From the King of Pop to the Boss, the Super Bowl stage has played host to some memorable performances; MTV News looks back on the best.By James Montgomery
Madonna Photo: Martin Fraser/ Getty Images
On Sunday night, Madonna will join an exclusive club that includes the likes of Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross and, uh, Up With People when she performs at halftime of Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
Yes, you'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger stage than the big game — last year's Super Bowl was watched by some 111 million Americans — which is why the producers of the halftime festivities always recruit the biggest stars to perform (except for 1999, when Big Bad Voodoo Daddy inexplicably found their way into the proceedings). And Madonna most certainly fits that bill, which is why, while we're not quite sure what she'll bring to the Super Bowl stage — aside from her promise that it'll be "the greatest show on earth" — we're reasonably confident that it'll be a performance folks will be talking about on Monday. And probably Tuesday too.
Of course, if Madge wants to secure her spot among the all-time greatest Super Bowl halftime performances, well, she'll definitely have to deliver the goods. Over the years, some of the most prodigious talents have gotten lost in all of the ephemera that comes with a Super Bowl slot (lasers, explosions, confetti, marching bands, will.i.am), but still others have risen to the challenge, delivering performances that have thrilled, chilled and even made us forget about the game itself. Here's a look at our favorite Super Bowl halftime performances.
Check out photos of past Super Bowl halftime shows!
Diana Ross, Super Bowl XXX: The dynamic Diana stole the show in 1996 with a classy, brassy performance that featured nearly as many of her biggest hits as it did costume changes. Her voice was in prime form, powerful enough to outshine a full gospel choir, an army of tuxedo-clad dancers and, of course, end-zone pyrotechnics. But it was her exit — lifted from the stage via helicopter, while blowing kisses as the chorus of "Take Me Higher" blasted through the stadium — that truly put this one over the top.
Prince, Super Bowl XLI: Not even a near-constant downpour could dampen this 2007 performance from the Purple One, who stalked across a custom "symbol" stage (while wearing a kerchief tied around his head), wailed on approximately 46 guitar solos, begged the audience to "take my picture," out-watted the famed FAMU marching band, covered the Foo Fighters and even managed to freak out network censors by casting a lengthy (and quite phallic) shadow from behind a piece of fabric. So, you know, it was just your average Prince show. Oh, and then he did "Purple Rain" in the rain. Meta.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Super Bowl XLIII: They opened with Springsteen leaning on Clarence Clemons (a nod to the cover of 1975's Born to Run), begged the viewing audience to "put down the chicken fingers," and then absolutely, positively destroyed the stage in Tampa with a set that featured classics like "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," "Born to Run" and "Glory Days." And then Springsteen finished things off by shouting, "I'm going to Disneyland!"As several fans have come to say, this wasn't a halftime performance, it was a football game played around a Springsteen concert. As an added bonus, this is also the performance that gave us the now-immortal meme.
Michael Jackson, Super Bowl XXVII: It started with the late, great King of Pop magically leaping from the Rose Bowl scoreboards to his stage on the 50-yard line, featured a staggering 3,000 dancers, some killer choreography (the Moonwalk!) and a career-spanning medley of Jackson's hits (everything from "Billie Jean" to "Black or White"). And as if MJ's performance wasn't testament to his superstardom, how about the 90-second ovation he received before ever singing a word? It was almost enough to make one young writer forget the Bills were on their way to losing a third-straight Super Bowl. Almost.
U2, Super Bowl XXXVI: If there is another band on the planet more capable of seizing the moment than U2, well, we'd like to meet them. In this case, that meant performing at the first Super Bowl since the 9/11 attacks, before an audience of millions still reeling and recovering. And, in typical form, Bono and company didn't shrink from the spotlight. Though there were more than a few highlights, their solemn, spiritual performance of "Where the Streets Have No Name" — which saw the names of all the victims of 9/11 projected behind them — was not only the most memorable of the night, it's without a doubt the most memorable (and chill-inducing) in Super Bowl history. And then, to top it all off, Bono pulled back his jacket to reveal an American flag. Game over.
What songs do you want Madonna to perform during the halftime show? Leave your comments on our Facebook page!
Video directors Megaforce open up about working with Madge, Nicki and M.I.A. — and why the kiss didn't make the cut.By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Rob Markman
M.I.A., Madonna and Nicki Minaj in "Give Me All Your Luvin' " Photo: Interscope
After fans heard that Madonna had enlisted Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. for her single and video for "Give Me All Your Luvin'," it really felt like anything could happen with those three equally eccentric and visual artists all joining forces. What they ended up creating was an eye-catching clip full of masked cheerleaders, hot football players and lacy outfits (designed by Norma Kamali) that every fan of Madge's "Like a Virgin" era will go crazy over.
The video feels distinctly Madonna — she is the star, after all — but Nicki's and M.I.A.'s presences are felt between the cheerleader chant and their equally funky verses.
"[It was] quite intense but we had a lot of fun. ... It's like shooting three presidents or something like that," Clement Gallet, from video-directing team the Megaforce, told MTV News about the shoot. "I think everybody's a bit stressed. We had time to speak to discuss the idea, to do the fittings. So you have time to meet the people first. I think we maybe thought it would be harder to have these three famous women on set, and I think everything went quite well."
While the trio's collaboration made headlines, so did a kiss Nicki tweeted about that she shared with Madonna on the New York set back in December.
"That's funny, 'cause that's something we didn't really see," he added. "Basically, it was Nicki Minaj's birthday on the shoot, but we were — as always, as the directors — stressed about the next scene and whatever happens, that when the birthday cake arrived, we were already prepping the next scene and we didn't see what happened. And we learned about it on Twitter. So basically, we cannot tell you about the scene," he joked.
Do you wish Nicki and Madonna's kiss had made it into the video? Let us know in the comments!
Miller took MTV News back to the 'Burgh and introduced us to some of his city's hottest up-and-coming talent.By Rob Markman
Mac Miller Photo: MTV News
Yes, the world knows Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller, but Pittsburgh has a wealth of hip-hop talent. With the Steel City's two breakout stars already accounted for, MTV News took a trip to the 'Burgh to see who's got next.
"A lot of people are talented. There are just a million talented people out there," Miller told MTV News when he took us on a tour through his hometown in December.
Acts like Boaz, Chevy Woods, B White and Mayo of the 58's, Jabari X and Varsity Squad have been repping Pittsburgh locally for some time now, and while Mac supports all the city's homegrown talent, if he had to pick one act to break out nationwide, it would be the Come Up, a.k.a. the duo of Vinny Radio and Franchise.
"I brought them on tour and I plan on bringing them out on tour, so if it's up to me, they're gonna be the next people that come out the 'Burgh," Miller said. "But there's definitely a lot more people who could; it's not just Vinny and Fran."
Mac Miller introduces Pittsburgh's hottest producers.
The Come Up exist as a part of a larger hip-hop collective called the 58's, along with rappers B White and Mayo. That union exemplifies the type of unity that exists in Pittsburgh's rap scene.
"It's a small city ... so pretty much we've all been familiar with each other for a long time," Franchise said. "Everybody in this city who's pretty much doing it legit, we've all been trying to get it and put the city on."
Taylor Gang's Chevy Woods echoed a similar sentiment. "Everybody's hardworking, and it's not like a big music scene out there, so when you got somethin', you just go with it," he said. "Everybody sees the light that shines on [Wiz Khalifa] and Mac [Miller] and now it's trickling down to everybody else."
Wiz Khalifa motivates Pittsburgh's up-and-coming artists.
There is a pretty diverse group of rap characters that come out of Pittsburgh. Wiz is a hitmaker who dedicates a lot of his catalog to partying and getting high, while Mac embodies a youthful spirit. Boaz is street, and female MC Kellee Maize spits sociopolitical bars. "To be honest, I do think Boaz is right there on the cusp. I think I'm maybe close to the cusp too," Maize said, laughing.
"I just bring that underground feel," Boaz said, describing his deeply rooted street sound. "I embrace the culture of that poverty line that I'm speaking about."
For years, Time Bomb has been an epicenter for Pittsburgh hip-hop. More than just a clothing store, Time Bomb has become a place for local 'Burgh MCs to congregate and sling their mixtapes to hungry fans. The shop's owner, Brick, has seen many young artists walk through his doors, including Miller and Khalifa. When it comes to the future of Pittsburgh hip-hop, Brick is a wide-eyed optimist.
"I think Mac and Wiz opened the door, but there's gonna be an army of producers, an army of rappers, and they're gonna be all different. People know: Pittsburgh, it is what it is, it's a hardworking town," he said. "I can name 100 people, because I want everyone to make it from here, you understand? This is Pittsburgh."
Who do you believe will be the next rap act to emerge from Pittsburgh? Tell us in the comments!
Take a look back at MTV News' Back to the 'Burgh with Mac Miller and see how we spotlighted the city's vibrant hip-hop scene.
Copyright© 2012 Maverick MediaAll rights reserved