After getting in a Facebook debate a few years back regarding just how wretched the Justin Timberlake Super Bowl halftime show, I reviewed all 52 of the Super Bowl halftime shows and ranked them from best to worst.  I have now updated that list to include all Super Bowl halftime shows, including Rihanna’s performance on Sunday.   The best I can tell is that there is not another list this comprehensive on the web anywhere.  Several websites rank the modern concert-type shows (post 1991), but I couldn’t find any that rank all of them.  Feel free to comment or debate and come back to the blog tomorrow to see my updated ranking of the greatest Super Bowl games of all-time.

	Greatest Super Bowl Halftimes in NFL History
1	Super Bowl XXVII- Michael Jackson (1993)	one of MJ’s greatest concerts ever
2	Super Bowl XLII- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (2008)	So good from start to finish
3	Super Bowl XLIX- Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliott (2015)	fun from start to finish
4	Super Bowl XXXVI- U2 (9/11 Tribute) (2022)	Really good and Poignant; wish they had done a 3rd song tho
5	Super Bowl LI- Lady Gaga (2017)	extremely entertaining
6	Super Bowl LVI- Dr Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dog, Mary J Blige, Kendrick Lamar (2022)	Fun but wish there were more collaborative efforts
7	Super Bowl LIV- Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020)	Old ladies still rocked it
8	Super Bowl XXXIX- Paul McCartney (2005)	Hey Jude was awesome
9	Super Bowl XXXVIII- Jessica Simpson, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Kid Rock (2004)	wardrobe malfunction
10	Super Bowl XLVI- Madonna. LMFAO, Nicky Minaj, Cee Lo Green (2012)	“LIke a Dream” at end is awesome
11	Super Bowl 50- Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars (2016)	Coldplay really good and Tribute montage at end is awesome; Beyone and Bruno not so much
12	Super Bowl XLIII- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2009)	Bad first song but good rest of the way
13	Super Bowl XLI- Prince, FAMU Marching Band (2007)	Purple rain was good, everything else was just ok
14	Super Bowl XXXIV- Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton (2000)	good mix of music
15	Super Bowl LVII- Rihanna (2023)	Limited movement due to her post partum status but she still had a plethora of good hits mixed with good effects. Really could have used a secondary act to change it up a bit.
16	Super Bowl XLIV- The Who (2010)	starts off good and then tapers off
17	Super Bowl XL- The Rolling Stones (2006)	starts off well and then tapers off
18	Super Bowl LVIII- Usher (2024)	Good dancing, ok singing, and the numerous secondary acts were hit or miss
19	Super Bowl XXII- Chubby Checker, The Rockettes (Something Grand) (1988)	Not too bad; Checker put on a nice performance
20	Super Bowl XXIV- Pete Fountain, Doug Kershaw (Salute to New Orleans) (1990)	actually pretty good music
21	Super Bowl XVI- Up With People (Salute to the 1960s and Motown) (1982)	actually pretty good music
22	Super Bowl XXXVII- Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting (2003)	Bad start with shania but then gets better after that
23	Super Bowl XXXI- Blues Brothers and ZZ Top (1997)	pretty good
24	Super Bowl I- University of Arizona and Grambling Marching Bands (1967)	Sound of Music, Liberty Bell march (good), Western themes (bad)
25	Super Bowl VI- Ella Fitzgerald “Mack the Knife” (Salute to Louis Armstrong) (1972)	No footage apparently exists
26	Super Bowl XVII- LA Drill Team (Kaleido superscope) (1983)	No footage apparently exists
27	Super Bowl VII- Michigan Marching Band “This Land Is Your Land” (1973)	Andy Williams performance bad
28	Super Bowl IV- Southern Marching Band “When Saints Go Marching In” (Mardi Gras) (1970)	No footage apparently exists
29	Super Bowl III- Florida A & M Marching Band (America Thanks) (1969)	No footage apparently exists
30	Super Bowl V- Southeast Missouri St. Marching Band with Anita Bryant (1971)	No footage apparently exists
31	Super Bowl XXI- Walt Disnery (Salute to Hollywood’s 100th Anniversary) (1987)	decent mix of pop hits and Disney classics
32	Super Bowl XXVI- Gloria Estefan (Salute to the 1992 Winter Olympics) (1992)	mediocre
33	Super Bowl XVIII- Walt Disney (Salute to Superstars of Silver Screen) (1984)	kinda cheesy but 80’s music was good
34	Super Bowl XXX- Diana Ross (1996)	mediocre
35	Super Bowl LIII- Maroon 5 and Outkast (2019)	Outkast- good, everything else was mediorce
36	Super Bowl XXXII- Boyz II Men, The Temptations, Queen Latifah (1998)	some performances better than others
37	Super Bowl XXXV- Aerosmith, N’Sync, Brittany Spears, Mary J. Blige, Nelly (2001)	N’Sync ruins this otherwise good halftime show
38	Super Bowl XLV- The Black Eyed Peas, Usher (2011)	last song was only good part
39	Super Bowl XV- Southern Marching Band (Mardi Gras Festival) (1981)	No footage apparently exists
40	Super Bowl II- Grambling State Marching Band (1968)	No footage apparently exists
41	Super Bowl VIII- Texas Marching Band (A Musical America) (1974)	No footage exists
42	Super Bowl LV- The Weekend (2021)	one good song with covid restrictions
43	Super Bowl XII- Apache Band (From Paris to Paris of America) (1978)	No footage exists
44	Super Bowl XXXIII- Gloria Estefan and Stevie Wonder (1989)	one good song
45	Super Bowl XX- Up with People (Beat of the Future) (1986)	the worst of the 80’s personified but a couple of good 80’s jams saved it
46	Super Bowl XLVII- Beyonce, Destiny’s Child (2013)	not very good
47	Super Bowl X- Up With People (Bicentennial) (1976)	really cheesy but Country Roads at ends saves it
48	Super Bowl IX- Grambling State Marching Band (Tribute to Duke Ellington) (1975)	Not very good
49	Super Bowl XIX- Tops In Blue (World of Children’s Dreams) (1985)	Really bad but saved by “We are the Champions”
50	Super Bowl XLVIII- Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers (2014)	Bad from the start but military tribute saves it
51	Super Bowl XIV- Up With People, Grambling Marching Band (Big Band Era) (1980)	terrible beginning; even has Conga line; Johnny B. Goode at end was good though
52	Super Bowl XXVIII- Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt (1994)	honky tonk country at its worst
53	Super Bowl LII- Justin Timberlake (2018)	didn’t even attempt to lip sync
54	Super Bowl XIII- Ken Hamilton (Salute to Caribbean) (1979)	Mexican restaurant from hell
55	Super Bowl XI- Walt Disney “It’s a Small World” (1977)	Mickey Mouse Club from Hell
56	Super Bowl XXIII- Elvis Presto (1950’s Rock and Roll) (1989)	Absolutely awful: terrible card trick mixed with a bad Elvis personator
57	Super Bowl XXV- New Kids on the Block (Small World Tribute) (1991)	really bad but patrotism keeps it from being all-time worst
58	Super Bowl XXIX- Patti Labelle, Tony Bennett (Indiana Jones) (1995)	the worst thing I’ve ever seen