From Left Shark to Maroon 5, these are officially the worst Super Bowl halftime shows ever

Bad Bunny just made Super Bowl history as the first halftime headliner to perform entirely in Spanish, and to host a wedding during the show. Despite some predictable outrage from politicians (cough cough, Trump) who rushed to call it “the worst ever”, the reality is… it wasn’t even close.

Because if you want truly chaotic, misguided or painfully underwhelming halftime moments, the NFL has decades of material to pull from. From bizarre theme-park spectacles to shows that completely misunderstood the audience, these are the halftime performances that actually earned their place on the worst-ever list.

10. Peanuts and Snoopy Tribute, 1990

Long before the halftime show became a prestige pop spectacle, the NFL leaned heavily into family-friendly variety programming. The Peanuts tribute felt more like a Saturday morning TV special than the biggest live music slot in the world. Cute? Sure. Memorable? Only for how strangely out of place it felt during a major sporting event.

9. Gloria Estefan with Figure Skaters, 1992

Gloria Estefan is undeniably iconic, but pairing her with Olympic figure skaters Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill created a confusing mash-up of styles. The production felt more like an ice-show exhibition than a halftime concert, highlighting how unsure the NFL once was about what the show should actually be.

8. New Kids on the Block, 1991

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Yes, this really happened, and it somehow felt less like a halftime show and more like a chaotic kids’ TV segment. The performance struggled with tone, pacing and audience connection, leaving people wondering whether they’d accidentally switched channels mid-game.

7. Blues Brothers Reboot and Elvis Impersonators 1997

A Blues Brothers revival with guest appearances and Elvis impersonators sounded quirky on paper, but it landed as a strange nostalgia grab that failed to generate real excitement. Instead of feeling fun and retro, it felt dated and oddly low-energy for such a huge stage.

6. Disney Millennium Celebration, 2000

A halftime show wedged into Disney’s year-long millennium branding was doomed from the start. Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias performed amid a surreal mix of Cirque du Soleil theatrics and Disney-on-Ice chaos, followed by a baffling Phil Collins segment complete with questionable wardrobe choices. The whole thing felt like a corporate theme-park commercial rather than a Super Bowl performance.

5. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, 2004

The infamous “wardrobe malfunction” overshadowed everything else, turning what should have been a polished pop showcase into one of the most controversial TV moments ever. The scandal dominated headlines and completely eclipsed the music, leaving the performance remembered more for fallout than artistry.

4. The Black Eyed Peas, 2011

At their commercial peak, expectations for the Black Eyed Peas were sky-high, which made the uneven vocals, awkward choreography and chaotic staging hit even harder. Guest appearances and futuristic costumes couldn’t hide the lack of cohesion, turning what should have been a career-defining moment into a widely criticised misfire.

3. Katy Perry: The Left Shark Show (Super Bowl XLIX, 2015)

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Katy Perry’s performance had giant props, big guest stars and huge production value, but one rogue dancer in a shark costume completely stole the spotlight. When a halftime show is remembered almost exclusively for a meme rather than the music, something clearly went wrong.

2. Coldplay, 2016

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A milestone Super Bowl deserved an unforgettable headliner, but Coldplay’s safe, overly polished set struggled to deliver the energy fans expected. High-profile guests like Beyoncé and Bruno Mars overshadowed the band rather than elevating the show, leaving viewers questioning why Coldplay were leading the performance in the first place.

1. Maroon 5, 2019

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Returning to Atlanta should have meant a celebration of Southern hip-hop, but instead the NFL delivered a painfully bland Maroon 5 set. Guest appearances felt tacked on, the staging lacked personality, and Adam Levine’s shirtless finale became the most talked-about moment, which says everything about how little musical impact the show actually had.

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Featured image credit: YouTube, CBS