CableTV.com recently ran down the six Best Super Bowl halftime shows of the past few decades, so it only seemed fair to weed out some of the worst. There’s a reason you probably don’t remember these six Big Game debacles.
The six worst Super Bowl halftime shows
6. The Blues Brothers, ZZ Top, and James Brown (1997)
Not even the combined powers of Super Bowl XXXI guests ZZ Top and James Brown could overcome the lameness of the Blues Brothers cosplay of Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, and Jim Belushi. As a singer and fill-in for his late brother John, Jim makes a decent off-stage cannabis farmer (see: Growing Belushi on Discovery).
5. Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, and Toni Braxton (2000)
It was one of the rare times when the Super Bowl aired on ABC, so network owner Disney used it to promote the Epcot offshoot “Tapestry of Nations.” This meant no hits from Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, or Toni Braxton, just unfamiliar songs and weird narration by Edward James Olmos.
4. Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, and The Judds (1994)
They may seem like a natural fit, but country music and the Super Bowl just don’t mix—the 1994 halftime show featuring Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, and The Judds proved that, as it was the first and last to twang. The “Rockin’ Country Sunday” dud was all hat, no cattle, and a waste of fluorescent lights.
3. Justin Timberlake (2018)
He didn’t invite Janet Jackson back after the 2004 Super Bowl halftime fiasco, so it looked like Justin Timberlake thought he could carry the show himself. Nope. Aside from a college marching band and a cover song/image projection of hometown Minneapolis hero Prince, JT alone just took the L.
2. The Who (2010)
Like ABC, CBS loves corporate network synergy—so why not roll out rock geezers The Who to perform their trio of adapted CSI theme songs? “Who Are You?” (from CSI), “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (CSI: Miami), and “Baba O’Reilly” (CSI: NY) were fine but ultimately upstaged by the sci-fi stage itself.
1. Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi (2019)
They have more than a few hits, but it’s unlikely you know anyone who’s ever proclaimed “OMG! Maroon 5 is my favorite band!” Adam Levine and his backup bros went through the motions with all the generic energy of a Coldplay tribute act after being introduced by a seemingly unconvinced Pepsi logo. Did Adam at least get his shirt back?
Bill Frost has been a journalist and TV reviewer since the 4:3-aspect-ratio ’90s. His pulse-pounding prose has been featured in The Salt Lake Tribune, Inlander, Coachella Valley Independent, Las Vegas Weekly, and many other dead-tree publications (see BillFrost.tv). In addition to being a Senior Staff Writer at CableTV.com, Bill is a syndicated streaming TV columnist forSalt Lake City Weekly and other alternative weeklies, and host/producer of TV Tan Podcast. By night, Bill cranks a Flying V with his band at the bar.
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