It was 2007. The Indianapolis Colts were playing the Chicago Bears for the Super Bowl. More memorable than anything that happened during the game was what happened during halftime.
The Artist Formerly Known as Prince electrified a worldwide audience of 140 million. The 12-minute show set the bar for all halftime shows from that day on. Here are 4 reasons why-
Set List- The first song you hear isn’t a Prince classic but the sports rock anthem “We will rock you.” He comes in high with “Lets Go Crazy” then covers Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” and the Foo Fighters “Best of You.” He then performs “Purple Rain” to finish it off (which earned its own reason later on.) There is a lot to say for borrowing music and playing with others. The unexpected brings so much energy to this performance.
Performance- The most noticeable element of Prince’s show is the virtuosic musicianship. Few acts have brought this caliber of talent to the stage. Most acts use backtracks or recordings of vocals or solo instruments to ensure that nothing goes wrong with the show but that often ends up sounding stale. Prince laughs at this as he performs 100% live on vocals and electric guitar with a full band and marching band.
Flare- Prince, as an artist, was able to combine so many genres; from rock to funk to pop. His attitude and delivery made him captivating throughout his career. He had both a stage and a guitar built to resemble the “Love Symbol,” iconic with Prince. He brought a provocative energy in every aspect of the show.
An Act of God- It had been raining the whole show. “Can I play this guitar?” He asked the crowd. As he began the guitar solo of Purple Rain, it began to downpour and instead of shutting down the show, he owned the energy and delivered a killer solo then brought the crowd screaming to its conclusion.
He didn’t hide behind pageantry or cheap gimmicks. He became a one-man wrecking crew on the greatest halftime show in history.