ArtsEtc.

Super Bowl halftime highlights

The Super Bowl halftime show has developed over the years into a bona fide entertainment spectacle. Such music dignitaries as Ella Fitzgerald (Super Bowl VI) and Chubby Checker (Super Bowl XXII) have graced the field in the past. There have been some notably creepy moments as well, like Michael Jackson dancing around with 3,500 local children (Super Bowl XXVII).

Truth be told, it all depends on theproducer for the show. Disney treated us to pop-fests with New Kids on the Block (Super Bowl XXV) and one memorable year featuring both Phil Collins and Christina Aguilera (Super Bowl XXXIV). Last year, MTV, obviously under the sway of TRL, had *NSync play. It would have been better if MTV had allowed the football players to tackle the boy band after their set.

This year, Clear Channel (thankfully) takes over and presents U2. I wonder if they’ll perform “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of?” The music video featured a kicker suffering through the memory of his missed field goal attempt that lost the game for his team.

XXXI The Blues Brothers (Dan Ackroyd, John Goodman, James Belushi)/ ZZ Top/ James Brown

XXXII Boyz II Men/ Smokey Robinson/ Martha Reeves/ Temptations/ Queen Latifah

XXXIII Stevie Wonder/ Gloria Estefan/ Big Bad Voodoo Daddy/ tap dancer Savion Glover

XXXIV Phil Collins/ Christina Aguilera/ Enrique Iglesias/ Toni Braxton/ 80 person choir

XXXV Aerosmith/ *NSYNC

XXXVI U2