It’s almost Super Bowl time again. A significant part of the whole event, besides the game itself, is the halftime show. This year, that’s coming from Bad Bunny, highlighting a 16-year classic rock gap.
The Puerto Rican rapper continues a Super Bowl trend of broadening the range of music performed. Bad Bunny follows Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rihanna in the last three years, and a multi-star line-up of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent in 2022. Before that, it’s a long list of pop and RnB acts taking the lead.
Somewhat shockingly, you have to go back to 2010 to get a classic rock act putting on the big show. Hands up, admission, I’ve skipped past some guest slots by the likes of Slash and Lenny Kravitz, and Coldplay being the lead in 2016.
Back to that 2010 Super Bowl, and we had the brilliant Who as the last classic rock act to headline. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend strutted their stuff in fine style that year in a 12-minute-long set.
Tempting classic rock icons for a legendary return to the Super Bowl halftime stage
The lack of a classic rock act at the Super Bowl seems a huge omission. But to be fair, it does represent the shift away from the genre in popular music charts. Try finding new rock albums enduring the top albums of recent years, and you’ll see the problem.
That doesn't mean we should give up on the hope or opportunity of getting a classic rock act back on the halftime stage. But it might take something special to make the difference and secure the slot.
I’m thinking of acts that have stopped touring one way or another and can be tempted back for a special one-off mega appearance. They also need to have a strong lineup still available to perform. Here are seven great acts that would make a superb show.
Seven classic rock icons to get back on the Super Bowl stage
The Who
It’s not the original line-up, but Daltrey and Townshend have been performing as the Who for a long enough time now to count. They are close to stopping touring and have been saying farewell to the US for a while. As a look back to their and classic rock's last appearance at the Super Bowl, they could be a great fit.
Rolling Stones
Indications are that the band has called off plans for a European tour, as it’s believed to be too much for Keith Richards. That doesn't mean one-off gigs are out, as the band has already shown. Rocking the halftime stage would seem very feasible and may be a last chance for a huge US show from them.
Elton John
Elton put an end to touring in 2023 after a mammoth set of dates and a farewell tour spanning five years. He, too, is up for some one-off shows. A Super Bowl slot would be perfect and probably only raise one big issue. Which of his many hits should he play in the minutes available?
Aerosmith
As with many other bands, health and ability to perform are big question marks. Steven Tyler’s vocal cords have stopped them from touring and curtailed new music. But the question of some form of limited comeback keeps getting raised. The limited set at a Super Bowl could well be an ideal opportunity to take a step back into the lights.
Queen
I have tried to avoid bands that are still touring, but there is a gap that still keeps Queen in the frame. Brian May has indicated recently that they'd likely be avoiding the US for now, putting a tour off limits. May, Roger Taylor, and Adam Lambert may be able to make an exception for an outstanding one-off. They'd be a brilliant way to bring classic rock back if available.
Dire Straits
Mark Knopfler has talked at times of offers for comebacks. Huge money and enormous tours, no doubt. Maybe that all seems too much effort and a big drag for a guy who just seems to love playing his guitar, but is less keen on all the baggage that goes with a tour. What a way to scratch the itch without going full-blown, long-term comeback.
Led Zeppelin
In our wildest dreams, perhaps the best we could hope for would be to see Robert Plant and Jimmy Page collaborate as a pair, but maybe they could also persuade John Paul Jones alongside. Now that could be a superb show, brief but sublime, perhaps with the right set list. It would put classic rock right back in prime Super Bowl space.