Super Bowl Halftime Show 2012: 10 Worst (Or Best) Bloopers

Grammy award-winning R&B/Pop singer Beyoncé will perform at Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013 in the New Orleans Superdome.

And in a not too surprising move, Sony music has announced that Destiny’s Child will reunite onstage at this years Super Bowl halftime show.

The girls will sing a newly written song, “Nuclear” which will be released on a Destiny’s Child compilation album called “Love Songs.” All tracks on this album have been previously released with the exception of the new song Nuclear.

What follows here, is a recap of the worst (or best, depending on your point of view) mistakes, gaffes and bloopers from Super Bowl’s past.


For Superbowl XXIX in 1995, the NFL presented what appeared to be an infomercial for the Indiana Jones movie series, featuring the newly designed Disneyland ride featuring a Raiders of the Lost Ark theme, with random actors and actresses not from the original movie series chasing after the stolen Vince Lombardi trophy.



For Superbowl XLV in 2011, the NFL presented The Black Eyed Peas, and the technical effects coordinator got a Black Eye for the numerous electronic malfunctions during the bands performance. Right off the bat, Fergie’s microphone began to break up, followed by the band singing off key, in 2 different keys, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Fergie’s duo with drug-addled Slash, of Guns and Roses fame, recalled the worst audition from American Idol.


For Superbowl XLIV in 2010, the NFL presented the rock band The Who, and lead singer Roger Daltrey had us all saying, Who are you?, and who told this guy can sing? While singing live, he sang off key and missed some high notes, perhaps indicating that his voice is shot from the famous “We Won’t Get Fooled Again” scream at the songs end, which when trying to lip-sync to that song, (because he can’t reach the high notes anymore) he missed his cues, making it look like the band was performing on the Ed Sullivan Show.


For Superbowl XXXVII in 2003, the NFL presented Country Western Legend Shania Twain. While she sang live, the band played “Guitar Hero” instruments, pretending to play while Ms. Twain attempted to sing live to prerecorded music, no small feat, which she botched terribly.


For Superbowl XXIII in 1989, the NFL presented, get this, “Elvis Presto,” a non-singing Elvis Impersonator that performed magic tricks. 


For Superbowl XXV in 1991, the NFL presented the New Kids On The Block, the boy band that launched the careers on several of the bands members, most notably, Donnie Wahlberg. This Superbowl performance turned into the superbowl performance that wasn’t. The evenings festivities was dedicated to the soldiers participating in Operation Desert Storm, and ironically, was pre-empted ABC news coverage of, that’s right, the fighting of Desert Storm. Many thanks to Gen. Norman Schwarzkoph.


For Superbowl XLI in 2007, the NFL presented Prince, the second most popular musician with only one name, the first being Elvis of course. During his rendition of Purple Rain, while playing the guitar solo, he appeared behind a giant curtain and his image was projected from behind to the audience, which may have been ok if it was anybody but Prince. It was Prince however, and the shadow image portrayed to the audience made it appear that Prince was the devil himself, complete with barbed penis and tail. 


For Superbowl XLIII in 2009, the NFL presented Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. The show was nearly stopped before it ever got started, because Bruce Springsteen’s entry on stage, a running, sliding entry towards a cameraman, which he over-shot, crashing into the camera, and almost rupturing his private parts. He recovered well, and sang his high notes extremely well that night for some reason. Rumor has it he auditioned for the Vienna boys choir later that year.


For Superbowl XXXVI in 2002, the NFL presented Irish rock band U2. The performance was dedicated to the victims of 9/11, with their names projected onto a screen behind the stage while the band played. However, Bono choice of songs to sing, notably, “Where The Streets Have No Name” made for bad form as the songs lyrics include the phrases, “Still building and burning down love” and “We’re Beaten And Blown By Wind – Trampled In Dust”. Disgraceful. The only thing that would have been worse is if the Steve Miller Band had performed “Big Ol’ Jet Airliner.”


And finally for Superbowl XXXVIII in 2004, the NFL presented Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. In what has become the most sought after video clip of all time, we have the famous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. As the duo were performing, Timberlake appears to brush into Jackson, pushing her bustier aside to reveal her right breast and nipple, complete with pasty, at just the right moment. Looking surprised and shocked, remember Ms. Jackson was once an actress, Jackson quickly covers up, but not before letting the viewing audience catch a glimpse of her assets.