Super Bowl halftime show Feb 4, 2007; Miami, FL, USA; Prince performs in the halftime show of Super Bowl XLI between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts at Dolphins Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It’s easy to make a list of the best Super Bowl Halftime shows of all time. But in the last 20 years, there have been some great performances by some great artists that deserve to be recognized.

These artists really put on an unforgettable performance that fans still talk about today.

Beyonce and Bruno Mars

Queen Bey was in her element in this halftime performance. She had just released the Lemonade album which would become a huge hit. She came out with guns blazing in a military-style performance that blew the audience away. Not to be outshined was Bruno Mars who added just enough to make this a spectacular performance by both artists.

The Hip-Hop Tribute

Last year’s Super Bowl tribute to Hip Hop is still talked about to this day. This was the first time the NFL actually recognized Hip Hop’s contribution to the NFL culture. It was on point with performances by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Mary J. Blige. It was only appropriate that they did it in LA, the home of several West Coast rappers. Fans at home and in the stands didn’t sit down during that whole performance.

Janet Jackson

Ms. Jackson’s performance may be well known because of that incident, but she was fantastic. She and Justin Timberlake had put on quite a show at halftime only to be tainted by controversy later. Some still question whether or not what took place was an accident or on purpose, but it taught us all why we should tune in to watch the halftime show cause you will never know what will take place during a live performance. 

Prince

Maybe the best Super Bowl halftime show was given by Prince. The star played all his hits and then ended it by singing Purple Rain in the rain, what a finish. When fans often talk about who had the best performance, hands down most believe it was Prince in the rain.

Rihanna has a lot to live up to if she plans on topping those performances.

About Stacey Mickles

Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.