--- title: Super Bowl Halftime Show: The One that Changed It All description: Check out how the biggest stage in music was created canonical: https://time.com/4209706/super-bowl-half-time-show-michael-jackson/ author: Daniel D'Addario article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-05T22:35:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:41:04.932Z article:section: Sports og:title: The Show That Changed the Super Bowl Halftime og:description: How the biggest stage in music was created og:url: https://time.com/4209706/super-bowl-half-time-show-michael-jackson/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt545ed7c500d536c1/69887c53ab6d7737fe6a84b4/gettyimages-508430438.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1920 og:image:height: 1080 og:image:alt: Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Press Conference og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Show That Changed the Super Bowl Halftime twitter:description: How the biggest stage in music was created twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt545ed7c500d536c1/69887c53ab6d7737fe6a84b4/gettyimages-508430438.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Halftime Show That Changed the Super Bowl > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: The Halftime Show That Transformed the Super Bowl [Watch (HLS stream): The Halftime Show That Transformed the Super Bowl](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ZkcZlc5f.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2016-02-05_ by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/) and [Joyce Lee](https://time.com/author/joyce-lee/) Feb 5, 2016 10:35 PM UTC by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/) and [Joyce Lee](https://time.com/author/joyce-lee/) Feb 5, 2016 10:35 PM UTC The halftime show at Super Bowl 50 on Sunday will be as glitzy as fans have come to expect: Coldplay and Beyoncé are scheduled to perform, and there are sure to be surprise guests in store in Santa Clara, Calif. It wasn’t always this way: Indeed, early halftime shows consisted of marching bands, dance troupes, or dated-even-then music medleys. One of those medleys, a 1992 tribute to the Winter Olympics, provided the halftime show with a major turning point: Fox counterprogrammed the show with a special episode of _In Living Color_, and drew away some 22 million viewers. The next year, the NFL hired one of the world’s biggest stars to perform — watch the above if you don’t know who. High profile acts have led the halftime show ever since, and the slot tends now to get even more viewers than the game. Recent years have included superstars like Paul McCartney and Prince as well as popular younger acts like Bruno Mars and Katy Perry. Check out how the biggest stage in music was created. ## Transcript [ NOISE ] So even though today we think of the Super Bowl half time show as a huge showcase for superstar pop musicians when it began it was just a break for fans sitting in the stadium or watching at home. So it could be something as simple as marching bands or dance troops like Up With People. The true turning point in Super Bowl halftime history came in 1993 when Michael Jackson performed. The year previously, 1992, Gloria Estefan had performed as part of a tribute to the winter Olympics. It was both a little bit uninspired And was counter programmed against Fox, which put up the sketch comedy series In Living Color. 22 million people tuned away, and the NFL realized, they had to get a major, major star, to keep fans watching and entertained. Michael Jackson made perfect sense as a booking. He was a little bit up against the ropes, in terms of his private life And he needed a really good PR opportunity. His fans tuned in by the millions rather than tuning out. And they made it one the most successful Super Bowl halftime shows of all time. They also set the template for what it would look like in the decades to come, with truly iconic music acts. From U2, Bruce Springsteen, to Prince and Paul McCartney. So based on the fact that this year Coldplay is performing with Beyonce and other surprise guest to be announced. We've run short on icons who can truly carry an entire show by themselves. Look at Katy Perry teaming up with Missy Elliott. If I had to bet, I'd think future years will feature more and more medley, Of stars, each bringing their own individual fan bases together, so that we can all celebrate, no matter what genre of music we like best. 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