Super Bowl halftime shows through the years

A history of Super Bowl halftime performances, from Madonna to Janet to...Elvis Presto?

This Sunday, Madonna will add her name to the growing list of musical superstars who have played on that biggest (in terms of audience size) of television stages, the Super Bowl halftime show. Madonna's Super Bowl XLVI appearance (which, according to rumor, will feature guest appearances by M.I.A., Nicki Minaj, LMFAO and Cee Lo Green) will follow recent gridiron gigs by the Black Eyed Peas, the Who and Bruce Springsteen.

But surprisingly, it took the NFL many years to transform its biggest halftime show into a Major Cultural Event—and there were more than a few hiccups along the way. Here, Metromix looks back at the artists—from Ella Fitzgerald and Chubby Checker to Stevie Wonder, U2 and, of course, Justin Timberlake and Janet “Wardrobe Malfunction” Jackson—who’ve taken the field through the years.—Keith N. Dusenberry, Special to Metromix

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