Where Bad Bunny Ranks in Halftime History
- Jade Read
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Super Bowl Ranking:
1. Prince – Super Bowl XLI, 2007
2. Aerosmith, Britney Spears, NSYNC, Nelly & Mary J. Blige – Super Bowl XXXV, 2001
3. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent – Super Bowl LVI, 2022
4. Michael Jackson – Super Bowl XXVII, 1993
5. Bruno Mars & Red Hot Chili Peppers – Super Bowl XLVIII, 2014
6. Katy Perry – Super Bowl XLIX, 2015
7. Bad Bunny – Super Bowl LX, 2026
8. Coldplay, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars – Super Bowl 50, 2016
9. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – Super Bowl XLIII, 2009
10. Lady Gaga – Super Bowl LI, 2017
Where most halftime rankings reward the biggest hits; we rank by best hits, performance and production. In an era where flashy performance disguises a lack of live presence, Sonder looks at the architecture of the performance, from microphone choice to stage placement. The Superbowl Halftime Show is not a popularity contest but a breakdown of what it takes to master one of the most viewed stages on earth. If you notice in our rankings, Bad bunny is the sole survivor of the “Music Video Era” to crack our Top 10. Lately, halftime shows have been about making TV visuals that look aesthetic on camera while t completely ignoring the people in the stadium. It almost makes doing a live performance pointless. For example, when Bad Bunny falls through the roof in his performance, TV viewers saw a cinematic illusion; the 70,000 people in the stadium saw shrubbery. The same could be said about The Weeknd and others.
This is why we rate more traditional performances higher. Anyone can make a pre planned, music video style halftime show, but not all can turn a normal performance into something legendary, like Prince in 2007. This is also why Paul McCartney is not listed in our top 10. McCartney is a legend, but his performance failed the Halftime test by delivering a routine concert, as opposed to a once in a lifetime spectacle.
Tech & Sound
Sound matters too. The 'Britney Mic’ (headset) is an enemy of Halftime audio, it trades vocals for choreography and space. The sound can be thin, flat, or uneven, stripping the performance of its raw in the room energy, that defines a live performance.This takes away energy from the crowd and makes watching on TV less exciting as well. Similarly to the sound that reduced the impact of Kendrick’s 2025 performance and lyricism.
Cultural Representation at a Scale
While some feared Bad Bunny’s set would be an exclusive cultural broadcast, he instead delivered a masterclass in universal appeal. By refusing to ‘anglicize’ his art, he proved that language is no barrier to stadium level energy; the performance remained 90% Spanish because that is the heartbeat of his music. But the vibrancy of the production invited everyone in. This was not only a concert, but a statement. By shouting out countries across the Americas and offering a “God Bless America” he reframed the Superbowl stage as a culmination of cultures.
Culturally, this was a turning point. It signaled the end of an era where superstars tone down their heritage for a mainstream US audience. However, from a technical standpoint, Sonder’s critique remains,while Bad Bunny mastered the cultural moment and utilized the physical stadium better than most, he still prioritized the “music video” performance that favors camera angles over the raw power of live vocals. He takes the #7 spot because the successfully balanced being a global icon, with cultural impact and live vocal presence- even if production prioritized cinematic polish over raw performance.
Written by Jade Read & Stephanie Rodriguez