The History of the Super Bowl Half-Time Show

This year’s Superbowl halftime show showcased Rihanna’s first live performance in almost 6 years. But how did this iconic cultural event begin?

The first Superbowl halftime show in 1967 looked very different to the format we know and love today. Free from commercialisation and grandeur, two college marching bands performed – forming classic American symbols including the paddle boat and the Liberty Bell. This followed the 1965 Watts riots and many within the African American community criticized the event for playing amongst racial tension “But soon other historically black schools saw the Super Bowl as a grand showcase, and now the Grambling band is considered a trailblazer.”

In 1970, Broadway and movie star Carol Channing was the first ‘celebrity’ to be involved with the halftime performance. Some notable performers in the pre-Disney involvement years include:

·?????Ella Fitzgerald (1972)

·?????Louise Armstrong (1972)

·?????Duke Ellington (1975)

Then, in 1977 Walt Disney put on a show where formations were created by pairs holding cloth, resembling a field full of enormous hyphens. Red Bull followed a few years later in 1980.

From then, the show has just gotten bigger and better with performances from huge names including:

·?????Diana Ross (1996)

·?????James Brown (1997)

·?????Stevie Wonder (on a few occasions!)

·?????Phil Collins (2000)

·?????Britney Spears (2001)

·?????Shania Twain (2003)

·?????Paul McCartney (2005)

·?????Prince (2007)

·?????Bruce Springsteen (2009)

·?????Beyonce (both in Destiny’s Child and as a solo artist)

Let me know your favourite Super Bowl performance – mine is probably either 2001 or 2013!

To read the full history, have a look at this illustrated run through by the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/sports/superbowl-halftime-show-history/#intro