Which Super Bowl Halftime show had the most views? Ranking top 5 performances of all time

Super Bowl LVIII is finally just around the corner; but for most people in America and elsewhere, the game itself is not what matters. Rather, it is the halftime show.

The halftime show has come a long way from its beginning as a simple band demonstration in the game's first edition. New Kids on the Block and Gloria Estefan were among the first major acts to perform, but it was not until Michael Jackson at 1992-93's XXVII that the glamor associated with it began.

Subsequent concerts have since put spectacle on par with, or in some cases even above, the actual music. However, said music is still the defining quality of what makes a Super Bowl halftime show enjoyable. And these five examples stand at the forefront of that notion...

5) Katy Perry at XLIX (93M views)

Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show

When sporting fans think of Super Bowl XLIX, they think of one of the greatest championship games ever played - a star-studded clash between the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and the resurgent New England Patriots that was decided by one of the most heavily-discussed plays of all time: Malcolm Butler intercepting Russell Wilson at the end zone to revive the Foxborough dynasty.

Others, however, will think of something else: Left Shark.

That is just a microcosm of how Katy Perry's concert went: colorfully off-beat and fun, with hits like "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream" showcasing how much of a performer she was.

4) Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars at 50 (131M views)

Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show

British rock band Coldplay are one of the most vivid acts when it comes to live performances, with their fan engagement serving as an indictment of how popular they are.

And for their halftime performance at 2015-16's Super Bowl 50, they went big, with a colorful ensemble that featured Beyonce and Bruno Mars among others, highlighted by mashups of "Uptown Funk", "Formation", "Up & Up" and "Fix You".

3) Rihanna at LVII (208M views)

Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show

This is the latest one to have happened, and it featured Rihanna in her first conert since the 2018 Grammy Awards.

And she did not disappoint, proving that she had not lost her showmanship while going through her biggest hits like "Umbrella", "We Found Love", "Only Girl (In the World)", and "Diamonds". But there was a bigger gift for attendees and viewers: she revealed her pregnancy during the performance.

2) Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar & 50 Cent at LVI (253M views)

Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show

The 2020's have come to be defined by the Kansas City Chiefs, who have been an everpresent name in the Super Bowl conversation. And there is a trend: when they play in the game, the halftime performer is a pop singer: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (more on them later), The Weeknd, Rihanna (already covered) here, and soon Usher.

The one time they were absent? It was very different. For LVI, instead of the usual dance-heavy pop performance, rapping legends Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar joined forces with R&B/soul stalwart Mary J Blige for a revival of hip-hop's glory days.

1) Shakira and Jennifer Lopez at LIV (301M views)

What happens when organizers get a pair of very attractive Latina singers who are as talented with their hips as they are with their voice?

The result is easily the most viral halftime performance of all time. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira proved that, even as they each approached fifty years of age, they could still be in their prime, performing to the likes of "She-Wolf", "Hips Don't Lie", and "On the Floor".