Epic Super Bowl Halftime Moments Ahead of Bad Bunny!

Bad Bunny is on the verge of taking the stage at the Super Bowl - with viewers so polarized in advance that the controversy will ensure him a spot in the pantheon of the event's most memorable moments.

Known to be an increasingly elaborate show each year, the halftime performance is for some audiences the main attraction of the game.

For decades halftime was dominated by marching bands, speckled with occasional celebrities like New Kids on the Block, Gloria Estefan or Carol Channing.

In 1993, however, the tenor of the event changed when Michael Jackson brought his superstar stature to the performance and delivered a medley of his hits.

Since then the Super Bowl halftime has become the most hotly anticipated musical event of the year, a place for the top celebrities in the business to showcase their talents at their most streamlined and electric.

Here Daily Mail looks back at some of the most iconic halftimes of yesteryear, including one where a dance move went horribly wrong and set off a national scandal so explosive even the furor around Bad Bunny will be hard-pressed to overtake it.

Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake (2004) 

The biggest fracas in Super Bowl halftime history was Janet Jackson's infamous 'nip slip' during her performance alongside Justin Timberlake

While whirling through their choreography, Timberlake tore off a piece of Jackson's top, causing one of her breasts to be momentarily exposed to millions of viewers

The biggest fracas in Super Bowl halftime history was Janet Jackson's infamous 'nip slip' during her performance alongside Justin Timberlake.

Jackson was initially hired for the gig two years prior, only to be replaced with U2, who were regarded as a more suitable choice for the emotional post-9/11 show.

But once Jackson finally managed to get on the halftime stage, her career imploded.

While whirling through their choreography, Timberlake tore off a piece of Jackson's top, causing one of her breasts to be momentarily exposed to millions of viewers.

Over half a million complaints flooded into the Federal Communications Commission, 65,000 of them from the Parents Television Council alone.

Jackson was blackballed from the industry, with radio and TV banning her songs and music videos. A planned biopic of Lena Horne, which she was to star in, also fell through as a result of the scandal.

Timberlake refrained from publicly defending Jackson and neglected even to apologize for causing her wardrobe malfunction until 2021, when a documentary about his ex Britney Spears led to his being heaped with public opprobrium over his treatment of women.

Kendrick Lamar (2025)

Last year's Super Bowl was also wreathed in scandal, as the halftime show's star Kendrick Lamar was being sued by Drake for the diss track Not Like Us 

Lamar defiantly rapped Not Like Us during his NFL gig, although he omitted the most incendiary bit of the song - his referring to Drake as a 'certified pedophile'

Last year's Super Bowl was also wreathed in scandal, as the halftime show's star Kendrick Lamar was being sued by Drake for the diss track Not Like Us.

Lamar defiantly rapped the number during his NFL gig, although he omitted the most incendiary bit of the song - his referring to Drake as a 'certified pedophile.'

He made a sly reference to the legal battle between him and Drake, saying: 'I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.' 

The 38-year-old also got the audience to rap along to the lines: 'Say Drake, I hear you like them young' and: 'Trying to strike a chord and it's probably A-minor.'

Although Lamar surrounded himself with star power - he was introduced by Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam and eventually joined onstage by SZA - his performance came in for raillery by viewers on social media.

Complaints poured in like: 'So far the best part of the halftime show is Samuel L Jackson,' 'Somehow Kendrick is worse than the game itself,' and: 'This half time show at The Super Bowl by Kendrick Lamar is hot garbage… Worst of all time…' 

Prince (2007)

Dressed in his signature color purple, Prince performed on a stage shaped like his 'love symbol,' the same one he had temporarily changed his name to in the 1990s.

Although the halftime show traditionally takes place in the open air at the center of the stadium, Prince's gig marked the first time it rained.

The show went on as Prince shrugged off the dangers of using equipment like electric guitars in a downpour, embracing the challenge with such alacrity that he reportedly wished it would 'rain harder.'

He treated the crowd to a medley of not just his own numbers but those of other musical icons, including Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival and All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan.

His closer was, aptly, Purple Rain, culminating in a fireworks display. 

Dressed in his signature color purple, Prince performed on a stage shaped like his 'love symbol' - the same one he had temporarily changed his name to in the 1990s

Although the halftime show traditionally takes place in the open air at the center of the stadium, Prince's gig marked the first time it rained, which Prince adored

U2 (2002) 

U2 played halftime at the Louisiana Superdome less than five months after September 11th, when the country was still reeling from the shock of the attacks.

Standing on a heart-shaped stage, the band began with a rendition of their hit Beautiful Day before shifting into a more melancholic gear suited to the occasion.

Viewers around the country were left in tears as U2 sang their songs MLK and Where the Streets Have No Name, with the names of the 9/11 victims projected on a screen behind them.

Bono then opened his jacket, revealing its lining was the Stars and Stripes.

U2 played halftime the Louisiana Superdome less than five months after September 11th, when the country was still reeling from the shock of the attacks

Rihanna (2023)

While playing the 2023 Super Bowl, Rihanna revealed her blossoming baby bump, announcing she was expecting her second child by A$AP Rocky 

Rihanna's Super Bowl show was preceded by a frenzy of feverish anticipation, particularly since she had previously made a point of rejecting the gig.

The Umbrella singer shared in 2019 that she had 'absolutely' turned down the Super Bowl that year in solidarity with NFL players who were 'taking a knee' and refusing to stand for the national anthem in protest against the police.

'I just couldn't be a sellout. I couldn't be an enabler,' she told Vogue, after the show she declined was eventually played by Maroon 5, featuring Big Boi and Travis Scott.

A few years later, however, she underwent a change of heart and performed at the 2023 Super Bowl amid an explosion of fanfare.

The event marked the first time she had sung on television in five years, since she and DJ Khaled delivered a rendition of Wild Thoughts at the 2018 Grammys.

When her comeback show began, fans were initially surprised that her choreography was less strenuous than what they were accustomed to seeing from her.

All their questions were answered, however, when Rihanna revealed her blossoming baby bump, announcing she was expecting her second child by A$AP Rocky and making history as the first singer to play the Super Bowl pregnant.

Lady Gaga (2017) 

Lady Gaga kicked off her show with patriotic fervor, singing a medley of the national classics This Land Is Your Land and God Bless America

She then stunned audiences around the country with an optical illusion that made it appear as if she had jumped from the roof of Houston's NRG Stadium onto a stage down below

Lady Gaga kicked off her show with patriotic fervor, singing a medley of the national classics This Land Is Your Land and God Bless America.

She then stunned audiences with an optical illusion that made it appear as if she had jumped from the roof of Houston's NRG Stadium onto a stage below.

Afterwards, she revealed on the radio show Karson & Kennedy that she performed the stunt after her little sister Natali chirped: 'I know, let’s suspend you in the air!'

Gaga then treated the crowd to a string of some of her greatest hits, including Poker Face, the single that had launched her career nearly a decade earlier.

Madonna (2012) 

True to her longtime sobriquet as the Queen Of Pop, Madonna delighted her worldwide legions of fans with a blowout extravaganza to remember.

Her backup performers included not only that year's top current stars, such as Cee Lo Green, LMFAO and Nicki Minaj, but also the legendary rapper M.I.A. and a Cirque du Soleil team.

She combined her classic hits, such as Vogue, Express Yourself and Like a Prayer, with her new song Gimme All Your Luvin', in a whirlwind medley.

Minaj and M.I.A. appeared dressed as her cheerleaders while Cee Lo Green led a marching band, before Madonna sang Like A Prayer with a 200-strong choir.

True to her longtime sobriquet as the 'Queen Of Pop,' Madonna delighted her worldwide legions of fans with a blowout extravaganza to remember

Minaj and M.I.A. appeared dressed as her cheerleaders during Madonna's boppy then-new number Gimme All Your Luvin'

Cee Lo Green led a marching, before Madonna sang Like A Prayer with a 200-strong choir

Beyoncé (2013)

Beyoncé fans were treated to her reliable expert showmanship as she hit the stage at the Superdome in New Orleans during the 2013 Super Bowl.

Rising up out of the floor while silhouetted against a cloud of steam, she began her setlist with Love on Top and Crazy in Love, allowing her to showcase her formidable vocal chops.

Her longtime fans were in for a particular thrill when she enjoyed an onstage reunion with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, whom she rose to fame with in the girl group Destiny's Child in the late 1990s.

After the trio did their old Destiny's Child numbers Bootylicious and Independent Women, they all lent their talents to Beyoncé's solo smash hit Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).

Beyoncé fans were treated to her reliable expert showmanship as she hit the stage at the Superdome in New Orleans during the 2013 Super Bowl

Paul McCartney (2005) 

Paul McCartney's performance was a cheerful burst of nostalgia for an audience who got to see him reprise his old Beatles numbers Drive My Car and Get Back.

He also serenaded the crowd with his James Bond theme Live and Let Die, which he originally recorded as the frontman of the group Paul McCartney and Wings in 1973.

At the end of his set he returned to the Beatles catalogue with Hey Jude, prompting the whole live audience - and many viewers sitting at home - to sing along.

Paul McCartney's performance was a cheerful burst of nostalgia for an audience who got to see him reprise his old Beatles numbers Drive My Car, Get Back and Hey Jude

Aerosmith and NSYNC (2001)

Aerosmith and NSYNC teamed up as 'The Kings of Rock and Pop' for a show that featured guest-stars as high profile as the main acts.

The two bands were joined by none other than Britney Spears, who was then at the height of her superstardom and for good measure was also dating NSYNC heartthrob Justin Timberlake. 

Along with the sight of showbiz' hottest couple united onstage, viewers were able to taken in performances by such heavy hitters as Mary J. Blige and Nelly.

Aerosmith and NSYNC teamed up as 'The Kings Of Rock And Pop' for a show that featured guest-stars like Nelly and Britney Spears

Spears and Timberlake were dating at the time, so the Super Bowl gig included the sight of showbiz' hottest couple united onstage

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020)

In the last month before the COVID-19 lockdowns swept the world, throngs of fans gathered in the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to see a double-act bursting at the seams with star power. 

Lopez has since expressed frustration at being lumped in with another performer, but during the Super Bowl, her and Shakira's fans were left swooning with delight. 

Shakira sizzled through her beloved hits like Whenever, Wherever and Hips Don't Lie, tipping the hat her Lebanese heritage by belly-dancing and performing a Middle Eastern ululation known as a zaghrouta.

She leaned in towards the camera for the zaghrouta, tantalizing viewers with her tongue movements and going viral as people unaware of the cultural background began Googling the details.

Lopez swirled through a medley of her hits as well, including such favorites as Love Don't Cost a Thing, Jenny from the Block and El Anillo.

For Let's Get Loud she was joined by Emme, one of the now 17-year-old twins she shares with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, in a moment that warmed fans' hearts.

Shakira and JLo's Super Bowl performance attracted some controversy online for its saucy content, including a stripper pole and the superstars' revealing costumes. 

In the last month before the COVID-19 lockdowns swept the world, throngs of fans gathered in the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to see a double-act bursting at the seams with star power

Lopez has since expressed frustration at being lumped in with another performer, but during the Super Bowl, her and Shakira's fans were left swooning with delight

Rolling Stones (2006)

Even in their advanced years, the Rolling Stones remained the rulebreakers they always were when they played the 2006 Super Bowl at the Ford Field in Detroit.

Crammed into a space of about 15 minutes, Super Bowl halftime acts usually perform a medley of their old songs, squeezing in short snippets of as many numbers as possible.

The Rolling Stones however declined to cut their songs down and instead just performed three of their most famous hits in full back to back - Start Me Up, Rough Justice and Satisfaction.

They also drew attention for their stage, which was designed to look like the band's now legendary logo of a tongue sticking out of a pair of massive scarlet lips. 

Even in their advanced years, the Rolling Stones remained the rulebreakers they always were when they played the 2006 Super Bowl at the Ford Field in Detroit

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

The 2022 Super Bowl halftime show was awash with hip-hop heavy hitters including (from left) Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg

Hip-hop heavyweights from across the decades united in a dazzling group performance to remember, finally bringing the genre front and center at the Super Bowl.

From Dre and Snoop performing The Next Episode and California Love to Blige's renditions of Family Affair and No More Drama, the show was packed with delights for hip-hop fans.

In one fun reversal, the audience got to hear Eminem and Dre's old duet Forgot About Dre - but with Lamar taking the place of the NWA icon.

The hits kept coming that halftime when 50 Cent delighted the crowd with a surprise appearance to perform his smash hit 2003 single In Da Club.

Michael Jackson (1993)

It was Michael Jackson who started the trend of superstars headlining the Super Bowl halftime show when he sang a medley of his hits at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1993

It was Michael Jackson who started the trend of superstars headlining the Super Bowl halftime show when he sang a medley of his hits at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1993. 

Although Thriller was off the menu, the audience were able to hear him reprise his numbers Billie Jean, Black Or White and Jam before a children's choir entered the show for We Are The World and Heal The World.

The show occurred months before the police investigated allegations of child molestation against Jackson, in a case that ultimately ended with an out of court settlement.