What are the worst Super Bowl Halftime Show performances ever?

From the crazed fans in the stadium, to the hundreds of millions of television viewers, there’s nothing like the Super Bowl and believe us when we tell you, that applies to the Halftime Show and not just the game itself. With its history of delivering star studded performances, the show during the break has become the stuff of legend. Yet, not every edition has been memorable and, in some cases, they were shockingly awful. Join us as we take a trip down the Super Bowl memory lane, with a look at some of the worst Halftime Shows on record.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show: The Worst of the Worst

Family values done the Paul McCartney way

Paul McCartney is normally considered musical royalty and quite rightly so being a former Beatle. On the other hand, what happened at Super Bowl XXXIX back in 2005 could be considered a blotch on his otherwise illustrious career. In an effort to quell the masses, following the backlash surrounding another entry on our list, the powers that be in the NFL decided to go full-tilt with a more family friendly classic rock-based show. Unfortunately, as McCartney strolled his way through some his and the Beatles’ hits, it was apparent that there was a disconnect between his traditional audience and the one that was watching the game. Even worse, was the fact that the league seemed to hold the line for a few years after with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty all making an appearance.

Indiana Jones to the rescue

During the nineties, it was clear that someone(s) in the NFL felt going theatrical was the way forward. What did we get? 1995′s Super Bowl XXIX Halftime Show, which essentially amounted to a bizarre high-school like performance, that seemed to be a televised version of Disneyland’s Indian Jones ride. Mind you, millions were spent on this. In the end, fans at home got to watch other people enjoying a theme-based ride. If there’s one entry on this list that begs the question, ‘what were they thinking?’ it’s probably this one.

Ice Skating comes to the NFL

Ok, maybe we were wrong before and it’s actually this one that screams the question, ‘what were they thinking?’ In 1992, Super Bowl XXVI gave us “Winter Magic.” Picture in your head if you can, a Broadway style performance involving ice skaters, sparkles and holiday songs. Quite frankly, there has never been a more confusing moment in the history of Super Bowl Halftime Shows. The only saving grace with this one, is that the NFL never returned to the idea again. Lesson learned we hope.

‘How to kill a classic 101′ by the Black-Eyed Peas

When it was announced back in 2011 Super Bowl XLV’s Halftime Show lineup seemed set to entertain and then some. The Back-Eyed Peas, Usher and Slash of the Guns N’ Roses were the kind of star power we needed to set things straight, right? Between the horde of local drill teams, the neon lights and a Fergie’s truly horrific rendition of “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” none of us could have been more wrong. At risk of sounding too extreme, we’d venture to ask how it is that any of them were allowed near a stage again?

You can’t hate on Kids can you?

If ever you’ve had the pleasure of listening to the song, ‘It’s A Small World,’ you probably know that there comes a point where the rage you feel about its lyrics being burnt into your soul, can only be tempered by how funny you find that fact. With that in mind, try to imagine a host of children singing it to an audience of millions. On the one side, it’s ridiculous to think organizers thought that was the ticket for 1991′s Super Bowl XXV. On the other hand, what kind of person are you if you secretly hated every single one of those kids?

The King returns, but not exactly

There’s a good chance, that if you ask anyone what their vote for worst Super Bowl Halftime Show ever is, you’ll hear the name Elvis Presto. The year was 1989 and it was Super Bowl XXIII for which we had the opportunity to observe an Elvis Presley impersonating magician known as “Elvis Presto.” We wish we were making this up, but indeed, the horror was real. Not only did he lip-sync his way through a comically failed magic trick, but he laid down a marker as perhaps one of the greatest ever examples of what a Super Bowl Halftime Show should not be.

And the winner is: Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake

Like the aforementioned Black-Eyed Peas debacle, this was yet another melting pot of major artists on the stage all at the same time. Indeed, 2004′s Super Bowl XXXVIII seemed to feature a who’s who of artists at the time including Nelly, Jessica Simpson and Kid Rock. Yet, even if you have never watched a football game in your life, you will know that it was Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson who truly took center stage that night. In a moment that still lives on in infamy, Timberlake tore off a piece of Jackson’s bustier only to reveal her nipple - pierced at that! Though it was later described as a “wardrobe malfunction,” the damage had been done.

From Jackson’s career taking an immediate downturn, to Timberlake’s would be moral justifications, it became known as one of the most contentious moments in American entertainment history and one that carried with it many debates about the standards applied to men and women. With that said, one could argue that as much as the show itself flopped, it certainly left its mark on the cultural landscape.