Not just any artist can perform at the Super Bowl. They need to be a big enough name to draw in millions of viewers and have enough hits to make them stick around throughout the entire halftime show.
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Conversations about truly stellar halftime performances usually make their way to Michael Jackson’s star turn in 1993. Jackson changed the game when he stepped on that stage. No longer could Super Bowl performances be something to break up the game. They needed to be show-stopping in their own right after Jackson set the precedent.
[RELATED: 10 Iconic Michael Jackson Moments]
The performance was cemented to be iconic even before Jackson opened his mouth to sing. When Jackson, quite literally, popped up on the stage, he was greeted by an overwhelming roar from the crowd. Jackson, never one to shut down praise, stood still and took in all the adulation. The pause dragged on for a few minutes. Not just any artist could keep a crowd of that size enticed without uttering a word.
“Michael said to me, ‘Don’t cue my musicians until my hands go up and remove my glasses,'” Don Mischer, producer and director of the halftime show told The Post. “So he pops up, the crowd’s going crazy, about 30 seconds goes by, and he doesn’t move. Now I’m in the [production] truck screaming, ‘Come on, Michael! Let us go, man, and give us the cue!’ Finally, his hands came up, he touched his glasses, and we were off and running.”
After the powerful opening, Jackson got started on his medley of hits, including, “Jam,” “Billie Jean,” “Black or White,” “We Are the World,” and “Heal the World.” Though Jackson has countless show-stopping tracks to choose from, the songs he did choose showcased his versatility as an artist and his total command of the stage.
The performance changed the Super Bowl forever. The Super Bowl XXVII was the first time the broadcast received better ratings from the second half of the game. Producers caught on quickly and decided to make the halftime show a must-watch event with some of the biggest names in the music industry. Revisit Jackson’s performance, below.
Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage
