25 Top Super Bowl Halftime Show Performers: Maroon 5, Lady Gaga and More
Album and tour sales can skyrocket 1000% after halftime.
By Stephanie Asymkos September 20, 2018 Start Saving Now
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It's far too early to determine which NFL teams will be playing in the 2019 Super Bowl, but Maroon 5 is set to be the halftime show entertainment.
Maroon 5 will take the stage for Super Bowl LIII on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Considered one of the most popular bands of the 21st century, Maroon 5 has 14 Billboard Top 10 hits.
Given the band's success, it's likely they didn't take the gig for the money. Halftime musicians aren't compensated by the NFL. Instead of a paycheck, musicians receive the undivided attention of over 100 million for their 12-and-a-half-minute performance.
Performing on the world's biggest stage might be a pro bono gig, but musicians see returns worth millions in the subsequent album and ticket sales — and when timed in conjunction with an album release or world tour, the gains are massive. In 2017, for example, Lady Gaga's digital music sales skyrocketed 1000 percent the day she performed her Super Bowl halftime show, according to Billboard. Similarly, Coldplay's sales jumped 355 percent the week they performed at the Super Bowl in 2016, and their just-released album at the time moved from No. 16 to No. 4 after their halftime performance.
Click to see the net worths of the Super Bowl's richest halftime performers.
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Justin Timberlake (2018)
A two-time Super Bowl halftime show performer, Timberlake's 2018 appearance was panned by critics. "Man of the Woods," his fifth studio album that dropped the same week, also received a lukewarm reception but still managed to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, likely helped by his Super Bowl appearance. As a soloist, Timberlake stands at 12.4 million albums sold and 2.6 billion on-demand song streams, according to Billboard.
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Lady Gaga (2017)
With her performance touted as one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows ever, Lady Gaga didn't receive a paycheck for the show but her performance majorly boosted her star power, sales and streaming — "Joanne," her most recent album at the time, surged from No. 66 to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after the show. Lady Gaga's all-time U.S. total stands at 56.2 million digital song sales.
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Coldplay (2016, featuring Bruno Mars and Beyoncé)
Coldplay might have been the official headliner in 2016, but it was Beyoncé who stole the show. Despite being upstaged by Queen Bey, Coldplay's "Head Full of Dreams" tour was the third highest-grossing tour of all time at $523 million in ticket sales, according to Live Nation.
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Katy Perry (2015, featuring Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott)
It's unusual for a headliner's backup dancer to make headlines — 2015 was the year of "Left Shark," a wayward backup dancer in a 7-foot-tall shark costume. All the attention "Left Shark" received extended to Perry, and she finished seventh on Billboard's Top Artists — Female chart for the year. Per the Recording Industry Association of America, Perry's sold 98 million digital singles.
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Bruno Mars (2014, featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers)
It was no coincidence that tickets to Bruno Mars' tour went on sale the morning of the Super Bowl — after his halftime show performance, many shows were sold out and ticket prices on the secondary market jumped an average of $150, which brought the average ticket price to $500.
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Beyoncé (2013)
The same year Beyoncé headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, her "Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" raked in over $200 million in overall revenue.
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Madonna (2012)
It was a big year for the Material Girl — Madonna's halftime performance attracted 112.5 million viewers, and her 2012 tour sold out all 72 concerts and grossed $228 million, making it the most successful tour of the year.
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The Black Eyed Peas (2011, featuring Usher and Slash)
Critics were less than enthusiastic about the band's performance but The Black Eyed Peas saw their single "Just Can't Get Enough" round out 2011 at No. 10 on the Billboard's Hot 100. The group previously held the record for the most digital downloads at over 5.5 million.
See: Here's What You Can Buy for the Price of a Super Bowl Halftime Ad
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The Who (2010)
Instead of promoting an upcoming tour or album, The Who performed a five-song set and saw sales of their "Greatest Hits" album jump 102 percent after the show.
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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2009)
Concurrent to The Boss' performance was the release of "Working on a Dream," which found its way to the No. 1 spot on Billboard following the show. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band hold the title for the 24th best-selling album of all time with "Born in the U.S.A."
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2008)
With no new album to promote, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Greatest Hits" shot up 196 percent in sales the week following their Super Bowl performance. Moreover, "Petty's Anthology: Through the Years" spiked 240 percent.
The NFL hails Prince's halftime performance as one of the greatest acts to grace the Super Bowl stage, reported Forbes. The same year, the late legend performed a dizzying 21 shows in London and gave away his album "Planet Earth" for free in copies of a UK newspaper. Prince's "Purple Rain" is the 39th best-selling album of all time, according to RIAA.
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The Rolling Stones (2006)
The British band invaded the halftime stage in 2006. The Stones were in the midst of a yearlong world tour and at the time, "A Bigger Bang" was the highest grossing tour of all time at $558 million.
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Paul McCartney (2005)
Sir Paul McCartney's performance pre-dated digital music sales, and it was likely that brick-and-mortar retailers sold out of his latest album, "Back in the U.S. Live 2002." As a consolation, two of McCartney's solo greatest hits and the Beatles' "1" all received jumps on Billboard. McCartney's career post-Beatles breakup never achieved the same success, but it was a tough hurdle to clear as the Beatles have three of the top 50 best-selling albums of all time.
Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only and does not reflect the specific Super Bowl performance
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Janet Jackson (2004, featuring Kid Rock, P. Diddy, Nelly and Justin Timberlake)
The same year the term "wardrobe malfunction" was coined, Janet Jackson's worldwide embarrassment translated into sales of three of her albums doubling after the show. She has gone on to win the Billboard Icon Award.
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Shania Twain (2003, featuring No Doubt and Sting)
The most recent country act to perform was Shania Twain, who was promoting her studio album "Up!" Her Super Bowl performance boosted the album's sales by 41 percent.
See: The 30 Richest Country Music Stars Ranked
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U2 (2002)
Ranked as the No. 1 Super Bowl performance by Rolling Stone, sales of three of U2's album jumped an average of 146 percent following the performance that featured a moving tribute to the victims of 9/11.
Find Out: U2 Frontman Bono's Astounding Net Worth
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Aerosmith (2001, featuring N'Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly)
It was an all-star combo of veterans sharing the stage with newcomers. At the time, Aerosmith was promoting their album "Just Push Play." The band has sold 66.5 million units in the U.S.
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Christina Aguilera (2000, featuring several other artists)
Christina Aguilera was hot off her 1999 eponymous album that sold 17 million copies and also hit No. 1. When she performed in 2000, her Christmas album and Spanish-language album hit No. 28 and No. 27, respectively, on Billboard.
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Stevie Wonder (1999, along with several other artists)
Stevie Wonder played the last Super Bowl of the 20th century with the help of Gloria Estefan and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Wonder has sold 19.5 million albums as of 2017.
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Smokey Robinson (1998, along with several others) REQUIRE DISCLAIMER
It was the year of Motown legends like Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves and The Temptations. Headliner Smokey Robinson's 2014 "Smokey & Friends" debuted with 14,000 units sold, making it his highest-charting release since 1981.
See: The Musicians and Stars Who Are Making a Fortune Overseas
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James Brown (1997, along with several others)
It was named the Blues Brothers Bash, but it was James Brown who stole the show and performed some of his greatest hits. The storied musician left behind a fortune of $100 million when he died in 2006.
Sans The Supremes, Diana Ross performed a medley of her hits and some covers in 1996. Sales of her then-current record "Take Me Higher" jumped 74 percent following the Super Bowl.
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Tony Bennett (1995, featuring several others)
The legendary crooner shared the stage with Patti Labelle and Teddy Pendergrass, but none of the artists experienced a huge surge in sales. Tony Bennett's 2014 collaboration with Lady Gaga "Cheek to Cheek," however, went Gold after selling 500,000 copies.
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Michael Jackson (1993) (edited)
The King of Pop is credited with making the Super Bowl halftime show what it is today. Before his 1993 performance, the halftime show was marching bands and low-level entertainers. His performance no doubt contributed to the more than $4 billion the singer has earned in life — and through his estate after his passing — as of 2018.
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