The Super Bowl Halftime Show as of late has had top tier entertainers like Prince, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce, and Tom Petty. But it wasn't so long ago that the break in the action of the biggest football game of the year was dominated by marching bands, over the hill Broadway stars, and pep-rally style antics. There were some pretty cheesy goings on throughout the 80's, too. Harken back to a simpler time with us as we examine the worst Super Bowl half time shows of all time. Check out the slideshow below.
Related Slideshow: The 10 Worst Super Bowl Halftime Shows Of All Time
Starring: Carol Channing and the Southern University Marching Band - “A Tribute To Mardi Gras”
This extravaganza follows the same formula as other early shows - find a marching band, an aging broadway or Hollywood star, and find a strange, tie in, usually related to the host city (in this case New Orleans.) We have all three represented here.
Channing told FOX NEWS years later, “We didn’t even rehearse! It was 1970–a little while back. I sang ‘When the Saints Go Marching In,’ and we just yelled and screamed. And they all heard it.”
Unfortunately (?) no video seems to exist of this bizarre show.
Starring: Andy WIlliams, Woody Herman, and the University of Michigan Marching Band
What says football more than the dynamic duo of crooner Andy Williams and jazz leader Woody Herman? The theme of this particular halftime show was “Happiness Is…” After watching below, you’ll know for sure what happiness isn’t.
Starring: Up With People - "200 Years and Just a Baby: A Tribute to America's Bicentennial"
1976 was America’s bicentennial year, and what better way to celebrate than with this saccharine group of perpetually happy and (over)enthusiastic kids that make Pat Boone look as edgy as Tupac Shakur. They really pushed the line with that crazy take on “Rock Around The Clock.”
Starring: Up With People - "A Salute to the 1960’s and Motown"
Up with People are back with their take on the swingin’ 60’s. From Motown to Creedence Clearwater Revival, those crazy kids really know how to get down!
Starring: Up With People - "The Beat Of The Future"
One last entry from our Up With People friends. From a Super Bowl that most Patriots fans would like to forget, our favorite gang of happy kids take on the future! Nearly 30 years on, it’s a relief that none of this came to pass.
Starring: George Burns, Mickey Rooney, Grambling State University and USC Marching Bands, Disney characters, Southern California-area high school drill teams and dancers
What says excitement more than Disney’s Goofy dressed as a singing cowboy and grizzled Hollywood veterans George Burns and Mickey Rooney? Add some high school drill teams and university marching bands, and presto - Super Bowl magic!
Starring: Chubby Checker, The Rockettes, 72 grand pianos, and the combined San Diego State University Marching Aztecs and USC Marching Bands
Chubby Checker and the Rockettes teamed up with some college marching bands and a bizarre piano-themed backdrop to extoll the virtues of the twist, to an unsuspecting public, 25 years too late.
Starring: New Kids on the Block, Disney characters, 2,000 local children, and a card trick.
The Super Bowls of the past sure loved their card tricks. Team that up with the requisite Disney characters and a boy band past their prime, and you have a perfect Super Bowl halftime show that any red blooded American would be proud to take a bathroom break during.
Starring: “The Blues Brothers” (Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman and James Belushi), ZZ Top, James Brown
Didn’t John Belushi die in 1982? Than how did the Blues Brothers…oh, that’s right. His little brother Jim and “Rosanne” star John Goodman tried to fill the late comedian's shoes. They probably shouldn’t have bothered. ZZ Top and James Brown almost saved the day. Almost.
