Five worst Super Bowl halftime shows in NFL history, from New Kids on the Block to Maroon 5
The shimmering strobes of the Super Bowl usually set the scene for a halftime show.
That’s not always good. The pressure of the event can weigh so heavily on even the most hardened artists that they collapse under the pressure.
Whether it’s clumsy gestures, subpar vocal performances, or lackluster choreography, even the Super Bowl halftime show — the jewel of the big game for so many viewers — can prove unappealing.
We’ve walked you through the stunning showcases that captured the nation’s attention in that fleeting 13-minute moment. Now it’s time to look at the lowlights, the humble exhibitions we’d all like to soon forget.
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With that, here are the five worst halftime performances of the Super Bowl, ignoring wardrobe malfunctions:
The five worst Super Bowl halftime shows in NFL history
5. New Kids on the Block (1991)
Boy bands were all the rage in the 1990s. Hell, they’re all the rage now. However, that doesn’t mean they make good Super Bowl halftime show acts.
Case in point: New Kids on the Block. The Boston-based group was one of numerous fresh-faced collectives to break into the pop culture stratosphere around the turn of the decade. They were rewarded for their heroics with a spot on the Super Bowl 25 halftime show. It didn’t pay off, mostly because the group was forced to perform their teenage hit “This One’s For the Children.” That’s just not what you want to hear when you’re in the middle of a back-and-forth battle between the Bills and Giants.
4. Phil Collins, Enrique Iglesias, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Tina Turner (2000)
Sometimes less is more. To house five of the greatest music artists of their time in a Super Bowl marquee appear like a good idea. But if you withhold the greatest hits of these stars from the fans. Well that feels like a wasted moment.
If you have Phil Collins, he should play “In The Air Tonight”. It is really that easy. But hey, at least Christina and Enrique performed “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand.” Yawning.
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3. The Blues Brothers (1997)
This can be an unpopular choice. Bringing back a sketch, even one as iconic as “The Blues Brothers,” just doesn’t work without the original cast. John Belushi had been dead for 15 years. John Goodman and Jim Belushi did their best in his absence. But it just wasn’t the same. Even the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown, couldn’t save this wrecked car of a performance.
2. The Black-Eyed Peas (2011)
I (didn’t) have the time of my life. The Black Eyed Peas went from indie rap darlings to pop music cringe in the blink of an eye. The bar/bat mitzvah tunes got old pretty quickly for much of the public. That didn’t stop the NFL from pouring big bucks into the group’s halftime gig, which looked less like a concert and more like an advert for skin-tight leather pants. Yes, they had Slash. No, he couldn’t wipe away the stench from that display case.
1. Maroon 5 (2019)
Look, Big Boi is cool. SpongeBob SquarePants is cool. Travis Scott has some good songs. But reliance on so many outside influences gives you a taste of just how mediocre the Los Angeles-based band’s offering was.
Frontman Adam Levine ripped his shirt off in an act of solidarity (using Chipotle paper bags). “Moves Like Jagger” is the kind of track you have to listen to over and over while working as a counselor at a Christian youth camp. A terrible game brought about a terrible halftime show. You have to love balance!