The 1992 Minneapolis Super Bowl’s halftime show was so bad that football fans today get to enjoy huge celebrity perfomances from the likes of Beyonce, Lady GaGa and this year, Justin Timberlake.
Just 26 years ago, the Twin Cities hosted the Super Bowl in the Metrodome, where the Washington Redskins went head-to-head with the Buffalo Bills. Washington took home the win, 37-24.
But before Timberlake takes the stage tonight for this year’s match-up between the New England Patriots and the Eagles, take a moment to go back in time to 1992’s main event dubbed ‘Winter Magic.’
The 1992 Minneapolis Super Bowl’s halftime show was so bad that football fans today get to enjoy huge celebrity perfomances from the likes of Beyonce, Lady GaGa and this year, Justin Timberlake. It was dubbed Winter Magic
Gloria Estefan performed at the end of the 1992 Super Bowl halftime show that also featured giant snowmen, dancers dressed in snowflakes, ice skaters and bands
With the theme built around Minneapolis being a place that does winter right, a barrage of dancers dressed like snowflakes and inflatable snowmen, descended upon the field for 12 minutes.
Timberline Productions based in Phoenix planned the halftime show.
Timberline had produced shows like ‘Sesame Street Live,’ but never a football game event.
The company came up with the idea to showcase Minnesota as the place where winter is the hottest time of the year, according to MPR News.
The Star Tribune wrote at the time that Act One consisted of a 30-second overture by the 60-piece tuxedo-clad Minnesota Youth Symphonies.
Moments later, they were joined onto the field by a 35-piece snowflake drill team, a 150-piece fabric drill team and 60 professional dancers.
And despite the 18-degree weather, the ‘Winter Wonderland’ segment featured 20 ballroom couples, 30 costumed showgirls, and 60 dancers.
And the NFL definitely learned from the 1992 Super Bowl, by upping their star power when they brought Michael Jackson to perform for halftime in 1993 (pictured)
Jackson’s performance was the precursor to the massive halftime performances folks enjoy today
A giant Frosty the Snowman appeared along with two 30-foot inflatable snowmen; three more dancing snowmen; a 400-member drill team and the University of Minnesota marching band.
Nearly 2,000 people performed, including skating champions Dorothy Hamilll and Brian Boitano, who skated during a salute to the Winter Olympics that year.
The 1980 Miracle on Ice hockey team was there, too and about 75 people rollerbladed.
Despite the Super Bowl XXVI being in January 1992, a month after Christmas, the show still featured Christmas music.
The biggest highlight of the show was singer Gloria Estefan, who had two No. 1 hits in the US.
Around 79 million people watched the Super Bowl that year. But at some time, because of the unintesting game and halftime show, 22 million viewers tuned out of it for counterprogramming.
And the NFL definitely learned from that Super Bowl, by upping their star power by bringing Michael Jackson to perform in 1993.
That was the precursor to the massive halftime performances folks enjoy today like both of Beyonce’s 2013 and 2016, when she performed alongside Bruno Mars and Coldplay.
Lady Gaga wowed the crowd with her halftime show jump from the stadium in 2017, but it was all an illusion, yet very entertaining.
Beyonce has performed for the Super Bowl twice, in 2013 and 2016, when she performed alongside Bruno Mars and Coldplay
Queen Bey performed during the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show in 2013
Lady Gaga wowed the crowd with her halftime show jump from the stadium in 2017, but it was all an illusion, yet very entertaining
Timberlake is returning to the halftime show 14 years after a wardrobe malfunction with Janet Jackson caused a national controversy.
The SexyBack hitmaker was Jackson’s special guest during her performance at that year’s game and ripped off a piece of her clothing, revealing her nipple.
Timberlake later described it as an unintended ‘wardrobe malfunction’.
CBS, which aired that Super Bowl, was fined $550,000 by the Federal Communications Commission, but the fine later was overturned.
The hashtags #JusticeforJanet and #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay became trending topics on Twitter days before Timberlake’s record third trip to the stage at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
And Sunday’s performance has caused another controversy over the usage of Prince’s hologram.
Despite denials from Prince’s family, the NFL has reportedly confirmed that a hologram of the late singer will appear during Timberlake’s halftime performance at the Super Bowl.
Timberlake will return to the halftime show 14 years after a wardrobe malfunction with Janet Jackson caused a national controversy
The SexyBack hitmaker (pictured in 2004) was Janet Jackson’s special guest during her performance at that year’s game and ripped off a piece of her clothing, revealing her nipple
The former ‘NSYNC member was rumored to be planning a performance alongside the computer-generated likeness of the late Purple Rain singer during halftime of the Patriots-Eagles title game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, TMZ reported.
Omarr Baker, Prince’s half brother, repudiated this claim on a Twitter account that he operates representing the family.
He began with a tweet that featured a red circle with a line through it before: ‘#PrinceHologram’.
When another Twitter user asked: ‘Does this mean you didn’t authorize it or that it’s not happening?’, Omarr replied: ‘Both.’
But the Minneapolis Star Tribune cited an NFL source on Saturday who confirmed that a digital, computer-generated likeness of the late pop star will indeed be used.
Among those who tweeted disapproval of the hologram idea was drummer Sheila E., who has worked with Prince and who wrote on the social media platform: ‘Prince told me don’t ever let anyone do a hologram of me. Not cool if this happens!’
The hologram rumor provoked widespread criticism and mockery on the social media.
But one thing viewers should not expect, is a remake of the 1992 halftime show.