, resulting in a sales spike of 154 per cent for a greatest-hits package in the week following the performance.
Names of the victims from the September 11 tragedy are projected behind the Irish rock band U2 during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans February 3, 2002.— WIN MCNAMEE / REUTERS
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Janet Jackson reacts after fellow singer Justin Timberlake ripped off one of her chest plates at the end of their half time performance at the XXXVIII Super Bowl in Houston, Feb. 1, 2004.— WIN MCNAMEE / REUTERS
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake (2004, Reliant Stadium, Houston)
We have those two pop stars to thank for adding “Nipplegate” to the pop-culture lexicon, and for one day Michael Jackson wasn’t the weirdest member of the family.
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Sting, with Gwen Stefani (2003, Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego)
Closing a mostly forgettable show – a so-so Shania Twain and No Doubt – Sting gives his detractors one more reason to loathe him with a relatively down-tempo Message in a Bottle.
