When the Super Bowl initially came to fruition, it was hard to imagine that a concert performance would become one of the most major parts of the game, bringing in fans of both music and football to watch the pinnacle of the NFL season. Yet, here we are. From Michael Jackson in 1993 to Kendrick Lamar in 2025, the halftime show has become a growingly important part of the game.

With Super Bowl 60 coming up, and the performer yet to be announced, I figured it would be a great time to re-visit the last 10 performers to grace the stage at football’s biggest night and give my rankings on who performed the best. 

Disclaimer before we start: my ranking is not indicative of my opinion of the artist. This is simply based on the performance. 

10. Maroon 5 – Super Bowl 53 (2019) 

This show felt a lot like the discography of Maroon 5; safe and boring. There was almost no acknowledgment in this set that it was taking place on the largest annual stage in America, the all-female audience clamoring for Adam Levine was borderline annoying, and you likely knew almost every single song which drove me insane. The Travis Scott and Big Boi cameos redeemed it slightly, but it’s far and away the worst on this list.

9. Justin Timberlake – Super Bowl 52 (2018) 

Justin is a member of NYSYNC, husband to Jessica Biel, ex-girlfriend of Brittany Spears, and tour mate of Christina Aguilera. Yet he couldn’t bring any of them to the stage to salvage what is widely considered to be one of the most boring halftime shows in recent memory. Instead, we got a projection of Prince, in his hometown, and Justin dancing around the stage making it seem like he was performing at a club rather than the biggest audience of the year. Ugly. 

8. Lady Gaga – Super Bowl 51 (2017)

This technologically advanced performance included a literal array of drones, a dive off the roof of the stadium, and dancers tossing glowing spears that looked like a weapon out of a sci-fi movie. Like most performers, Gaga did her hits, and she did them very well to the point where she had the entirety of Atlanta and the millions of millions of people on their feet and dancing. Combined with her one-woman show, and showing off her vocal capabilities, this is an overall solid set. 

7. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez – Super Bowl 54 (2020) 

This performance was one that should forever be known as a celebration of Latin culture. The two headliners crushed it, and the guest appearances from J. Balvin and Bad Bunny added special moments to this show. The whole performance was incredibly energetic, whipping from one stage piece to the next before the audience could even figure out what was going on. With two superstars in top form, it’s hard not to be swaddled in their beautiful glittery embrace of a group of people with such a rich culture. 

6. Usher – Super Bowl 58 (2024) 

For someone whose music is synonymous with getting women pregnant through their ears (not really but you get what I mean), Usher lived up to the expectations fans set. At its best, the hit-filled set did what he does best. Create an energy that brings lovers together and creates an overall upbeat and exciting vibe. At its worst, it felt small, flat and ugly. Alicia Keys making an appearance on “If I ain’t Got You” was a very welcoming surprise and a personal highlight for me. Overall a really solid show. 

5. The Weeknd – Super Bowl 55 (2021) 

No artist was dealt a worse hand for their show more than The Weeknd. Smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, Abel was burdened by having to separate his dancers by a mandated six feet. While this did hinder the performance of the setfor me, The Weeknd’s performance showed that this major accomplishment can go to someone for more than just their hits. Abel is seriously talented as a musician and this performance was a perfect example of it. Plus the transition between”House of Balloons” and “Blinding Lights” is one of my favorites that I’ve ever witnessed in a live performance. 

4. Rhianna – Super Bowl 57 (2023) 

I’d never thought I’d see the day when the Super Bowl was used as a pregnancy reveal. Well, kind of. The R&B legend hasn’t released an album since 2016, recently had a baby, and isn’t considered to be a flashy performer like some of her colleagues in the same scene like Beyonce or Fergie. Nonetheless, she used that to her advantage and created an amazinghalftime show that could never be duplicated by someone else like her While the choreography was light, people excused it because it’s Rhianna. Her whole career was based on vibes and the vibes were nothing short of high for the entirety thatit lasted. 

3. Kendrick Lamar – Super Bowl 59 (2025) 

No man across any genre of music can tell a story like Kendrick Lamar. That man is gifted with storytelling ability along with the likes of movie writers and directors. He does this so well, that people weren’t anticipating him to run it elsewhere. There were no costume changes, no slew of guest stars (aside from the Mustard and SZA cameos), and none of the overall flair that we’re used to from a performer in that position. Instead, we got the work of genius storytelling backed with hits that made Kendrick Lamar a force to be reckoned with in 2024. Nothing short of incredible from the pride of ComptonCalifornia. 

2. Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars – Super Bowl 50 (2016) 

If the word “Star-Studded” had to be mirrored by this annual performance, 2016’s performance of Coldplay (Fresh off of Hymn for the Weekend, Adventure of A Lifetime and Paradise), Bruno Mars (right after Uptown Funk) and Beyoncé (right before Lemonade). The setlist for all 3 artists was nothing short of perfect, Chris Martins’s energy was contagious, the face-off we got from Bey and Bruno was iconic, and the vibes we got were nothing short of incredible. My biggest (and quite frankly only) gripe with this performance is the fact that in a year that was supposed to be solely for Coldplay, two of music’s biggest stars at the time came in and overshadowed. Nonetheless, still a fantastic show. 

1. Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, 50 Cent, Mary G. Blige – Super Bowl 56 (2022) 

The modern halftime show has become a display of a music titan, giving some props to some other, often smaller artists. Dr. Dre however, took this show and made it a celebration of the last 25 years of hip hop music. Opening the show with Doc and the Dogg performing snippets of “California Love” and “The Next Episode”, the show evolved into a showcase of the early 2000’s hits from Mary G. Blige and 50 Cent, for “Family Affair”, “No More Drama” and “In Da Club” respectively. The show later moved into the modern era with Eminem performing “Lose Yourself”, and Kendrick Lamar performing “Mad City” and “Alright”, further bringing it home with a group singing along to “Still Dre”. An all-time great halftime show.