Super Bowl halftime shows

NBC's Bob Costas introduced the halftime show on air, which included a 3-D commercial for Diet Coke, and computer generated 3-D effects during the show itself. In the days leading up to the game, Coca-Cola distributed special 3-D glasses to be worn during the performance.

Unlike previous years, the halftime presentation for Super Bowl XXV was not shown live. It was pre-empted by ABC News in favor of coverage of the ongoing Operation Desert Storm. The halftime show was instead presented in an edited format during the post-game show at the conclusion of the game.

During the halftime show, FOX (which did not have broadcast rights to the NFL at the time) aired alternate programming. A special episode of In Living Color attracted 20-25 million viewers away from the Super Bowl broadcast on CBS.

The halftime show, unlike in many previous years, featured only one star performer, Michael Jackson. The show, held at the Rose Bowl, opened with doubles of Jackson entering the stadium in each corner. The finale featured an audience card stunt and a choir of 3,500 local Los Angeles area children joining Jackson as he sang his single "Heal The World." The selection of Jackson for the halftime show was in response to sagging interest in recent performances, notably in the two years immediately prior. NFL and network officials decided it was necessary to sign top acts for the halftime in future years to boost future viewership and interest.

The halftime show was based on the year-long Millennium celebration at Walt Disney World's Epcot. The ten-minute show featured 125 drummers and percussionists, a full symphony orchestra, larger-than-life puppets, aerial dancers, a multi-generational choir and advanced pyrotechnics.

'N Sync started the show by running from the northeast corner of the stadium to the stage, which was at midfield. Hundreds of cheering fans then surrounded the stage. 'N Sync and Aerosmith each played two songs apiece. The show concluded with all of the performers joining together to sing Aerosmith's classic song "Walk This Way."

A heart-shaped stage featured a banner scrolling the names of the nearly 3,000 people who perished on September 11, 2001.

The show kicked off with country music super-star Shania Twain, who sang her new single, "Up!" in a medley with "Man! I Feel like a Woman!" Twain left the stage, which featured a video screen floor, on a rising platform as if she was lifted by balloons. Following Twain, No Doubt and Sting performed. The show concluded with Gwen Stefani joining Sting for the last verse of "Message in a Bottle". For the second year in a row, NBC broadcasted a special 20-minute live broadcast of SNL featured Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey anchoring the "Weekend Update."

The show featured six star performers, and featured the controversial "wardrobe malfunction." Jessica Simpson started out the show with the TSU marching band. Janet Jackson then entered on an elevator for her first song. On a smaller stage, P. Diddy, Nelly, and Kid Rock (wearing an American flag) performed. Janet Jackson returned to the stage, then was joined by Justin Timberlake. As a dramatic (and, pre-rehearsed) end to the duet -- on live television -- Timberlake ripped away part of the bustier of Jackson's costume, exposing her right breast (the nipple of which was obscured by a gold, star-shaped, sticker- or "pasty"-like covering).

The stage was in the form of the Rolling Stones' trademark iconic tongue logo. The group performed three songs: "Start Me Up", "Rough Justice", and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The Stones performed on the largest stage ever assembled for a Super Bowl Halftime Show -- 28 separate pieces were assembled in 5 minutes by a 600 member volunteer stage crew, creating the dramatic, signature Rolling Stones “tongue” logo in the center of the field. The Halftime Show was viewed by 89.9 million people, more than the audiences for the Oscars, Grammys and Emmy Awards combined.^[4] In the wake of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy with Janet Jackson, ABC and the NFL imposed a five-second delay and censored lyrics considered too sexually explicit in the first two songs by briefly turning off Mick Jagger's microphone, to which censoring the group had previously agreed.^[5]

However, the choice of The Rolling Stones sparked controversy in the Detroit community because the band did not represent the music of Detroit and no other artist from the area was included.^[6]

The twelve-minute medley of songs was interspersed with spirited guitar solos. The show was performed in heavy rain that drenched the stage, shaped in the artist's logo. It has been widely hailed by critics as the best half-time show to-date.

The stage was in the form of a heart, with a "Flying V" (the silhouette of which resembled an arrow) guitar piercing it. He performed "American Girl", "I Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin'", and a shortened version of "Runnin' Down a Dream."