Super Bowl halftime shows

A history of Super Bowl halftime performances, from Bruce to Janet to...Elvis Presto?

The most-watched televised sporting event on the planet has also become the most-watched concert of the year, thanks to a little thing called the halftime show. In the Super Bowl's early days, it was mostly marching bands and marquee horn players; these days, the biggest pop and rock stars on the planet vie for a chance to play, as it’s become one of the most massive and reliable musical marketing opportunities anywhere (this year, the honors go to classic Brit rockers the Who).

Here, Metromix looks back at the artists—from Ella Fitzgerald and Chubby Checker to Stevie Wonder, U2 and, of course, Justin Timberlake and Janet “Wardrobe Malfunction” Jackson (pictured)—who’ve taken the field through the years.—Keith N. Dusenberry, Special to Metromix