Top 5 Super Bowl Halftime Shows

Prince One year later, Jimi Hendrix’s “Mini Me”put on a lively seven-song set that included covers of “All Along the Watchtower,” “We Will Rock You,” Proud Mary.” Football fans were even seen swaying their hands in the air like they just didn’t care to his classic “Purple Rain.” Top 5 doesn’t even want to know what the crowd would have done had Prince performed his other classics “Soft and Wet” or “Head.”

The Rolling Stones It’s the Rolling Stones. What more do we need to say? They’re all as old as time and still performed like they were playing at Altamont in 1969. Fortunately for the Stones, unlike Altamont there weren’t any Hell’s Angels, riots or deaths at Super Bowl XL.

Michael Jackson Take away all of his cosmetic surgery, alleged child molestation charges and overall craziness and Jackson was one of the best performers in the universe. He was still at his peak and spitting out hits like nobody’s business. His over-the-top show pretty much set the standard for future Super Bowl Halftime Shows. And unlike his younger sister there was no wardrobe malfunction, but there was a lot of the grabbing of the crotch – his trademark move. Top 5 is a little disturbed that Jackson had some 3,500 kids participate in the performance though.

U2 The country was still reeling from the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and everyone was still looking for a little escapism and comfort. Bono provided that and more with a rousing performance that featured all the victims’ names scrolled up on a huge screen behind him as he performed a stunning version of “Where the Streets Have No Name.” However, Top 5 wonders why Bono opened with “Beautiful Day”? “Discotheque” would have been a much better choice.

Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Simpson, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock This one is a no-brainer. In what was thought to be just your garden variety over-the-top halftime show turned into a media and cultural firestorm. It was called by many the biggest wardrobe malfunction in history, and provided boys wet dreams to last a few months. Just as they were about to finish their duet and end the show, Timberlake tears off part of Jackson’s outfit and reveals her right breast. People went absolutely nuts with everyone from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to Top 5’s neighbors across the street getting involved talking about either how lewd or cool it was to see one of Jackson’s goodies.