While many will be tuning into Super Bowl 50 for the game (or the hate-watching), another group will be there just for Lady Gaga’s performance when the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons retreat for the locker room midway through.
Sportsnet author Dave Zarum is on the record as saying Prince put on the all-time greatest Super Bowl half-time performance, but as it turns out there are many ways to break down featured acts.
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Here’s our annual ranking of Super Bowl half-time acts by five key measures:
CAREER RECORD SALES*
1 Paul McCartney, SB XXXIX 325.2 million**
2 Michael Jackson, SB XXVII 176.9 million
3 Madonna, SB XLVI 168.6 million
4 Katy Perry, SB XLIX 117.1 million
5 U2, SB XXXVI 103.8 million
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FoWLsiycJ8
TOTAL SECOND-HALF POINTS
1 Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting, XB XXXVII 46 points (Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21)
2 Gloria Estefan, Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill, SB XXVI 44 (Washington 37, Buffalo 24)
3 Southern California–area high-school drill teams and dancers, SB XXI 40 (NY Giants 39, Denver 20)
4 Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child, SB XLVII 38 (Baltimore 34, San Francisco 31)
5 Tony Bennett, Patt LaBelle, Arturo Sandoval and Miami Sound Machine, SB XXIX 37 (San Francisco, 49, San Diego 26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b42DlHF2MLM
NO. 1 HITS
1 Paul McCartney, SB XXXIX 29
2 Michael Jackson, SB XXVII 17
3 Madonna, SB XLVI 12
T-4 Stevie Wonder, SB XXXIII 10
T-4 Janet Jackson, SB XXXVIII 10
SIZE OF COMEBACK
1 Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, and Wynonna and Naomi Judd, SB XXVIII Down 7, win by 17 (Dallas 30, Buffalo 13)
2 Los Angeles Super Drill Team, SB XVII Down 7, win by 10 (Washington 27, Miami 17)
3 Anita Bryant and the Southeast Missouri State Band, SB V Down 7, win by 3 (Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas 13)
4 The Who, SB XLIV Down 4, win by 14 (New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17)
5 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, SB XLII Down 4, win by 3 (NY Giants 17, New England 14)
TELEVISION AUDIENCE
1 Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot, SB XLIX 118.5 million
2 Beyonce, Coldplay and Bruno Mars, SB 50 115.5 million
3 Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers, SB XLVIII 115.3 million
4 Madonna, LMFAO, MIA, CeeLo Green and Nicki Minaj, SB XLVI 114.0 million
5 Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child, SB XLVII 110.8 million
*Certified sales from available markets, as of Jan. 2016
**Includes The Beatles