The Super Bowl halftime show normally features the biggest names in music, and this year, it'll feature one of the biggest: Madonna will take the stage, and she represents a new paradigm for a halftime performer: she's both a contemporary pop act and classic artist.
In the years following Janet Jackson's notorious "wardrobe malfunction" scandal of 2004, Super Bowl organizers turned to classic rock acts like Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen , the Rolling Stones, the Who and Tom Petty , since they were considered to be "safe" and less-controversial. Contemporary pop returned to the scene last year, when the Black Eyed Peas took the stage; no Fergie -related wardrobe malfunctions ensued. To be sure, Madonna has a history of sexual provocation, but she's promised the NFL that there will be "no nipples" in her performance.
Believe it or not, the trend of having major pop, rock and country music stars appear at the Super Bowl halftime show really only dates back to 1991, when New Kids on the Block performed. Before that, the halftime show usually consisted of marching bands, older stars like Chubby Checker and Ella Fitzgerald, or the vocal troupe Up with People. But after '91, it was all stars, all the time. Here's a reminder of who's played at past Super Bowl halftime shows since then:
1991 -- New Kids On The Block
1992 -- Gloria Estefan
1993 -- Michael Jackson, performing with 3,500 children
1994 -- Country stars Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna and Naomi Judd
1995 -- Patti Labelle, Miami Sound Machine & Tony Bennett
1996 -- Diana Ross
1997 -- ZZ Top, James Brown, the Blues Brothers featuring Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman and James Belushi
1998 -- Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, the Temptations, Queen Latifah
1999 -- Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
2000 -- Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton
2001 -- Aerosmith, 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Nelly, Mary J. Blige
2002 -- U2
2003 -- Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting
2004 -- Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Kid Rock, P. Diddy
2005 -- Paul McCartney
2006 -- The Rolling Stones
2007 -- Prince
2008 -- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
2009 -- Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
2010 -- The Who
2011 -- Black Eyed Peas
2012 -- Madonna
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