Over the years, the Super Bowl Halftime Show has featured some of the biggest rock acts of all time. Often labeled as the World Greatest Rock and Roll Band, The Rolling Stones got their shot to perform at the historic and popular NFL championship game 20 years ago today … on February 5, 2006.
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Super Bowl XL (40) was played at Ford Field in Detroit, and featured the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the Seattle Seahawks. The Rolling Stones performed on a stage designed to look like the band’s famous tongue-and-lips logo. It was the largest stage ever featured during a Super Bowl Halftime Show at the time. As the band performed, pyrotechnics exploded around the edge of the massive logo.
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The Rolling Stones played a three-song set that began and ended with two of their classic songs—“Start Me Up” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” In between, the British rockers performed “Rough Justice,” a new song from their then-latest album, A Bigger Bang.
After finishing an energetic “Start Me Up,” frontman Mick Jagger addressed the audience.
“Hey, everybody! Hey, Detroit! Steelers fans, Seattle fans, and everybody out there,” Mick declared. “How’re you doin’, alright? Are you doin’ good?” The band then kicked into “Rough Justice.”
For The Stones’ final tune, Jagger humorously commented, “Here’s one we could’ve done at Super Bowl I, but, you know, everything comes to he who waits!”
The band then ripped into its signature song “Satisfaction.” The packed went wild as Mick shimmied and gyrated around the stage. The performance included an extended jam that showcased guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood’s intertwining riffs.
As the song ended, fireworks exploded from the back of the stage.
More About Super Bowl LX
Super Bowl LX featured Detroit native Aretha Franklin singing the national anthem with Aaron Neville, accompanied by Dr. John on the piano. The performance, which also featured a 150-person choir, served as a tribute to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The Steelers won the game 21-10.
Pre-Event Controversies
Before the game, NFL officials were concerned about The Rolling Stones playing songs with sexually explicit lyrics, or Jagger saying something inappropriate from the stage. These issues came up in the wake of the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show, during which Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed in her infamous “wardrobe malfunction.”
There also was some criticism about no Motown acts being featured in the show.
Jagger was asked about that during a pre-game press conference.
He offered that he felt the NFL had represented Motown as a label, and that Aretha also was a representative of Detroit’s music history.
Jagger also was asked if the NFL was “taking an extra interest” in the details of The Stones’ performance after the Janet Jackson incident.
“Well, the network television … they’re always worried about how many times you’re gonna say f— on the air, basically,” Mick said, cheekily. He then joked, “And they were having a crisis this morning because they heard Aretha was gonna strip while she was doing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ But all this will all be worked out on the night, you know. They needn’t worry about it. [They should] just calm down more and take life as it comes.”
Mick also was asked if he had a favorite American football team.
“No,” Jagger replied. He then explained, “I lived in New York for a long time in the 70s and 80s … and I did follow football a lot [then]. I mean … I can remember [retired Pittsburgh Steelers star] Lynn Swann … playing. … But I must say, I haven’t really been following football in recent years. I’ve been following more soccer.”
Richards then added, facetiously, “Tiddlywinks is actually our sport.”
(Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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