The Super Bowl halftime show has become just as anticipated as the game itself and many credit Michael Jackson’s 1993 performance as the one that completely changed the game.
The King Of Pop was in the prime of his career at 34-years-old when he took the stage at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California at Super Bowl XXVII on January 31, 1993 which would become one of the most watched events in American television history with a near unbelievable 133,4million viewers.
The 12-and-a-half minute show was groundbreaking as it featured many elements including body doubles, a catapult entrance, and nearly two minutes of silence.
Michael’s performance is considered as one of the most iconic in the event’s history and he is credited as elevating the gig to a completely new level.
For over 30 years since the Super Bowl halftime show has seen performances from music’s biggest stars including Diana Ross, U2, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Madonna, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna.
The Super Bowl halftime show has become just as anticipated as the game itself and many credit Michael Jackson ‘s 1993 performance as the one that completely changed the game
Prior to Super Bowl XXVI, the game’s halftime show often featured performances by marching bands, drill teams, and ensembles.
The previous year before Michael’s performance featured a salute to the 1992 Winter Olympics which included a figure skating performance by Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill with musical guest Gloria Estefan.
As the halftime show format was seen as dated broadcaster Fox experimented by counterprogramming it with sketch comedy show In Living Color.
It certainly seemed to be a gamechanger as viewership of the Super Bowl halftime show on CBS had decreased by a whopping 22percent.
This resulted in the NFL rethinking their strategy in hopes of booking a more contemporary act in order to attract and retain more mainstream viewers.
Don Mischer – who produced and directed Michael’s halftime show – told the Post last year: ‘They flipped over to Fox, and the trouble is they never came back [to CBS].
‘This was a major wake-up call for the NFL. They realized that a Super Bowl halftime show could no longer be filler in the middle of America’s premier football game.’
Producer of the halftime show Radio City Productions then reached out to Michael and met with he and manager Sandy Gallin.
The King Of Pop was in the prime of his career at 34-years-old when he took the stage at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California at Super Bowl XXVII on January 31, 1993 which would become one of the most watched events in American television history with a near unbelievable 133,4million viewers
The previous year before Michael’s performance featured a salute to the 1992 Winter Olympics which included a figure skating performance by Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill with musical guest Gloria Estefan (pictured)
As the halftime show format was seen as dated broadcaster Fox experimented by counterprogramming it with sketch comedy show In Living Color
This resulted in the NFL rethinking their strategy in hopes of booking a more contemporary act in order to attract and retain more mainstream viewers so they reached out to Michael
The efforts had failed three times with Michael even asking the NFL for a fee of $1million however the league did not pay performers.
The two sides did eventually come to terms after the NFL and Frito-Lay agreed to make a donation of $100,000 to his Heal The World Foundation and provide commercial time during the game for the foundations Heat L.A. campaign.
Siedah Garrett – who co-wrote Man In The Mirror and duetted with him on I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – performed with him during halftime as she has previously said that Michael ‘wasn’t nervous – he was excited’ but did understand the football fan crowd was not exactly his normal audience.
Garrett said: ‘He was worried about the good ol’ boys and how he was gonna come off to them.
‘He was more concerned about entertaining those football guys who were just there to see the game, didn’t care who was on at the halftime show. They would usually leave and go to the bathroom or do whatever. But nobody left their seats with this halftime show.’
Michael’s performance began with a James Earl Jones voiceover as he called it an ‘unprecedented Super Bowl spectacular starring Michael Jackson.’
The Bad hitmaker then seemed to appear at the top of the stadium’s two jumbotrons only to find out they were actually body doubles.
Then Michael is finally revealed as he is catapulted from center stage and then stood completely frozen and silent for nearly two minutes as the crowd raucously cheered on in arguably the most iconic moment of the performance.
Siedah Garrett – who co-wrote Man In The Mirror and duetted with him on I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – performed with him during halftime as she has previously said that Michael ‘wasn’t nervous – he was excited’ but did understand the football fan crowd was not exactly his normal audience; they are pictured together in 1987
The Bad hitmaker then seemed to appear at the top of the stadium’s two jumbotrons only to find out they were actually body doubles
Then Michael is finally revealed as he is catapulted from center stage
He then stood completely frozen and silent for nearly two minutes as the crowd raucously cheered on in arguably the most iconic moment of the performance
Don Mischer (pictured in 1996) – who produced and directed Michael’s halftime show -described how the moment was planned as he said: ‘Michael said to me, “Don’t cue my musicians until my hands go up and remove my glasses”‘
The music begins and performance kicked into gear when his long-time guitarist Jennifer Benson began strumming
Mischer described how the moment was planned as he said: ‘Michael said to me, “Don’t cue my musicians until my hands go up and remove my glasses.”
‘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.’
The music begins and performance kicked into gear when his long-time guitarist Jennifer Benson began strumming.
His set list was incredible as he began with Jam with the beginning of Why You Wanna Trip On Me, Billie Jean, and Black Or White.
It all climaxed with the audience in the stadium participating by holding up cards which resembled children holding hands along with a video montage featuring Michael’s humanitarian efforts around the world.
A choir of 3,000 local LA children then sung We Are The World along with Jackson before culminating with Heal The World as an inflatable globe took center stage.
Michael and the NFL’s efforts proved to be fruitful as it was the first time in Super Bowl history that ratings had actually increased in between halves.
A choir of 3,000 local LA children then sung We Are The World along with Jackson
It culminated with Heal The World as an inflatable globe took center stage
The show is routinely ranked among the best Super Bowl halftime performances of all-time
The artist himself also saw a boost as sales of his Dangerous album which rose from 18 to number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart selling 35million copies worldwide.
The show is routinely ranked among the best Super Bowl halftime performances of all-time.
The worldwide appeal of the performance has not been forgotten as longtime Michael dancer/choreographer Travis Payne has previously said: ‘The difference between Michael Jackson’s performance at the Super Bowl and everybody else’s before him was that Michael’s became global.
‘The whole world cared — not just America.’