Top Super Bowl halftime performers in the last decade

This year, Rihanna return to live stage after six years for a performance at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show and it was worth the wait.

These days, the halftime show is one of the most exciting performances of the year. Rihanna has not performed in years and has been quiet as far as her music scene goes, so this was a highly anticipated show and the Caribbean goddess did not disappoint.

The Barbadian singer began her 13-minute halftime show on a suspended platform singing "Bitch Better Have My Money" in a cotton canvas flight suit. The garment was almost entirely unzipped to reveal a matching silk jersey catsuit and sculpted leather corset (and, of course, a baby bump).

Last year, five performers took the stage for Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, California. Eminem, Dr. Dre. Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige performed halfway through the Rams win over the Bengals.

For many years, the halftime show was quite basic. It would simply feature a college marching band or two. In 1967, the first Super Bowl Halftime show consisted of the Liberty Bell that was performed by the University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band. But that all changed in 1993 the year THE Michael Jackson turned the Super Bowl halftime show into must-watch television. Today's performances require as much preparation as the Oscars or Grammys.

For the artists who play the halftime show at the Super Bowl, they're entertaining an audience that is exponentially bigger than any they've ever encountered.

While the 57-Apple music Super half Time Bowl headlined by Rihanna was a show to behold, here’s a look back at some other memorable Super Bowl halftime performances in the last decade.

Beyoncé & Destiny’s Child (2013)

Beyoncé put together one of the greatest halftime performances in history, placing her rightfully behind the next two epic acts. But she didn’t do it alone. Kelly Rowland, Beyoncé and Michelle Williams came together for a long-awaited reunion of Destiny's Child during Super Bowl XLVII.

The trio performed some of their greatest hits: "Bootylicious," "Single Ladies" and "Independent Women.” Beyoncé was also sure to sing the Beyhive’s favorites, from “Crazy in Love” to “Baby Boy.” The 2013 production was so extravagant that half the lights at the Superdome went out, creating a 33-minute, 55-second blackout shortly after.

Bruno Mars , Red Hot Chili Peppers (2014)

The highlight of Bruno Mars’ career at the time was his performance at Super Bowl XLVIII in New York City’s first-ever Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium. Many doubted that the Hawaiian native would have enough of a catalog for such an honor, but he outdid himself. It started with small children holding hands in front of American flags and ended with soldiers dedicating “Just the Way You Are” to their families. The lighthearted and fun performance even featured the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a drum solo from Mars himself.

Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott (2015)

Katy Perry made sure to roar as she performed at Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, arriving on the back of a giant lion puppet, then was dragged through the sky as she sang “Firework.” The pop spectacle included cameos from Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott, who performed three of her own hits. There was even an appearance from Left Shark, which is the name given to a shark that was standing to the left of Perry during the performance. The shark quickly went viral for his interesting dance moves.

Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars (2016)

The booty-shaking, Technicolor Coldplay was on full display at Super Bowl 50, but more importantly, they invited two artists with PhDs in dance to make things iconic. Bruno Mars and Beyoncé brought then-new hits “Uptown Funk!” and “Formation,” respectively, and the ensuing showdown between their dance troupes was irresistible. Major kudos to Coldplay for letting two other artists steal the band’s own halftime show.

Lady Gaga (2017)

Lady Gaga is one of the most eclectic artists in history, and everyone tuned in to see what her halftime performance would unveil. From her stage costume to her song selections, many wondered what Gaga would do at the Super Bowl. Gaga decided to go “safe” and performed some of her uncontroversial hits, starting with an arrangement of the “Star Bangled Banner,” but she also included her queer-positive anthem, “Born This Way.”

Justin Timberlake, The Tennessee Kids (2018)

Former NSYNC leader Justin Timberlake took to the Super Bowl halftime stage 14 years after the Janet Jackson debacle. Timberlake decided not to perform some of his greatest hits but used this performance to promote his new album, "Man of the Woods." Many said it was a bland performance, but it was Timberlake's rise from the halftime show ashes.

Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi (2019)

No one wanted anything to do with the halftime show stage in 2019 after the outrage over the NFL’s blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick. Stars such as Cardi B and Rihanna flat out turned the performance opportunity down, but Maroon 5 decided to accept the role. The controversial performance included cameos from Travis Scott and Big Boi.

Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Emme Muniz (2020)

While Jennifer Lopez and Shakira weren’t the first Latinas to rock the halftime stage, they certainly did get loud in 2020. With Kaepernick’s blacklisting, it was hard finding a performer for the show, but the Colombian goddess and the New York Puerto Rican hustler took the stage. Shakira played the guitar and J.Lo rode in on a stripper pole. The performance also included a cameo from Lopez’s daughter, Emme, who sang Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” 

The Weeknd (2021)

The 2021 Super Bowl halftime performance was reminiscent of a music video stuck inside a haunted house of mirrors. The halftime show mainly took place in the upper pavilion of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Weeknd did not appear on the field until he performed "Blinding Lights."

Eminem, Dr. Dre. Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige(2022)

When the Super Bowl LVI made its way to Inglewood, Calif., to host the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, it only made sense that the world’s biggest and most talented hip-hop and R&B legends deliver the most entertaining Super Bowl halftime show in years.

The halftime performance from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent was so legendary that it went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), marking a historic first win for the halftime show in the category.

Rihanna(2023)

The halftime performance from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent was so legendary that it went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), marking a historic first win for the halftime show in the category.

Rihanna returned to the live stage for a performance at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show and it was worth the wait.

The Barbados-born pop singer didn’t hold back one bit during her career-spanning set, playing some of her biggest hits — “Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” and “Diamonds” — alongside standout features on “All of the Lights” and “Run This Town.”

Making the breathtaking performance even more impressive is the fact she did so while pregnant. A baby bump was visible throughout her performance, and afterwards, a representative for the singer confirmed that she is indeed expecting her second child.