Prince Still Reigns in Super Bowl Halftime Rankings as New Era Approaches
TL;DR
A culture writer ranks every Super Bowl halftime show since 1991 using a four-category rubric (Music & Dance, Staging, Performance Relative to Circumstance, and Performance Relative to Stature), crowning Prince’s 2007 performance as the best and placing U2 (2002) and Michael Jackson (1993) among the top, with Coldplay/Beyoncé/Bruno Mars (2016) and Dr. Dre’s 2022 lineup close behind; Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 show is highlighted and Bad Bunny is on deck for Santa Clara, signaling an evolving, Easter-egg-filled era for the spectacle.
- Super Bowl halftime shows ranked: Prince, U2, Kendrick Lamar — and Bad Bunny on deck The New York Times
- Super Bowl Halftime Is the World’s Biggest Stage. He Designs It. The New York Times
- The 10 greatest Super Bowl halftime shows of all time The Independent
- Super Bowl Halftime Shows Through The Years ABC News
- Ranking the best Super Bowl halftime shows in history NBC Sports
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on The New York Times