Every halftime performer in Super Bowl history: why isn’t Taylor Swift on the list?

We now know that the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII will be played out between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. And while it looks like this matchup will satisfy football fans around the country and further afield, there will also be our usual specular treat for the celebrity musical followers out there. That’s right, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is having the final touches put in so that Usher can wow us like all those that have come before (some more than others, mind you).

For younger readers, used to the glitz, pyrotechnics and shock factor, it may come as a surprise that during the earlier years of the Super Bowl, halftime entertainment primarily featured marching bands playing popular tunes, and occasionally, there was no musical performance at all. However, the landscape shifted dramatically in 1993 when Michael Jackson took the stage at Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena, California. His unforgettable five-song set marked a pivotal moment in Super Bowl history, captivating audiences and earning its place as one of the most mesmerizing spectacles ever witnessed at the event, a legacy that endures to this day. Thanks Michael!

Taylor Swift and her Super Bowl absence

Before we look back on all the performers to date, and some of the highlights over the years, one recent question has been about why Taylor Swift, the current global pop superstar hasn’t taken to the stage in between the gridiron climax. Well, if reports are to be believed, she turned down the chance to do so in 2022, with sources close to the artist revealing that she instead wanted to focus on rerecording all six of her first six albums after Scooter Braun sold the rights to her masters in 2020. As you may have heard, she’s got a bit of a thing going with one of the Chiefs so is indeed expected to make the 14,000-mile round trip between gigs to be in Las Vegas on 11 February, but just cheering from the VIP sidelines.

That said, some have suggested that maybe Usher will call her down to do a number. No chance, I say, the NFL will have to pay a huge whack if they want to get her on stage. But I do expect it to happen sooner or later.

Super Bowl Halftime shows through the years

During the inaugural Super Bowl in 1967, the halftime entertainment featured two university marching bands and the renowned trumpet player and bandleader, Al Hirt. The bands performed a medley of well-known songs, including the classic “When the Saints Go Marching In,” accompanied by an 80-strong troupe of high kickers executing their vibrant drill team routine. This lively and visual backdrop kept spectators thoroughly engaged during the halftime break. Let’s take a look.

Ella Fitzgerald’s pays homage to Louis Armstrong

In 1972, the VI edition of the Super Bowl welcomed the First Lady of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, in a special tribute to her late musical partner, Louis Armstrong. Trumpeter Al Hirt led the band as Fitzgerald delivered a powerful rendition of her 1960 hit, “Mack the Knife,” marking a historic moment as the first Black woman to perform on stage at a Super Bowl halftime show. Three years later, another tribute honored Fitzgerald’s former collaborator, the legendary Duke Ellington.

However, throughout the following two decades, halftime entertainment mainly featured organizations like Up with People, university bands, and drill teams. By the early ‘90s, a decline in television audiences was observed, with viewers switching channels during the halftime interval. In just 12 months, between Super Bowl XXIII and XXIV, the national television audience dropped from 81.59 million to 73.85 million viewers.

But things were going to change...

The King of Pop redefines Super Bowl Halftime

Recognizing the need for a transformative halftime show, it was the MTV generation after all, the NFL sought the expertise of the seasoned show producers at Radio City Productions in 1992. They proposed a groundbreaking idea featuring the incomparable Michael Jackson, the world’s biggest artist, delivering a meticulously choreographed 15-minute mini-concert. The performance, fully produced for broadcast with special video effects, included ‘Jackson’ lookalikes popping up on the gantries of the video scoreboard and a spectacular cascade of fireworks. The real King of Pop then ascended onto the main stage through a trap door, resembling a Jack in the Box.

Jackson’s five Super Bowl songs

Jackson, initially standing motionless center-stage for a minute and a half, captivated the audience before his band launched into a five-song medley of his greatest hits: “Jam,” “Billie Jean,” “Black and White,” “We are the World,” and “Heal the World.” A staggering television audience of 133 million watched, mesmerized from their homes worldwide, setting a record as the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show globally—a testament to the extraordinary success of this iconic performance.

Michael Jackson set an unparalleled standard that made following his act seem nearly impossible. The shift toward even grander halftime performances began with Diana Ross headlining the 30th-anniversary game in 1996. Ross commenced her set of classic Supremes hits elevated on a mechanical platform, surrounded by a myriad of dancers in an elaborate and finely-tuned spectacle. After several songs and costume changes, Ross made a stylish exit, disappearing into the night sky via helicopter.

The 1997 halftime show continued the trend with the incomparable James Brown, ZZ Top, and the Blues Brothers stealing the spotlight. As the new millennium dawned, halftime extravaganzas became even more dazzling. Aerosmith headlined Super Bowl XXXV, concluding with a lively rendition of “Walk This Way,” featuring NSYNC, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly.

International flair graced the stage, with artists like Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, and U2 dedicating the 2002 Super Bowl to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Prince’s iconic performance in the rain in 2007 and Madonna’s 2012 appearance, breaking a national TV audience record with 114 million viewers, further solidified the halftime show as a star-studded and unforgettable spectacle. Then there was Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” with Justin Timberlake, mirror madness from The Weeknd, and the most recent “bump” reveal by Rihanna in 2023, to name but a few. What a ride.