Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TWThe Weeknd is already making history with Sunday's Super Bowl performance — he's the first Canadian to headline the halftime show solo — but he could also make some chart history in the weeks after the broadcast.
According to Billboard, despite all the hype and blockbuster ratings, no artist has actually hit number one on the Hot 100 as a result of their Super Bowl performance. But The Weeknd is in the best position to accomplish this: His former number-one hit "Blinding Lights" is currently number three, while his latest single "Save Your Tears" is number 14. Either one of them could jump up to the top after he sings them on Sunday.
Of course, the halftime show has impacted the chart in the past: Lady Gaga's "Million Reasons" re-entered at number four after her 2017 show, while Madonna's "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and The Black Eyes Peas' "The Time" hit the top 10 after they performed.
Interestingly, the Super Bowl began in 1967, but it was only in 1991, with New Kids on the Block's performance, that halftime became an opportunity for stars to play their hits. Prior to that, it was mostly marching bands, old Hollywood stars or the vocal troupe Up with People.
The Weeknd's been checking out some of the most iconic performances, starting with 1993, when Michael Jackson set the standard for the halftime show to be a massive pop spectacle.
"Diana Ross [in 1996] is my favorite performance, so I just watched hers over and over again," he said Thursday. "It's mainly her. Yeah, I mean, I loved Prince, obviously. Michael Jackson, Beyonce. I mean, they're all amazing. But Diana Ross is definitely my favorite performance."
Here's a list of the stars who've played Super Bowl halftime since 1991:
1991 — New Kids on the Block
1992 — Gloria Estefan
1993 — Michael Jackson, performing with 3,500 children
1994 — Country stars Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna, and Naomi Judd
1995 — Patti LaBelle, Miami Sound Machine & Tony Bennett
1996 — Diana Ross
1997 — ZZ Top, James Brown, the Blues Brothers featuring Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman and James Belushi
1998 — Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, the Temptations, Queen Latifah
1999 — Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
2000 — Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton
2001 — Aerosmith, 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Nelly, Mary J. Blige
2002 — U2
2003 — Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting
2004 — Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Kid Rock, P. Diddy
2005 — Paul McCartney
2006 — The Rolling Stones
2007 — Prince
2008 — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
2009 — Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
2010 — The Who
2011 — Black Eyed Peas
2012 — Madonna
2013 — Beyonce (and Destiny's Child, briefly)
2014 — Bruno Mars feat. Red Hot Chili Peppers
2015 — Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz & Missy Elliott
2016 — Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars
2017 — Lady Gaga
2018 — Justin Timberlake
2019 — Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi
2020 — Jennifer Lopez & Shakira
By Andrea Dresdale
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